Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition

Amazon.com

Updated to cover version 2.4.x of the Linux kernel, the second edition of Linux Device Drivers remains the best general-purpose, paper-bound guide for programmers wishing to make hardware devices work under the world's most popular open-source operating system. The authors take care to show how to write drivers that are portable--that is, that compile and run under all popular Linux platforms. That, along with the fact that they're careful to explain and illustrate concepts, makes this book very well suited to any programmer familiar with C but not with the hardware-software interface. It's worth noting that the emphasis in the title is on "device drivers" as much as "Linux." This book will make sense to you if you've never written a driver for any platform before. It helps if you have some Linux or Unix background, but even that is secondary as a prerequisite to C skill.

For a programming text--and one concerned with low-level instructions and data structures, at that--this book is remarkably rich in prose. You'll typically want to read this book straight through, more or less skipping the code samples, before sketching out your plan for the driver you need to write. Then, go back and pay closer attention to the sections on specific details you need to implement, like custom task queues. For coding-time details about specific system calls and programming techniques, count on the index to point you to the right passages. --David Wall

Topics covered: Techniques for writing hardware device drivers that run under Linux kernels 2.0.x through 2.2.x. Sections show how to manage memory, time, interrupts, ports, and other details of the hardware-software interface.

Book Description

Device drivers literally drive everything you're interested in--disks, monitors, keyboards, modems--everything outside the computer chip and memory. And writing device drivers is one of the few areas of programming for the Linux operating system that calls for unique, Linux-specific knowledge. For years now, programmers have relied on the classic Linux Device Drivers from O'Reilly to master this critical subject. Now in its third edition, this bestselling guide provides all the information you'll need to write drivers for a wide range of devices. Over the years the book has helped countless programmers learn:

how to support computer peripherals under the Linux operating system
how to develop and write software for new hardware under Linux
the basics of Linux operation even if they are not expecting to write a driver

The new edition of Linux Device Drivers is better than ever. The book covers all the significant changes to Version 2.6 of the Linux kernel, which simplifies many activities, and contains subtle new features that can make a driver both more efficient and more flexible. Readers will find new chapters on important types of drivers not covered previously, such as consoles, USB drivers, and more. Best of all, you don't have to be a kernel hacker to understand and enjoy this book. All you need is an understanding of the C programming language and some background in Unix system calls. And for maximum ease-of-use, the book uses full-featured examples that you can compile and run without special hardware. Today Linux holds fast as the most rapidly growing segment of the computer market and continues to win over enthusiastic adherents in many application areas. With this increasing support, Linux is now absolutely mainstream, and viewed as a solid platform for embedded systems. If you're writing device drivers, you'll want this book. In fact, you'll wonder how drivers are ever written without it.

Customer Reviews:

Best Linux 2.4 Device Driver Book.......2007-01-25

Used this to write my first linux driver on my own with no help. Great book, great layout, very well written. I have not read all of the 3rd Edition, since I am now working on Solaris, and did not work on the 2.6 kernel, but would assume thats good as well.

ITA - La programmazione di moduli del kernel spiegata dettagliatamente.......2007-01-22

Un must per chi si avvicina alla programmazione di moduli del kernel, per chi e' esperto ma ha bisogno di un reference e per chi ne vuole sapere di piu'.

Il libro ha un'alta valenza didattica ed e' scritto in un linguaggio comprensibile e corretto. Gli esempi sono abbondanti e coprono bene gli argomenti trattati.

Good overview of linux device driver programming concepts.......2006-12-07

This book takes a hypothetical device driver and explains the concepts nicely. It provides various fundamentals one needs to know before writing linux device drivers, and valuable information like concurrent and race conditions, and gives ideas for debugging problems in real drivers. It is worth read and I liked it. I had already some experience in kernel programming before reading this book, and it filled holes in my kernel knowledge. This book is also available online[...] and you may check yourself before buying this.

The objections made by other reviewers fall into the following two classes. Once you are a experienced hacker, all you need is kernel sources (books are for fundamentals only and become obsolete as new kernel constructs are added). If you are looking for cut and paste template code to add new driver for another device, again use kernel source of an existing driver.

Good reference on Linux subsystems, not a book for starters.......2006-10-13

This book is not for Linux (kernel) newbies but for those who already know their way around the kernel and seek detailed info on certain parts of it. This book has some good overviews on different subsystems of the Linux kernel. Some sections, like USB, have been expanded since the second edition of this book. I would have liked to see a section on the new 2.6 scheduler.

If you want to start off with Linux kernel programming, I would recommend Linux Kernel Development by Robert Love. These books, together with articles on the web, should certainly help anyone interested.

Not useful for a normal coder looking to learn Unix drivers........2006-08-02

If you are trying to learn how to write Linux Device drivers from scratch, this is probably not the book for you. I believe I am somewhat C/C++ savvy, and I expect sample code that is less than 10 lines of code to compile correctly.
The sample code did not compile, and although the book has a lot of tidbits of good information, overall it is not very useful for a developer.

Average customer rating:

excellent book
Very Useful, but it's Hit-and-Miss
Succinct and clear to understand . . .
Perfect binding keeps the book open at the desired page
It was perfect to get me moving on LINUX

Linux Cookbook
Carla Schroder
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Network Administration | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Network Programming | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

File Sharing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Unix & Linux | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Linux | Unix & Linux | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0596006403
Release Date: 2004-12-01

Book Description

This unique and valuable collection of tips, tools, and scripts provides clear, concise, hands-on solutions that can be applied to the challenges facing anyone running a network of Linux servers from small networks to large data centers in the practical and popular problem-solution-discussion O'Reilly cookbook format. The Linux Cookbook covers everything you'd expect: backups, new users, and the like. But it also covers the non-obvious information that is often ignored in other books the time-sinks and headaches that are a real part of an administrator's job, such as: dealing with odd kinds of devices that Linux historically hasn't supported well, building multi-boot systems, and handling things like video and audio. The knowledge needed to install, deploy, and maintain Linux is not easily found, and no Linux distribution gets it just right. Scattered information can be found in a pile of man pages, texinfo files, and source code comments, but the best source of information is the experts themselves who built up a working knowledge of managing Linux systems. This cookbook's proven techniques distill years of hard-won experience into practical cut-and-paste solutions to everyday Linux dilemmas. Use just one recipe from this varied collection of real-world solutions, and the hours of tedious trial-and-error saved will more than pay for the cost of the book. But those who prefer to learn hands-on will find that this cookbook not only solves immediate problems quickly, it also cuts right to the chase pointing out potential pitfalls and illustrating tested practices that can be applied to a myriad of other situations. Whether you're responsible for a small Linux system, a huge corporate system, or a mixed Linux/Windows/MacOS network, you'll find valuable, to-the-point, practical recipes for dealing with Linux systems everyday. The Linux Cookbook is more than a time-saver; it's a sanity saver.

Customer Reviews:

excellent book.......2007-03-26

Excellent Linux book! Gives step by step answers to common Linux problems in a "Problem - solution" style way. I'm a tad disappointed in the SAMBA section, but that really is a topic deserving of a book of its own.

Very Useful, but it's Hit-and-Miss.......2006-09-11

Because this is a "cookbook," it gives you recipies -- step-by-step instructions for performing specific tasks.

This makes Linux Cookbook EXTREMELY useful when it has a recipie you need, and it often gives you a good starting point when you need to do something that isn't specifically covered.

For example, let's say you need to setup a mail server, which you've never done before. As long as you're willing to use the mail tools she describes (which are perfectly good tools), then this book is the fastest way to get the job done. She also shows you how to make sure the server will be secure.

I'm glad I have this book on my shelf, I recommend it, and I refer to it whenever I need to do something new in Linux. The problem is, you can't have a step-by-step recipie for everything. When this book hits the mark, it's the best book you can have, but you cannot rely on this as your only Linux book.

Succinct and clear to understand . . ........2006-05-10

A well-organised and clearly written collection of useful commands and solutions to help one along with the often exasperating arcana of Linux. Covers all flavours and is a 'must have' book.

Perfect binding keeps the book open at the desired page.......2005-09-28

... which comes in real handy considering how often I reference it.

Chapter 10 (Patching, Customizing, and Upgrading Kernels) and Chapter 12 (Managing the Bootloader and Multi-Booting) helped me recompile my kernel for the first time. Not only are the instructions clear, but the author also made sure to explain each step so I knew why I was typing a certain command. There's even a section on how to create an initrd image for SCSI drive users, which I had a hard time finding on the web.

This book does an excellent job covering all the basics, and it's worth spending the time to read it from beginning to end. I certainly see myself getting a lot of mileage from it.

It was perfect to get me moving on LINUX.......2005-08-10

I wanted to become more experienced with UNIX so I had the Ubuntu distribution installed in my computer. I spent six months having a hard time getting simple things done until I came accross this book.

It is organized in such a way that it is easy to get to do what you want/need and, what's better, the explanations provided give you insights on how UNIX works. After a while, you will find yourself doing new stuff on your own.

If you want to get into UNIX but knows little about it my advice for you is: get this book and jump into LINUX - it is worth it!

Average customer rating:

Very Comprehensive and Practical
Excellent explanation, but Windows-centric examples
VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
A great reference for all that is Unicode (and it's more than you think)...
Focus Surprisingly Practical

Unicode Explained
Jukka Korpela
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Programming | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Databases | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

XML & Databases | Databases | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 059610121X

Book Description

Fundamentally, computers just deal with numbers. They store letters and other characters by assigning a number for each one. There are hundreds of different encoding systems for mapping characters to numbers, but Unicode promises a single mapping. Unicode enables a single software product or website to be targeted across multiple platforms, languages and countries without re-engineering. It's no wonder that industry giants like Apple, Hewlett-Packard, IBM andMicrosoft have all adopted Unicode.

Containing everything you need to understand Unicode, this comprehensive reference from O'Reilly takes you on a detailed guide through the complex character world. For starters, it explains how to identify and classify characters - whether they're common, uncommon, or exotic. It then shows you how to type them, utilize their properties, and process character data in a robust manner.

The book is broken up into three distinct parts. The first few chapters provide you with a tutorial presentation of Unicode and character data. It gives you a firm grasp of the terminology you need to reference various components, including character sets, fonts and encodings, glyphs and character repertoires.

The middle section offers more detailed information about using Unicode and other character codes. It explains the principles and methods of defining character codes, describes some of the widely used codes, and presents code conversion techniques. It also discusses properties of characters, collation and sorting, line breaking rules and Unicode encodings. The final four chapters cover more advanced material, such as programming to support Unicode.

You simply can't afford to be without the nuggets of valuable information detailed in Unicode Explained.

Customer Reviews:

Very Comprehensive and Practical.......2007-10-07

I had to deal with Unicode in greater detail for two reasons. I am working on some old ASCII and ANSI text converter for the web to be able to show them in text format in a browser, rather than converting them to an image as existing tools do. The second reason is XML and the normalization of the content distributed via XML and processed or used by XSLT or DHTML apps.

I realized that the whole subject is a lot more complicated than I initially thought and the number of questions that needed an answer to move forward with what I was doing increased significantly. I was finding stuff on the web, a little bit here and a little bit there and had it one day, because progress was slow.

I stumbled one day across this book via a Google search, which returned passages from it from its Google Book search results. I found a very good answer to one of my questions and answers to some other questions that were lying around unanswered from before. I checked the index of the book to see what subjects it covers and realized that it pretty much covers all of them. So I went ahead to Amazon and bought it right there and then.

I am glad to this day that I found it and can recommend it to anybody who has only little or no knowledge of Unicode and struggles with getting a grip on all those standards for data encoding, which make it hard to keep the data within XML and text files intact across platforms and prevent your XML based application or tool from breaking because of illegal data in your content.

Excellent explanation, but Windows-centric examples.......2007-02-02

This book is excellent. The author's writing style is easy to read and he pretty much explains everything about Unicode. It's perfect if you're working with multi-lingual Web sites or email, or just if you want to start using Unicode for all of your Web site development (something everyone should do).

The only thing disappointing about this book is that all of his examples and screen shots are for and from Windows. A reader could come away with the feeling that Mac OS X and Linux don't have as much support for Unicode as Windows which, of course, is not the case at all. The least he could have done is to mention and give screenshots of Linux's "Character Map" app and Mac OS X's built-in "Character Palette", both of which are pretty much just like the Windows "Character Map" app.

I'm surprised O'Reilly allowed a book about such a platform-neutral subject to be so Windows-centric. Hopefully they can hire someone to add Linux and Mac OS X examples into the second edition.

VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!.......2006-11-27

Are you an IT professional who needs to understand Unicode and work with it? If you are, then this book is for you. Author Jukka Korpela, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that explores Unicode processing generally, but does not go into great detail on all parts of the Unicode character space.

Korpela, begins by providing a self-contained tutorial presentation of Unicode and character data. Then, the author gives detailed information about using Unicode and other character codes. Finally, he discusses relatively independent topics to be read according to each reader's specific needs.

This most excellent book guides you through the Unicode and character world. More importantly, it explains how to identify and classify characters.

A great reference for all that is Unicode (and it's more than you think)..........2006-09-11

If you're like me, you probably think of Unicode as "expanded ASCII" and that's about it. But there is infinitely more to the subject than I thought, and Unicode Explained by Jukka K. Korpela is an exhaustive reference to all that is Unicode. And in this increasingly global computing environment, you will need to know this information...

Contents:
Part 1 - Working with Characters: Characters as Data; Writing Characters; Character Sets and Encoding
Part 2 - A Systematic Look at Unicode: The Structure of Unicode; Properties of Characters; Unicode Encodings
Part 3 - Advanced Unicode Topics: Characters and Languages; Character Usage; The Character Level and Above; Characters in Internet Protocols; Characters in Programming
Appendix - Tables for Writing Characters; Index

In concept, Unicode is real simple. An expanded character set using 16 bit encoding, and you can accommodate far more languages and symbols than straight ASCII. But the implementation is far more complex than that. Korpela starts with the basics of characters... what they are, what they mean, and the nuances involved. From there, you learn about how applications have to interpret the different encoding standards and handle things like case, sort orders, line breaks, etc. When I saw the size of the book (600+ pages), I wondered if the material was just a lot of reference tables that could be found online. Gladly, it's not... This is an exploration of everything that is Unicode, and you'd have to wade through a lot of web pages to even begin to glean the level and value of information that you'll find here.

If you have anything to do with programming or designing global software, this book purchase is a no-brainer. And even if you're not doing anything in that area right now, this is one of those reference titles that is worth having on your bookshelf and available for the first time you *do* need it. It won't take long to pay for itself...

Focus Surprisingly Practical.......2006-07-16

¶ I had another Unicode book on my desk for a long time. Hardbound, thick, impressive. Never found a way to derive useful information from it however. This book is different.

¶ I had high expectations for this book because the author, Jukka Korpela, is one of those erudite and patient people who work hard to raise the signal to noise ratio in Internet newsgroups and other forums. I certainly have quite a few posts from "Yucca" in my working archive of Web tips.

¶ Working with Web pages and applications, one can run into practical problems with text display. For Americans especially, often using default software configurations, some of the problems of displaying content in other languages can seem intractable. They are not of course -- but a bit of help from workers in the rest of the world can be a real lift. After all, they deal with these issues in a practical way more often.

¶ I had a nasty run-in (also known as "learning experience") with browser display issues when my "CSS Cheatsheet" rose in popularity in Google and other search engines. I decided to create a page quoting comments from linking sites in their native languages. Everything was fine until I got to Russian. I felt as if I were up against a conspiracy of browsers, tools, operating systems and even particular custom configurations!

¶ If you are like me and your focus is practical, I recommend:
The first two chapters in Part 1: Characters as Data; Writing Characters
All the advanced topics in Part 3: these 5 chapters covered character issues involved with programming and developing in the Internet environment.

¶ Overall, this book is well-organized and quite readable, with lots of relevant illustrations. Important material is repeated and summarized for greater clarity. The author also used lots of examples from Windows programs that are familiar to many of us. This is a real plus.

Average customer rating:

Making the Mac Safe for Fonts
Solved the mess!
Fix font problems - Flawlessly
The definitive guide
Mac OS X Fronts

Real World Mac OS X Fonts (Real World)
Sharon Zardetto Aker
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

MacOS | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Desktop Publishing | Apple | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0321474015

Book Description

As someone who works with fonts every day, you need to know exactly how fonts work in Mac OS X. Long-time Mac author Sharon Zardetto Aker has the answers you need, explaining where your fonts reside, why they are there, and what to do about duplication and long Font menus. Once that’s under control, you’ll learn things like the ins and outs of different font installation methods; how to use Font Book to manage, validate, and organize fonts; ways of dealing with legacy Mac OS 9 fonts; and how to make the most of character-rich Unicode fonts. And to help with those maddening font problems, Sharon provides troubleshooting steps and real-world advice for solving problems fast. If you’ve experienced seemingly inexplicable trouble with characters displaying incorrectly, an inability to type a particular character, fonts missing from Font menus, confusing behavior in Microsoft or Adobe programs, Font Book crashing, or Character Palette misbehaving, Real World Mac OS X Fonts has the help you need.

In this book, you’ll find the answers to questions like these:

What types of fonts can I use with Mac OS X?
In what order does Mac OS X access fonts from all their possible locations?
How can I figure out what characters are available in a Unicode font?
How can I minimize font-related troubles when sharing documents across platforms?
How do I go about troubleshooting a font problem?
How do I enter special characters?
How do I print font samples?
How do I work with legacy fonts?

Customer Reviews:

Making the Mac Safe for Fonts.......2007-09-27

What a splendid guide! Even if you are content to use TIMES ROMAN all the time, you should still look at this book to see a model of how to write a computer guide. None of the breezy self conscious humor you find in some books (the Dummy series or Scott Kelby's otherwise informative PhotoShop books). But friendlier and more attuned to the reader's anxieties and potential mistakes than the standard dry guides (e.g. the Missing Manuals series, which are not bad). Aker seems to sense exactly what you might need to know at just the right moment, but yet does not overwhelm you without a lot of detail all at once.

I recently switched from a PC (since 1980)to Mac, which is as everyone said so much more elegant, stable and better in almost every respect. But the font system is just as complicated and eccentric in OS X as in Windows XP. You need to do some housekeeping even if you are not a font maven. Follow the steps carefully laid out in Chapter 2 (rather tedious but precise), and your system will run more smoothly and you will know a lot about where your fonts are, and how to keep them behaving well.

I am almost never moved to write reviews here, and certainly not of computer books. But this is an exceptional contribution.

Solved the mess!.......2007-01-27

I do graphics and own Macs from October, 1985. I passed thru all the font technologies that were done into the computer... from enlarging 72pt bitmaps and correcting them, the early times of Adobe's ATM and so on.
But --maybe I'm getting old-- with the introduction of Mac OS X, typography went almost out of control for me. Althought I do not use per se Office I need to install it to open others files... and it destroy any organizated fonts folders that you had managed,
Then, in a desperate move, I bought Zardetto's book!
And everything came back to order: clear instructions lead me in a clever and consistent way. I confess I did it twice. First time I said myself: "I'm an old macintoshian..." But then I realized that following the step-by-step instructions was more inteligent. Then, with everything in order, I was back "in control".
So, my advice --for newbies and oldies-- follow the instructions and then personalize your fonts. OK, first buy and read the book!

Fix font problems - Flawlessly.......2007-01-24

Face it - you'd think just putting your fonts in the FONT folder would be sufficient. But, strange things do happen. And, for me it is never at a good time. Like when you upgrade Adobe CS ... which made half my fonts DISAPPEAR.
Thanks for the info and instructions about AdobeFntXX.lst alone - made this book a must have in my library.
And, that was just one small enlightened moment Aker's offered

The definitive guide.......2007-01-14

I am always astonished by Sharon Zardetto Aker's ability to explain the most complex topics in the most user-freindly way. For a technophobe like me she seems to anticipate every anxiety-provoking topic and dissipate the anxiety through a combination of thorough knowledge of her material and an informal writing style that makes you feel like she's right by your side, supporting you every step of the way. Astonishing. Even if you are not a technophobe, you will surely appreciate the breadth of information here.

Mac OS X Fronts.......2007-01-04

Good general review and explanation of fonts for Mac. You can live without this book but it is a good resource for understanding.

Average customer rating:

Disappointed about the installation instructions.
Not Focused
For sys admins
Great Reference for New Server Admins
Very helpful

Linux Server Security
Michael D. Bauer
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Privacy | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

File Sharing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Network Security | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Network Administration | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Linux Security | Security & Encryption | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Unix & Linux | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Linux | Unix & Linux | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

Internet Security | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0596006705

Book Description

Linux consistently appears high up in the list of popular Internet servers, whether it's for the Web, anonymous FTP, or general services such as DNS and delivering mail. But security is the foremost concern of anyone providing such a service. Any server experiences casual probe attempts dozens of time a day, and serious break-in attempts with some frequency as well. This highly regarded book, originally titled Building Secure Servers with Linux, combines practical advice with a firm knowledge of the technical tools needed to ensure security. The book focuses on the most common use of Linux--as a hub offering services to an organization or the Internet--and shows readers how to harden their hosts against attacks. An all-inclusive resource for Linux users who wish to harden their systems, Linux Server Security covers general security such as intrusion detection and firewalling a hub, as well as key services such as DNS, the Apache Web server, mail, and secure shell. Author Michael D. Bauer, a security consultant, network architect, and lead author of the popular Paranoid Penguin column in the Linux Journal, carefully outlines the security risks, defines precautions that can minimize those risks, and offers recipes for robust security. He is joined on several chapters by administrator and developer Bill Lubanovic. A number of new security topics have been added for this edition, including:

Database security, with a focus on MySQL
Using OpenLDAP for authentication
An introduction to email encryption
The Cyrus IMAP service, a popular mail delivery agent
The vsftpd FTP server

Geared toward Linux users with little security expertise, the author explains security concepts and techniques in clear language, beginning with the fundamentals. Linux Server Security with Linux provides a unique balance of "big picture" principles that transcend specific software packages and version numbers, and very clear procedures on securing some of those software packages on several popular distributions. With this book in hand, you'll have both the expertise and the tools to comprehensively secure your Linux system.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointed about the installation instructions........2005-08-06

The big reason why I purchased this book was because it claimed it was great about security and it said it would show how to setup these services the correct way.
Well first of all this author loves to use the binary packages (RPMs, etc.). And anyone that is a major security buff knows that the RPMs are the last things to get updated when a flaw is found out.
Secondly that's all the user shows for the installation of most of the software is how to do it with a binary distribution. So unless you are using Suse, Redhat, Fedora it is quite useless. This book should indicate that it made for those distributions and it is not general "Linux".

Also his views on running some of the software is really off the wall. But that is just a personal preference I guess.

Overall if he would have used the regular "./configure ---comands", "make", "make install" this book would have been much better and it would have been able to be used for those that don't want to be stuck in "rpm hell".

Not Focused.......2005-06-13

I read every column of paranoid penguin and they are quite good. This book is ok, but not great. They (I mean they because several chapters are not by Mike) try to cover a huge amount of information and make the mistake of being both too broad in some areas and too specific in others. Overall, there wasn't a cohesive glue to bring the chapters together into a single vision.

For instance, for a book that introduces FTP servers, web servers, mail (imap/smtp), dns - they are like separate entities. They do not complete the picture by showing a complete network diagram with IDS / VPN, -- showing an example of all of their advice coming together in a working solution. And Kerberos isn't even mentioned.

They were extremely specific in some areas like talking about rpm example/debian/ make options and specific .conf options ad nauseum - which detracted from the whole picture. Is someone securing bind 4 really reading this book? Also, maybe a mention of apt-get - - but don't tell me how to install each package on every architecture - it just inflates the word count.

I don't think this book was focused enough in the 'big picture' of trying to piece together all of the tiny pieces into a coherant whole, while at the same time it gets cought up in the minute details of certain packages making for a tough read.

Perhaps they could have included an actual example company or two showing possible layouts of ldap in action with:
login/mail/split-dns/firewalls/database$web.

Anyone for OpenBSD?

For sys admins.......2005-06-03

Linux Server Security, Second Edition
By Michael D. Bauer
Second Edition January 2005
ISBN: 0-596-00670-5
544 pages, $44.95 US
(...)
This book goes along with the moving trend of the normal computer user, securing your data. Servers generally are targeted more often than the average home PC because most are made to be accessible from the outside world. This is where securing that server comes into play. This book covers the tools and techniques to securing your Bastion host.

First I'd like to start out and explain what Bastion host means as according this book so you can understand what this book covers more specifically. Bastion Host is defined as "A system that runs publicly accessible services but is usually not itself a firewall. Bastion hosts are what we put on DMZ (although they can be put anywhere). The term implies that a certain amount of system hardening has been done, but sadly, this is not always the case."

After you understand what a Bastion host is defined as, you should understand that this book mainly covers these server daemons and the systems that run them. But some of the information applies to a Linux desktop system such as a per host iptables firewall, using secure shell, keeping up with your logs, and intrusion detection. Most of these things the average user doesn't care much about but sometimes being paranoid comes in handy.

Someone who would most likely use this book more than the average desktop user would probaly be a system administrator. Securing web, database, ftp, dns, and email servers is what majority of this book contains. Along with covering these server systems, there are guides to securing the Linux system that runs these daemons along with designing the networks around these types of hosts.

One of the sections I'm most fond of is Chapter 2: Designing Perimeter Networks. With this section you can really take a look at the design and layout of the different types of networks and figure out the portions that suit your needs for your own network. The diagrams shown in this chapter help explain what is going on with the traffic and allows you to see exactly what is going on and at what points the systems are protected.

At the end of the book there are 2 well commented iptables firewall scripted that allow you to get a feel for the netfilter iptables system if you're not familiar with it already. With some modification of these scripts you can easily bring them into a working environment depending on your situation, which sometimes these helps with some of the frustration with the iptables syntax. I personally prefer the PF system within OpenBSD for it's clean syntax and have grown away from iptables, but both are powerful firewall systems and should fit the needs of your network.

I'd definitely recommend this book to system admins or anyone who is paranoid about their security. Security is always something that people should be educated about.

Lloyd Randall
Pensacola Linux User's Group

Great Reference for New Server Admins.......2005-03-22

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is involved with securing Internet servers. The book strikes a nice balance between theoretical background and implementation examples.

Though certainly not all encompassing, the book touches on several key elements of server security, including DNS, Email, File Servers, Web Services, IDS methods and more. People new or just curious about Linux server security will gain the most. More experienced system administrators will find a few implementation tips and useful background information for presentation or training purposes.

Unlike many server security books, this one includes some notes on alternatives to the most popular software packages. For example, the chapter on securing Internet email includes excellent tips on securing both Sendmail and Postfix while the IDS chapter covers the popular Tripwire package and some lesser-known integrity checkers. References and the end of each chapter are provided to point you to even more solutions.

This book certainly will not replace a dedicated reference volume, but I find it to be a good summary of major security practices for bastion hosts. Note that the book focuses primarily on host hardening. Though there are some sections on network security, most of the chapters focus on locking down your server. So if you are mainly interested in network clusters, network surveillance, or honeypots, you will probably want to find another reference. Also, if you have several years of experience, you may not find too much new information, but the book is a handy reference volume that can point you in the right direction. If, however, you are new to Linux server security or just simply want a concise summary of common security practices, then this will be a welcomed addition to your technical library.

Very helpful.......2005-03-07

I am quite happy that there are books like Linux Server Security.

A lot of people think Linux is bullet proof, but its not. If not configured correctly, it can be just as insecure as Windows.

Linux Server Security is an important and timely book in that it shows how to harden Linux to be very secure.

The The Non-Designer's Type Book, 2nd Edition

Average customer rating:

A MUST for type lovers
Wonderful intro to the world of type...
Get the "The Non-Designer's Design Book" instead
Great Guide to help get your message into print.
I don't love typography

The The Non-Designer's Type Book, 2nd Edition
Robin Williams
Manufacturer: Peachpit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Printing | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0321303369

Book Description

Seven years is a long time in any industry, but when it comes to the worlds of design and technology (and particularly the point at which the two merge), it's an eternity! No wonder, then, that you (and about a million other readers!) have been eagerly awaiting this latest update to Robin Williams' enormously popular Non-Designer's series. In these pages, Robin defines the principles that govern type as well as the logic behind them so that you learn not just what looks best but why on your way to creating effective print and Web pages. Each short chapter in this thoroughly updated guide (which includes new coverage of typography in Adobe InDesign and Mac OS X) explores a different type secret or technique, including understanding legibility and readability; tailoring typeface to a particular project; mastering pull quotes and captions; working with spacing, punctuation marks, special characters, fonts, and justification; and more. The nonplatform- and nonsoftware-specific approach and Robin's lively, engaging style make this a must-have for any designer's bookshelf!

Customer Reviews:

A MUST for type lovers.......2007-09-20

Contrary to the reviewer below, this book is most definitely a book about type for non-designers. I too love typography. Mantis neglects to mention, in his diatribe about underlining, that Ms. Williams makes it perfectly clear that a rule (line) integrated into the typographic design is entirely different from the underline feature that you hit with a keystroke. She advocates never hitting that keyboard shortcut, and she is correct. Ms. Williams also makes it clear she is creating guidelines for non-designers who need clear boundaries when they first begin, and that once you know the rules, you can break them with glee. Like Helvetica -- a very skilled designer can override the 1970s look that inevitably comes with Helvetica, just as a very skilled designer can work with art deco fonts and create a new look with them. But beginning designers aren't there yet, so Robin suggests some boundaries.

I found this book to be much more practical for the millions of people who are just discovering that there is more to type than "block text." Bringhurst's book is beautiful and philosophical and something to aspire to, but for nuts and bolts and clear guidelines that work on the page, The Non-Designer's Type Book is a must!

Wonderful intro to the world of type..........2006-02-15

As an avid reader and (some would argue) somewhat-successful writer, I spend a lot of time looking at the printed word. But I don't have a full appreciation behind the effort and thought that goes into how that word gets transferred from writer to reader on paper. Robin Williams has a great book for those of us who are not professionals in the world of typesetting... The Non-Designer's Type Book.

Contents: Centuries of Type; The Art of Readability; The Art of Legibility; Quotation Marks - Or Not?; Hang that Punctuation; Punctuation Style; Shift that Baseline; OpenType & Expert Sets; Small Caps; Oldstyle Figures; Ligatures; Condensed and Extended Type; Display Type; Kerning; Linespacing (leading); Paragraph Spacing; Alignment; Headlines and Subheads; Pull Quotes; Captions; Emphasizing Type; Line Breaks and Hyphenation; Swash Characters; Initial Caps; Typographic Color; Ornaments & Dingbats; Pi & Picture Fonts; Don't be a Wimp!; Evocative Typography; Choose a Typeface; Telltale Signs of Desktop Publishing; Trends in Type; Typographic Terms; Listen to Your Eyes; Font and Product Vendors; Special Characters; Index

It's easy to look at something written and get an immediate impression as to whether it looks good or not. But it's really hard sometimes to know exactly why. Williams demystifies the whole world of print design in such a way that even a novice like me starts to "get it". Her explanation of font styles and when to use what should be required reading for everyone putting words to paper. Just because you can use 10 fonts in a report doesn't mean you should. Going a little deeper, you learn about kerning (spacing between letters) and how that can be adjusted for the best visual results. All of these subjects continue to build on each other, and by the end of the book you have a solid foundation on the subject. What makes the book even better is that her writing style is conversational and somewhat irreverent, and there are an abundance of examples on nearly every page. Even if you already know a particular rule (such as using smart quotes or hanging punctuation), the visual nature of her writing can be used to glean ideas for your own work. Reference and inspiration in a single volume is a hard thing to accomplish, but she pulls it off with ease.

This is another one of those books that will stay close at hand. This will probably be more of a "stay at home" book, as that's where a lot of my writing takes place. But it's guaranteed to get slotted in next to all my other volumes that allow me to make-believe I'm a writer. Great book...

Get the "The Non-Designer's Design Book" instead.......2006-01-17

I'm a big fan of the author, but I feel this is not one of her best books. She clearly illustrates all the important type concepts, but the book felt too long for the amount of information presented.

I love her "The Non-Designer's Design Book" which concisely covers some of the same information. I've recommended the "Design Book" to lots of people but cannot think of anyone I'd recommend the "Type Book" to. I would have preferred it as a quick reference companion to the "Design Book", maybe at half its current size.

Great Guide to help get your message into print........2005-10-08

I have been reading Robin Williams' books since "The Mac is Not a Typewriter" came out.
This author gives great, clear information that will help with the look of anything that you produce in print. (Or on the web)
If you aren't a designer, or aren't particularly artistic, like me, you will benefit from this book because she gives clear examples of how to catch the reader's eye, and gives examples of pitfalls to avoid.
There are also some who are a little too artistic for their own good. This book will help them avoid over-embellishing to the extent that their message doesn't get accross.
A good buy for anyone who has to communicate in print. It doesn't matter if it's ad copy, a report for the boss, or your book, web site or menu.

I don't love typography.......2004-04-25

I generally find typography one of those dry, tedious details I have to know to as part of my job. But THIS book makes it approachable, understandable, interesting, and even entertaining. As titled, this is a book for NON-designers - people who aren't usually interested in this stuff unless compelled to be, and who don't have a lot of time to learn it. If you're looking for something edgier or for "breaking the rules," this is not the book to start with. However, if you're one of those people with a thousand fonts on your computer and only about 3 you ever use, this book will open your mind to the possibilities.

Average customer rating:

Real help for real designers
Relevant only to beginners, but still not fun to read
Nice web-specific font information; great case studies; technically dated
More than expected...
More than just typography

Great Web Typography
Wendy Peck
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Typography | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Engineering | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0764537008

Book Description

Demystifies Web typography by revealing the secrets of professional developers!
Shows how to find, select and implement Web typography that will give any site a slick, professional look!
Demonstrates how to use Cascading Style Sheets and other technologies to control the way type appears on any browser!
Describes how to make beautifully design sites download super-fast.
Shows how to set type that wraps around images and other objects on the page.
Provides professional secrets for increasing type legibility.
Provides recipes for type special effects that will "wow" site visitors and ensure that they come back for more!
Includes real-world case studies and examples from top companies.
Includes interviews with top Web design experts and Web type gurus.

Customer Reviews:

Real help for real designers.......2007-04-26

I'm was pleasantly surprised when I picked this up at the library. I was looking through book and book of dry critiques of like, the 15 typefaces in the Franklin Gothic family, and what century Bembo was introduced. Or there were the ones that used La Bamba and every other overused trendy font that deserve a place on a TGIFriday's menu or a skate-punker's home page on MySpace, and provided flash with no theory whatsoever

But the best surprise is that this book covers things like color theory, contrast, readability (ask any marketing department about that one!) and issues that are critical in good design. So few books, even ones that claim to teach page design, give the universal, real world applicable tips that are found in this little gem. A reviewer below stated that this is a book for beginners. Well, yes, but there are plenty of "advanced" designers who don't know the first thing about practical form AND function design. Just look at every other site online and you'll see that just because you can use Quark, the basics of Photoshop and a web design program doesn't mean you know how to design. It's like one of my favorite lines; "You can teach a monkey to read. You just can't teach him to understand."

I love this book so much I'm actually going to buy it. And that says a lot, being a starving artist and all.

Relevant only to beginners, but still not fun to read.......2006-02-18

The problem with Great Web Typography is that it claims to be for all users, beginner to advanced. I consider myself an intermediate to advanced CSS user with an intermediate knowledge of typography, and I was bored. The book moves very slowly through the benefits of CSS and the basics of CSS, both of which can be learned through ten minutes of reading on the internet, for free.

I can find a basics book fun to read, but I found the style of Great Web Typography frustrating. Generally, I have no problem with differences in writing style, as long as the style is not distracting. But, the writing here contains an annoying weight to it, sometimes making me wonder why Peck included a particular sentence. For example, at the end of a cautionary blurb about graphic text, Peck drops this useless nugget of wisdom, "Learning to create text with no bounds does not give you license to avoid common sense." (139) I'm not sure what that means, as Peck doesn't elaborate, and it made me think she only included it because it sounds catchy.

This bloated style makes reading the book a chore, but even worse than the style are the misspellings, like something is "in an accessable area" (37) or something "is used in a supporting roll" (120). These gaffes become outright funny when Peck advises you to watch your spelling. Even Microsoft Word can catch that first one.

Probably the most frustrating part of this book is how far the visual examples are from the text. When the text mentions a visual example, you have to leave the text, find the example (which is sometimes on the bottom of the page, sometimes on the side of the page, and occasionally, on a different page), view the example, and then find where you left off in the text. This random layout shows a surprising ignorance of how people read a book.

All these things built up, and after getting through half of this book, I returned it.

Nice web-specific font information; great case studies; technically dated.......2006-01-19

I'd been looking for a nice book of web design case studies, and about 1/4 of this book is case studies and interviews. And much of the rest is live mockups to clearly illustrate an important point such as how browsers interpret weight. I enjoyed the interviews and the more design-oriented discussions. And I really enjoyed the author taking us through the design of her own site right down to the grid on paper and basic layout as a case study (though I greatly preferred her work for others displayed in the book). Ironically, the book itself is pretty poorly designed, especially the cover, which violates almost all of the author's advice!

The author's basic advice on fonts is sound. I found it useful to read other books on typography first -- this one won't give you the "classical" education about print fonts. On the other hand, almost everything you know about print fonts can be tossed out the window. The exceptions are letter and line spacing, color and contrast and size. I thought the author did an excellent job of presenting those. There's also a great deal of emphasis on web-specific typography that I just haven't seen elsewhere.

There was a nice discussion of graphic versus HTML fonts, with the author urging the reader to use graphic text for headlines (because of kerning, anti-aliasing and font choice) and for small buttons (because of font choice). In particular, I was fascinated by the in-depth study of Joe Gillespie's crisp, readable pixel-specific fonts such as MINI7 (7 pixels high, all caps, and a perennial favorite on the web for tiny text). Many sites follow these guidelines, but I prefer to use straight HTML. It resizes better.

Another polarizing issue is pure CSS versus table-based layouts. The author uses a mix, as do most design-centric designers. Given portability issues, etc., I remain agnostic on this issue.

There was a lot of discussion of software of the how-to-navigate-Photoshop-version-N's-menus variety. That's already out of date. Most of the case studies are no longer live, or have changed their format considerably. Ditto for a lot of the recommendations on browsers, CSS versions, HTML, etc.

There's also a section on fonts for Flash at the end. Because I don't intend to use Flash, I didn't read it.

I liked this book, but would have liked many more case studies, and much less walking me through menus and CSS.

More than expected..........2004-09-17

I bought this book to learn more about the graphical/visual side of web page layout.

Such as:
- "Which font types and sizes are best?"
- "How do I best divide up whitespace?"
- "How should my headline fonts differ in size and shape from my content text?"
- "What color combinations should I use?"

This book answered those questions and many, many more!

Wendy Peck presents sound methods of typography, page balance, proper use of colors, proper use of graphical text and overall layout in an easy-to-understand way. I was seeing great results on my current project after reading just the first section of this book.

Her design ideas can really help your web sites cross the line from "good" to "professional".

Another surprise in the book is her advocacy of using CSS for content styling. Her in-depth section on CSS styling of links and menus is awesome.

As a "one-person-web-design-freelancer", that needs to know how to do it all, this book is a great addition to my library. I highly recommend it.

More than just typography.......2003-08-29

I found this book to be an extremely worthwhile purchase, even though I didn't find the last third of it very useful.

As someone who was previously familiar with HTML and has worked as a computer programmer for several years, this book very much helped me move beyond the coding aspect of HTML and think more about how to design better looking pages.

Typography is part of the book, but it also covers many other topics like layout, design, how to do rollover menus, and cascading style sheets.

The book does have some inaccurate information. For example, the author said that Comic Sans MS wasn't a safe font to use because it might not be on your user's computer, but according to Microsoft it's on everyone's computer (even Macs) unless they are still using IE 3.0 and Windows 95.

This book is highly recommended if you have experience coding web pages, but your web pages are real ugly and don't have that professional look. This book will help you achieve the professional look.

Average customer rating:

This book is great! 0 Stars for Amazon though... Consider Yourself Warned!

bad for business

Resource for graphic artists and web designers--wonderful

Indie Fonts

Indie Fonts Brings Unseen Type to the Masses

Indie Fonts

Manufacturer: P-Type Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Typography | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books | 3D Graphics | Adobe FrameMaker | Adobe Illustrator | Adobe InDesign | Adobe PageMaker | CAD | Desktop Publishing | Electronic Documents | General | Information Visualization | Interface Design | Printing | Reference | Rendering & Ray Tracing | Scanning | Typography | Web Design
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Indie Fonts 3: A Compendium of Digital Type from Independent Foundries

1,000 Type Treatments: From Script to Serif, Letterforms Used to Perfection

1,000 Retail Graphics: From Signage to Logos and Everything for In-Store (1000 Series)

Adobe Type Library Reference Book, The (2nd Edition)

Typographic Systems

ASIN: 0963108220

Book Description

For centuries, designers have chosen type styles to convey unique expressions and to make their work stand out from the crowd. Today's computers provide a selection of fonts that serve reasonably well for workaday letters and publications, but have become utterly boring from overuse. If you want your project to attract the reader's attention you need an original font.

Independent type designers have devoted their talents to producing fresh, new fonts that can give your text a major boost. Indie Fonts provides a showcase collection of almost 2000, diverse fonts from 18 of today's hottest digital type foundries and features the best work from these designers. Indie

Fonts will help you find some of the highest quality fonts available today.

In the early 20th century, type reference books provided users with samples from the major monolithic type companies; this book is styled after those classic tools, but features independent firms whose fonts are as unique as their names. You will discover such foundries as Letterror, PSY/OPS, and Test

Pilot Collective, alongside P22 type foundry, Font Diner and Astigmatic One Eye Typographic Institute.

The type styles range from the best of Matthew Carter's classic designs to the latest irreverence of Chank Diesel. Every designer searching for unique typefaces will find what he or she is looking for, from historical revivals to futuristic techno faces.

The book's fully cross-referenced index of type designs and designers, accompanied by one-line illustrations of the fonts for quick reference, expedites the search. Direct access listings to the foundries, websites and phone numbers, allows the user to put any remaining questions directly to the type designers! (Don't be shy—they,re expecting your call.) Also included is a helpful glossary of typographic terminology and quick reference charts so you can track down those unusual characters required in many languages, such as å, é, î, ø, and ü, and sometimes ß.

Indie Fonts comes with a companion CD-ROM, worth far more than the retail cost of the book — featuring 33 representative fonts from the book's independent foundries. Searching the web and looking at pixilated web images is not a satisfactory way to find the best type for your needs. Using this book and CD-ROM is a far better method to find unique fonts — from the extremely useful to the surprisingly experimental. Indie Fonts is a must-have for designers, artists, aesthetes, publishers, advertisers, and hobbyists — in fact, for anyone with something to say.

Customer Reviews:

This book is great! 0 Stars for Amazon though... Consider Yourself Warned!.......2006-01-29

I bought this book from Amazon thinking that I'd have better luck than the Oct. 2005 shopper... Boy was I wrong! Not only is the book all broken in/cover torn & scratched... the CD IS MISSING!!! That's part of the reason I bought this book. I purchased this book "brand new" from Amazon (triple-checked my receipt to confirm).

The book itself is great, but please do yourself a favor and DO NOT buy this book from Amazon--you'll be thoroughly disappointed.

bad for business.......2005-10-18

this item was described as brand new in plastic wrap, which is why i purchased it as a gift for a friend. not only was this item CLEARLY used, it was falling apart. the book was shipped to me with a broken spine, the paper sover had marks all over it and there was NO plastic wrap protecting the item. i am very upset with the service i received, and will NOT be shopping with amazon again!

Resource for graphic artists and web designers--wonderful.......2005-10-02

This is an unusual volume; you get a book with 408 pages of various resources, organized by font foundry. You can sample the work of each foundry and get an idea of their product line.

Best of all, the front of the book has in index in alphabetical order showing each font. So you can locate a font you like and then look it up for additional information.

You can also find the AIGA's guide to the Use of Fonts, important for understanding copyright in using fonts in your work.

The bonus CD has 33 fully-licensed fonts. Not all of them are unique--you can find some of these gratis on the web, but the collection is handy for those who can't get enough fonts. I only found a few of these really worth having.

American Spirit
Charaille
Lovesick
Nightmare
Scrawm
Sunspots
Transponder
Fridayluck
Patching Compound
Snipple
Schnookems
Black Widow
Sparkly (Fontdiner.com, a fave of mine)
Loungy (also fontdiner.com)
Bowl-o-rama
Eric sans and sans italic
Sinsation
P22 typewrites
Cusp Three Opp
PRR Sinel
Faceplate sans A and C gauge
Atomic Suck
Stunner Leather Jackts
Screwtop regular and negative
TX Manifesto
Cyphor7
Strenuous 3D

My faves are of course from fontdiner.com--the best retro fonts out there, I think.

Indie Fonts.......2003-01-02

Wow! "Indie Fonts" is indeed a quality book both in the information it provides and the workmanship afforded in the making of the book itself. Few publishers take pride in making such a quality product as this...like the bookbinders of yesteryear. You can see the workmanship as soon as you lay eyes on it. You can feel the wokmanship the moment you pick it up. A work of Art! Highly recommended. Enjoy!

Indie Fonts Brings Unseen Type to the Masses.......2002-12-19

The book's hardback permanence and $$$ ($$$ from Chank, that scoundrel) list price make it more of a reference than a catalog. Bound in stunning red cloth, Indie Fonts' exterior brings to mind the solid albums of ATF and Linotype. With class and substance, this volume lends credence to each firm it represents.

Up front is a style index with a one-line showing for each font and page number referring to the corresponding full specimen.

Generally well-planned specimen pages organized in foundry sections make up the bulk of the content. Each foundry created its own section page with a company bio and ordering information. Each shop also designed its own specimens based on Grieshaber's templates, resulting in showings of slightly varying quality. On the whole, the type is given ample room for full character sets, although things get a bit tight for foundries with more fonts to show. Text faces are often shown in paragraph form with a tiny column measure. It would be nice to see how they perform in more extensive settings. The font name, designer and year of design are listed in the sidebar. Some foundries opted to include notes on the font's use or origin in this margin and those specimens are better for it.

Trailing the foundry sections is a glossary, a reading list, and a handy character reference chart. Also included is the AIGA's guide to the Use of Fonts which covers some font copyright and ethical use concepts misunderstood by most designers. A simple index of font names and designers rounds out the book.

Tucked into the inside back cover is a CD of 33 "Bonus Fonts" which are fully licensed for immediate use. Some are true commercial goodies and add value to the book, others are available for free elsewhere, and a few are pure poop.

Not Seen on TV

Any collection of independent typography is subject to a wide variety of style and quality. In no other book can one find the classic work of regal Matthew Carter directly followed by the irreverant fonts of Chank. Indie Fonts proudly hails both the king and the court jester. But the unexpected is what makes the volume so valuable. Much of this type has never been used by a magazine or multi-national corporation. These are fonts not seen on TV. These are mass-culture virgins. To a designer struggling to make an impact in a world over-saturated with the same old look, this stuff is gold.

Most of the typefaces in Indie Fonts were already unveiled by their respective foundries in those previously mentioned corners of the web, but there are a few that will be new, even to surfing typoholics. Fresh Fountain fonts made their debut in Indie Fonts before the redesigned web site went live. Peter Bilak's multi-descendered Fedra Serif (still in preview form at Typotheque) is displayed beautifully in one of the more thorough specimens of the book. Without a website or distributor, much of Matthew Carter's Carter & Cone library (Fenway, Big Figgins, ITC Galliard CC, Ionic #1, Sammy Roman, and Wilson Greek) is on display here for the first time, as far as I know. And It's a relief to see all of the Test Pilot Collective in one accessible place, their website still repelling hopeful visitors after years of being AWOL.

Worth a Spot on the Shelf

Indie Fonts isn't quite on par with the master of all specimen books, FontShop's FontBook. But it's more of a companion to the catalogs of the large distributors than it is a replacement. In the end, those who rely only on the big boys are overlooking a valuable set of typefaces - many of which are effectively set into motion by this very worthy tool.

Average customer rating:

Mac-Oriented Book

Everything you wanted to know about fonts...

Not so good...

Probably the best writer on typography around.

Excellent design and crash avoidance techniques

How to Boss Your Fonts Around: A Primer on Font Technology and Font Management on the Macintosh
Robin Williams
Manufacturer: Peachpit Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books | 3D Graphics | Adobe FrameMaker | Adobe Illustrator | Adobe InDesign | Adobe PageMaker | CAD | Desktop Publishing | Electronic Documents | General | Information Visualization | Interface Design | Printing | Reference | Rendering & Ray Tracing | Scanning | Typography | Web Design
Macs | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Desktop Publishing | Apple | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Word Processors & Editors | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Non-Designer's Scan & Print Book

The The Non-Designer's Type Book, 2nd Edition

The Non-Designer's Design Book

Robin Williams Design Workshop, 2nd Edition

The Pc is Not a Typewriter

ASIN: 1566091020

Amazon.com

Fonts can make or break a layout, and good designers know it. Knowing what a bitmapped font is might not seem like a big deal...until you go to print it. The author, Robin Williams, explains how a font that is bitmapped will have very different results on a printer than one that is not. How to Boss Your Fonts Around will also show you the merits of investing your time in organizing your fonts through a font manager.

In a day when there are now "Beat Generation" fonts for the Mac, good font use and management is essential. Williams, Mac expert and the author of bestsellers such as The Non-Designer's Design Book and The Little Mac Book, goes into great detail on the origin and creation of great fonts. Did you ever wonder why so many fonts are named after big cities (such as New York and Geneva)? Turns out, they're all in the same font family, and knowing the characteristics of that grouping will enhance how you use them. Williams provides a full glossary of terms, and the book is rich with visual examples. She treats fonts as the tools they are, showing the reader all the necessary care and maintenance to allow for great design and for the text to shine through. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Book Description

Fonts. They seem to have a life of their own. And they can cause no end of heartache to the harried desktop or webtop publisher. Perfectly lovely documents on screen can suddenly transmogrify into a perfect nightmare when printed. So how can you control these willful beasts? Get a copy of this book and end your power struggle with fonts forever.

How To Boss Your Fonts Around has been completely revised and updated for the Second Edition. It's a must-have primer on font technology and font management for anyone who works on a Macintosh. It's updated for Mac OS 8, and includes all new coverage of how to work with and manage fonts for the Web. You'll learn to identify and work with all the different kinds of fonts available, from PostScript to TrueType to Type 1, bitmapped to screen, outline to printer, resident to downloadable and more. There's coverage of Adobe Type Manager, ATM Deluxe, Suitcase, Master Juggler, Font Reserve, new font management tools and utilities, installing fonts, and solving font conflicts. A detailed reference section answers common questions and problems, tells you how to acquire fonts, and offers an amazingly detailed glossary. This is the essential troubleshooting guide to taking control of fonts and learning to use them efficiently and effectively.

Customer Reviews:

Mac-Oriented Book.......2001-09-03

Although the Amazon editorial review calls Williams a Mac expert, it doesn't make clear that this book is pretty exclusively Mac-oriented. Some of it will be useful to Windows users, but there are surely other, similar font books on the market more useful for Windows users. If I had realized this before I started making notes in the margins, I would have returned it.

Everything you wanted to know about fonts..........2001-06-14

As a typesetter in a large corporation I found this book very helpful when I recently had to organize our fonts on 12 computers. It clearly explains the difference in the various types of fonts and how to use them properly. It also covers in detail all the different type management software (ATM, Suitcase, etc.). After speaking with several designers, it appears that fonts can be the single biggest nightmare and this book would be an asset to any designers library.

Not so good..........2000-09-26

I bought Robin's book aobut 2 weeks ago and I have read it over and over. I found that the book was not helpful in getting my fonts organised. I am left with fundamental questions unanswered and a lot of frustration. I am still looking for a book that will show me how to sort my fonts what to keep what to throw and how to do it. This book has some good back ground informationon the benefits of ATM, and the history but what about open fonts, and master fonts? It's dated and not helpful.

Probably the best writer on typography around........1999-09-02

Except for her mild endorsement of grunge (why have we spent hundreds of years designing typefaces that are both readable and beautiful only to have a generation of" designers" design deconstructed faces that are likely to be used only once in a lifetime), Robin Williams is probably the most articulate and literate writer on typography around, digital or traditional. She is sensitive to those qualities that have somehow been lost on those who have been brought up facing a monitor rather than a type book, type case or drawing board. Too many people in business have been led to believe, and accept the idea, that a typist is automatically a typographer/designer. Every designer who has grown up on the computer should have all of her books at their side, along with Strunk & White, Fowler's Modern English Usage, Roget's Thesaurus and a good dictionary.

Excellent design and crash avoidance techniques.......1997-06-20

"He who dies with the most fonts wins," is a fact of life for a lot of desktop designers for print and the web. However, having tons of fonts of every weight, format and variety gobbles up lots of system memory, and corrupted or conflicting fonts cause crashes. This book tells all on how to get your collection under control, and keep your fonts organized, in good shape, and zipped in place for when you need them. This book is also well written, and will keep you alert and interested, which is most refreshing because I've found many how-to design/computer management books must be read with toothpicks propping up your eyes. It's also just the right length, concise and everything is clearly, not condecendingly, explained. It's a must read for any Mac designer, from the newest newbie to the most advanced.

Average customer rating:

bad typesetting
PLEASE PLEASE BRING IT BACK
Best guide out there for making your own fonts
Ready to pay a full price for PDF version!
BRING IT BACK! BRING IT BACK!

Fontographer: Type by Design
Stephen Moye
Manufacturer: Mis Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Desktop Publishing | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Designing Type

ASIN: 1558284478

Book Description

Fontographer: Type by Design is a comprehensive guide to typeface design and editing with Fontographer. Topics covered include: modifying PostScript typeface, problem-free printing, addressing TrueType problems, incorporating complex characters, creating "morphed" faces, using Fontographer with Adobe Photoshop or Macromedia Freehand, and shortcuts for editing PostScript fonts with popular software. Fontographer: Type by Design also discusses legal issues like copyright of typeface designs.

Customer Reviews:

bad typesetting.......2003-07-03

Negative Remarks: While this book maybe full of useful information, it is difficult to read. The type is set 14/18 with half inch indents on paragraphs. Rule of thumb, 14 point type, 14 point indent. I felt like I was junping to the next page when I started a new paragraph. It would be easier reading to have set the book in 12 point type, with 14 point leading, and 12 point indents.

Positive Remarks: If the typesetting weren't so bad, the font chosen for the book was very nice.

PLEASE PLEASE BRING IT BACK.......2003-01-15

I really want this book and would jump for joy if it was in print again!! I have heard that this is the best book for understanding how to use and master Fontographer. I have the software and am really struggling with the undesirable manuel!! PLEASE BRING IT BACK?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Best guide out there for making your own fonts.......2002-12-07

In my day job as program manager for western language fonts at Adobe Systems, I'm often asked about books for people wanting to learn how to make their own digital fonts. This is the one I recommend first every time.

Stephen Moye has quite simply written the best and at this time the only complete guide to making your own fonts. Information on how to construct outlines properly, spacing, kerning and more is all here. Importantly, this book is NOT only useful for people using Fontographer (which is a sadly out of date tool now); most of the information is equally useful for those working with FontLab or other modern font creation tools.

Other books worth checking out for the would-be font-maker include Michael Harvey's Creative Lettering Today, Walter Tracy's Letters of Credit, and Alexander Lawson's Anatomy of a Typeface. Of course there's also Robert Bringhurst's classic Elements of Typographic Style, which should be owned and read by anyone who cares about type.

I liked this book so much that I personally hand-bound mine as a hardcover, to make it last. In retrospect, with used softcover copies going for $300 each, it seems like I had the right idea!

Ready to pay a full price for PDF version!.......2000-03-23

There are no other book to replace this one. If the publisher cannot re-print it, then maybe he could make it available for downloading in PDF format? I would readily pay a full price!

BRING IT BACK! BRING IT BACK!.......2000-03-11

I could not agree more, gret software lousy documentation. This is an essential tool in the graphic arts/design arsenal, it is only appropriate to have high quality documentation to go with it! Stephen Moye is at the top of his game on this, I have seen it and want it!

Books:

Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast