I’ve been rolling this rock uphill so long, I’ve been feeling like Sisyphus. But “PAM Mastery” is finally copyedited and I’ve done the first print layout.
Next up? Indexing, cover finalization, and ebook production.
Soon. SOOOOON.
Cover reveal for “PAM Mastery”
For the first Tilted Windmill Press tech books, I elected to create covers from photographs. Some went over well, some less so.
For the FreeBSD Mastery books, I persuaded Eddie Sharam to create parodies of classic art. It’s far more expensive than photos, but reaction has been positive.
PAM Mastery is almost ready to go to copyedit, which means I need a cover for it. I’ve elected to continue the parody art. Without further ado, here’s the cover.
I’ve gotten some great feedback from DES, author of OpenPAM, and need to incorporate that into the manuscript. Once that’s complete, I can send it to copyedit!
“PAM Mastery” tech reviewers wanted
My long-dreaded PAM book now exists as a complete first draft.
I’m sorry.
I’ve somehow persuaded Dag-Erling Smørgrav, author of OpenPAM, to do a technical review. DES knows PAM, to his eternal regret, but I really could use more people to review the manuscript before it hits print.
If you know PAM, and would be interested in pointing out my errors before the rest of the world gets a chance, drop me an email with the subject PAM review. Tell me your familiarity with PAM, so I know the context of your feedback.
I’d need any feedback by Monday, 8 August 2016. That’s about four weeks. Given that this book is longer than Tarsnap Mastery but shorter than DNSSEC Mastery, that should be enough time.
I should say, though: this is a book on PAM. It’s not on LDAP, or SSSD, or Kerberos. I cover several add-on PAM modules, but all in the context of illustrating and leveraging PAM.
With luck, the book will be available Septemberish.
Reality check for “PAM Mastery.”
Two blog posts in one day, after a few weeks of silence? It happens. Weirder still, there will be another tomorrow. I’m asking for help from my tech book readers here.
Some things are such an integral part of my life that I can’t imagine others are unfamiliar with them. I’m considering using one of them for “PAM Mastery,” but I must consider that perhaps not everyone understands it. I don’t want to say what particular part of my life I’m talking about, as that would invalidate the test here.
So, with the following text, do you:
1) get the reference
2) if you do NOT get the reference, do you understand it anyway?
A chain of PAM controls don’t resemble the strict allow/deny syntax you’ll find in applications like packet filters, web servers, and other Access Control Lists. They’re more like a long-standing committee in a centuries-old educational institution steeped in tradition and ritual, where each member has an unusual name, baroque responsibilities, and unusual privileges.
This committee votes on authentication in a specified, stately order. Each member has specific ways they can vote. Perhaps the Archchancellor starts the vote, and can either say “yes” or reject the whole proposal before anyone else gets a chance. The Dean can vote “no comment” or “no,” but doesn’t actually get to vote in favor of anything. The Senior Wrangler can vote either “no” or “yes, so long as nobody else objects.” If voting reaches as far as the Lecturer in Recent Runes he can either stay silent or declare, “yes, dang it, and the vote’s over, I win!”
Meanwhile, the Librarian has a seat at the table but can only take notes.
Books for “FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS” print sponsors
I return from my literary forced death march writing class in Oregon to find this.
Which I have partially transformed into gifts for the folks who were kind enough to sponsor FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS.
I’m heading for the post office now, to relieve myself of the responsibility for these.
Mind you, one of these gets delivered to Perry, Michigan, about a 90 minute drive away. It did occur to me to drive up there and hand-deliver the book. But that a) is stalkery, and b) uses up time I need to finish preparing for the Lucas track at Penguicon this weekend.
“FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS” sponsor check
(I wrote sponsors an email with this information earlier, but email is not exactly reliable, so I’m posting it here as well.)
The good news: the book is almost here!
I’m greatly touched by how many people offered their support. The least I can do is verify that I’m spelling your name correctly.
Here’s the sponsor list, as well as my notes on any instructions you sent with your sponsorship. Please double-check that I:
- used the desired name
- spelled your name correctly (especially any non-US characters!)
I would appreciate a response, even if it’s “everything looks OK.”
If you have any additional requests, such as signing the book to someone other than yourself, this is the time to tell me.
The final ebooks should be in your account next week. Print books should ship the last week of the month, if everything goes well.
Thanks again, for everything.
Interview with me at BSDNow
Kris and Allan of BSDNow interviewed me this week, about FreeBSD Mastery: Specialty Filesystems.
Also about the Lucas Track (now up to ten events, I must be even nuttier than I thought!) at Penguicon, and about my new novels.
Also, how to intimidate Allan Jude into working harder. Always useful information.
“FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS” sponsorships ending soon
When I set up the FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS print and ebook sponsorships, I never considered when I should take them off sale.
Comments are due back from tech editors tomorrow, 28 March. I’ll immediately be processing them. This should take a couple days. Once I’ve made all the corrections, I’m sending the whole thing out for copyedit.
The sponsorship sale ends when the book goes for copyedit.
If you want to be a sponsor, act now.
If not, that’s perfectly cool too.
First review of “FreeBSD Mastery: Specialty Filesystems”
Sunday Morning Linux Review episode 184 discusses FreeBSD Mastery: Specialty Filesystems.
While SMLR is always worth listening to, if you want to cut right to the review (or, alternately, if you’re me coming back to look for good quotes to steal for publicity purposes), the review starts about 30 minutes in.
It’s about 1:11 into the unedited video.
Summary: the book does not suck. And some parts are actually interesting. Which is nice. The book did expose Mary to new ideas and sent her running for the manual and Wikipedia a few times, but learning is good for you, so that’s okay.
I should also note that while I offer free review copies to podcasters, SMLR insists on purchasing books for review. They say it keeps them unbiased. I won’t argue.
Sponsoring “PAM Mastery”
The FreeBSD Mastery: Advanced ZFS sponsors have a complete manuscript, the version that’s been sent out for tech reviewed. I therefore feel free to solicit sponsors for PAM Mastery, at print and ebook levels.
I waffled on asking for sponsors, but more than one person told me that if people want to put money in my hand, I should take it and say “thank you.” So what the heck.
While PAM has a potentially wider audience than FM:AZ, that interest isn’t as deep. I’m expecting nowhere near as many PAM sponsors. If you want to really stand out in a list of sponsors, this is your chance.
Also, I’ll be speaking at semibug tomorrow night. Don’t miss it.