Absolute OpenBSD
UNIX for the Practical Paranoid
by Michael W. Lucas

July 2003, 528 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-88641-199-9

This book is currently out of stock, but the ebook is still available

Click here to download Chapter 6

This straightforward, practical, and complete guide to mastering the powerful and complex OpenBSD operating system, is for the experienced UNIX user who wants to add OpenBSD to his or her repertoire. The author assumes a knowledge of basic UNIX commands, design, and permissions. The book takes you through the intricacies of the platform and teaches how to manage your system, offering friendly explanations, background information, troubleshooting suggestions, and copious examples throughout.

About the Author

Michael W. Lucas is a network engineer with extensive experience with intra-office and nationwide networks. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Absolute BSD and Cisco Routers for the Desperate. Lucas has worked with Cisco devices since 1995 and is currently responsible for a high-availability Cisco-based network.

Table of Contents

Ch 0: Introduction
Ch 1: Additional Help
Ch 2: Installation Preparations
Ch 3: Dedicated Installation
Ch 4: Multiboot Installation
Ch 5: Post-install Setup
Ch 6: Startup and Booting
Ch 7: Managing Users
Ch 8: Networking
Ch 9: Internet Connections
Ch 10: Additional Security Features
Ch 11: Basic Kernel Configuration
Ch 12: Building Custom Kernels
Ch 13: Add-on Software
Ch 14: /etc
Ch 15: Disk and File System Management
Ch 16: Upgrading OpenBSD
Ch 17: Basic Packet Filtering
Ch 18: More Packet Filtering
Ch 19: Managing PF
App A: i386 Kernel Configuration Choices
App B: PF Example Configurations
Afterword
Index

(top)

Reviews

"My current favorite is Absolute OpenBSD: Unix for the Practical Paranoid by Michael W. Lucas from No Starch Press. Anyone should be able to read this book, download OpenBSD, and get it running as quickly as possible."
--Infoworld, December 29, 2006 (Read more)

"Absolute OpenBSD is a very highly recommended and distinctly 'user
friendly' resource for OpenBSD users everywhere."
--The Midwest Book Review

"Absolute OpenBSD by Michael Lucas is a broad and mostly gentle
introduction into the world of the OpenBSD operating system. It is
sufficiently complete and deep to give someone new to OpenBSD a solid
footing for doing real work and the mental tools for further exploration.
[...] The potentially boring topic of systems administration is made very
readable and even fun by the light tone that Lucas uses."
--Chris Palmer, President, San Francisco Open BSD Users Group

"[This] is a well-written book that hits its market squarely on target.
Those new to OpenBSD will appreciate the comprehensive approach that takes
them from concept to functional execution. Existing and advanced users will
benefit from the discussion of OpenBSD- specific topics such as the
security features and pf administration."
--Slashdot

"I recommend Absolute OpenBSD to all programmers and administrators working
with the OpenBSD operating system (OS), or considering it."
--UnixReview

(top)

Updates

(show updates)(top)