5 ms·

Humble book bundle: Linux geek by no starch press

52 points by 68c12c16 8y ago

ivankolev 8y ago
So, the main price, the linux programming interface by Michael Kerrisk, is it any good? I see stellar reviews on Amazon, but only 9 of them?
- eliben 8y ago
  It's an excellent book, highly recommended. Copy pasting a review I wrote a few years ago [https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2012/12/29/summary-of-reading-october-december-2012 https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2012/12/29/summary-of-reading-...]: [...] many books have tried to be the successors to Richard Stevens' legendary APUE. I think that "The Linux Programming Interface" is one of the very few successes in that endeavor. This 1552 book has truly encyclopedic scope, although it focuses only on the Linux flavor of Unix. It's best treated as a reference, rather than a tutorial to read from cover to cover. That said, I read a good portion of its chapters whole (in addition to skimming through the rest), and the book is so well written it makes a very pleasant read. It explains many complex topics in great depth; even topics which don't have good coverage in other places, like pseudo-terminals. I enjoyed reading, and I will definitely use it as a reference when the opportunity presents itself.
  - ivankolev 8y ago
    Thanks, I might even go for a hardcover then,it's around cdn$100 from reputable sellers on amazon, if truly a successor to APUE that's worth it.
    - eliben 8y ago
      It's really strange that price went up so much. I bought the hardcover new from Amazon for $60 in 2013.
  - tonysdg 8y ago
    Off-topic, but I have to thank you for your amazing blog posts and Stack Overflow answers regarding LLVM internals. As a grad student in systems software, I can't even begin to account for how much time, energy, and loss-of-consciousness-due-to-head-trauma-from-repeatedly-banging-my-head-against-a-wall you've saved me from. Thank you so much!!
    - eliben 8y ago
      Thanks for the kind feedback, very happy I could help :)
- EliRivers 8y ago
  I recall reading it cover to cover in 2011 (I had a lot of time sitting at a desk). I remember it was really good. Really did the job. Not just a reference book, but readable. I've got a hardback edition a few feet from me as I type this. It's good. I don't know if it's thirty dollars good (although I see I paid thirty GBP for my hardback back in 2011), but it's good.
- CameronBanga 8y ago
  Maybe wrong Amazon page (or the store being down made it wonky), I see over 150 reviews. Very stellar response, I'm going to up my backing to get it now: https://www.amazon.com/Linux-Programming-Interface-System-Handbook/dp/1593272200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531774940&sr=8-1&keywords=Michael+Kerrisk https://www.amazon.com/Linux-Programming-Interface-System-Ha...
- Skunkleton 8y ago
  TLPI is worth whatever price is being charged for it. Literally invaluable in my opinion.
- nijaru 8y ago
  I already have most of these books, including TLPI, and that alone is worth the price of the whole bundle. How Linux works is also a great introduction.
lehi 8y ago
Didn't this site use to have video game bundles?
- pkaye 8y ago
  They still do.
- sp332 8y ago
  Well, not under the /books/ section.
  - lehi 8y ago
    Not under the /games/ section, either.
    - sp332 8y ago
      There was one over the weekend. https://www.humblebundle.com/games/daedalic-2018-bundle https://www.humblebundle.com/games/daedalic-2018-bundle
      - lehi 8y ago
        Over which weekend? That bundle was from June 5th.
        sp332 8y ago
        Oh yeah, I confused the bundles in this article https://www.neowin.net/news/weekend-pc-game-deals-a-chance-to-build-your-own-telltale-and-daedalic-bundles https://www.neowin.net/news/weekend-pc-game-deals-a-chance-t...
AdmiralAsshat 8y ago
Might be the first UNIX-focused bundle where I don't pay for the top tier. I'm not even sure I'll go for the $15 tier--everything I want is $8 or below. Can anyone make a compelling case for any of the books in the $15 tier?
- lixtra 8y ago
  The real price for the book is usually paid in time. The right book at the right time can pay off richly in time and money.
- pasbesoin 8y ago
  The Book of PF was pretty highly lauded in some comments on another HN thread, maybe a month or a bit more ago. I'll see whether I can find that thread; I think I commented on it. -- P.S. Comment on that thread mentioning it. As I replied, it's also in O'Reilly's Safari online subscription library. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17360713 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17360713 I guess the author has a lot of its content online, as well, maybe in somewhat different form.
pkrumins 8y ago
My book is in there. So go get it!
- nivenzo 8y ago
  Did No Starch contact you at all prior to the bundle? I've always vaguely wondered about the economics of these bundles. As a consumer I love them, but I'm sure quite a few publishers and, more importantly, authors might feel like they devalue the content a bit too much.

52 points by 68c12c16 8y ago

So, the main price, the linux programming interface by Michael Kerrisk, is it any good? I see stellar reviews on Amazon, but only 9 of them?

eliben 8y ago
It's an excellent book, highly recommended. Copy pasting a review I wrote a few years ago [https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2012/12/29/summary-of-reading-october-december-2012 https://eli.thegreenplace.net/2012/12/29/summary-of-reading-...]: [...] many books have tried to be the successors to Richard Stevens' legendary APUE. I think that "The Linux Programming Interface" is one of the very few successes in that endeavor. This 1552 book has truly encyclopedic scope, although it focuses only on the Linux flavor of Unix. It's best treated as a reference, rather than a tutorial to read from cover to cover. That said, I read a good portion of its chapters whole (in addition to skimming through the rest), and the book is so well written it makes a very pleasant read. It explains many complex topics in great depth; even topics which don't have good coverage in other places, like pseudo-terminals. I enjoyed reading, and I will definitely use it as a reference when the opportunity presents itself.
- ivankolev 8y ago
  Thanks, I might even go for a hardcover then,it's around cdn$100 from reputable sellers on amazon, if truly a successor to APUE that's worth it.
  - eliben 8y ago
    It's really strange that price went up so much. I bought the hardcover new from Amazon for $60 in 2013.
- tonysdg 8y ago
  Off-topic, but I have to thank you for your amazing blog posts and Stack Overflow answers regarding LLVM internals. As a grad student in systems software, I can't even begin to account for how much time, energy, and loss-of-consciousness-due-to-head-trauma-from-repeatedly-banging-my-head-against-a-wall you've saved me from. Thank you so much!!
  - eliben 8y ago
    Thanks for the kind feedback, very happy I could help :)
EliRivers 8y ago
I recall reading it cover to cover in 2011 (I had a lot of time sitting at a desk). I remember it was really good. Really did the job. Not just a reference book, but readable. I've got a hardback edition a few feet from me as I type this. It's good. I don't know if it's thirty dollars good (although I see I paid thirty GBP for my hardback back in 2011), but it's good.
CameronBanga 8y ago
Maybe wrong Amazon page (or the store being down made it wonky), I see over 150 reviews. Very stellar response, I'm going to up my backing to get it now: https://www.amazon.com/Linux-Programming-Interface-System-Handbook/dp/1593272200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1531774940&sr=8-1&keywords=Michael+Kerrisk https://www.amazon.com/Linux-Programming-Interface-System-Ha...
Skunkleton 8y ago
TLPI is worth whatever price is being charged for it. Literally invaluable in my opinion.
nijaru 8y ago
I already have most of these books, including TLPI, and that alone is worth the price of the whole bundle. How Linux works is also a great introduction.

lehi 8y ago

Didn't this site use to have video game bundles?

pkaye 8y ago
They still do.
sp332 8y ago
Well, not under the /books/ section.
- lehi 8y ago
  Not under the /games/ section, either.
  - sp332 8y ago
    There was one over the weekend. https://www.humblebundle.com/games/daedalic-2018-bundle https://www.humblebundle.com/games/daedalic-2018-bundle
    - lehi 8y ago
      Over which weekend? That bundle was from June 5th.
      - sp332 8y ago
        Oh yeah, I confused the bundles in this article https://www.neowin.net/news/weekend-pc-game-deals-a-chance-to-build-your-own-telltale-and-daedalic-bundles https://www.neowin.net/news/weekend-pc-game-deals-a-chance-t...

AdmiralAsshat 8y ago

Might be the first UNIX-focused bundle where I don't pay for the top tier. I'm not even sure I'll go for the $15 tier--everything I want is $8 or below. Can anyone make a compelling case for any of the books in the $15 tier?

lixtra 8y ago
The real price for the book is usually paid in time. The right book at the right time can pay off richly in time and money.
pasbesoin 8y ago
The Book of PF was pretty highly lauded in some comments on another HN thread, maybe a month or a bit more ago. I'll see whether I can find that thread; I think I commented on it. -- P.S. Comment on that thread mentioning it. As I replied, it's also in O'Reilly's Safari online subscription library. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17360713 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17360713 I guess the author has a lot of its content online, as well, maybe in somewhat different form.

pkrumins 8y ago

My book is in there. So go get it!

nivenzo 8y ago
Did No Starch contact you at all prior to the bundle? I've always vaguely wondered about the economics of these bundles. As a consumer I love them, but I'm sure quite a few publishers and, more importantly, authors might feel like they devalue the content a bit too much.