Book recommendation (again)

[Joaquin Menchaca]

> I have 5.3 and am stuck. I'd like to find a book that helps me with just 
> a few things, but: for someone not a systems administrator who wants to 
> set up a workstation.

I think in a sense, dealing with UNIX as far as setup/install, you wear 
the sys admin hat, like it or not. :-)


> As an example of the level needed, where I'm stuck is I don't know how 
> to configure X from the incredibly primitive default setup.

Yeah, I felt this too.  The X is very primitive compared to things like 
Mandrake and SuSE Linux.  However, as many have pointed out, it is good 
to learn the system.  I would recommend delving thorugh howto linux docs 
on configuration of X.  I myself reviewed the handbook, and found it 
quite nice, but still limited in helping me get off the ground.  I now 
have generic twm and three xterms, and the mouse doesn't work. :-)

> I wish to install and configure Fluxbox and Fluxspace, set up Emacs with 
> all sorts of goodies (got sufficient docs on that excepting using 
> ports), and vnc (or similar) from OSX.

That sounds fun.  Also here's a project that is damn skippy:

     http://www.software-facilities.com/x11-wm-software/skippy.php

Also check out jedit for text editors.  That's the new one I use besides 
vim.  I found it when I was using Mac OS X, and now use it on all *nix 
platforms and well as windows ones.

> The online handbook wasn't helpful for my first problem. Complete 
> FreeBSD, Absolute BSD, and Design and Implementation seem targeted 
> toward admins and server setups. Am I wrong?
> 
> Best, Ted

Ted,

The book I started with is "The Complpete FreeBSD, Documentation from 
the Source" by Greg Lehey published by O'Reilly Community Press.  As 
others have mentioned it old as soon as it was printed.  However I like 
thumbing through a printed book.  I refer to the online handbook for 
things that are different, such as xorg vs. xfree86 stuff.

This book was very helpful in getting started.  I have the whole system 
installed on a little VIA embedded system (VIA PD 10000) which uses only 
80 watt power supply; I plan to use it as a router, and later add other 
services on it.