The late Richard W. Stevens wrote the classic texts. TCP/IP illustrated and Unix Network Programming. I have old editions and haven't seen recent ones. There's

The late Richard W. Stevens wrote the classic texts. TCP/IP illustrated and Unix Network Programming. I have old editions and haven't seen recent ones. There's murmourings that the updated editions are not as good, the writers emplyed to updated them don't have Steven's talents, can't confirm. Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment by the same author is also worthwhile IMHO. And absolutely, use the books to write your own webserver (or irc client or ...) and your own TCP/IP stack if you can find the time and motiviation you won't regret it. It's liberating to do it half-assed, doesn't have to be good at all. Improve it as much as you care to. edit: Julia Evans is inspiring. See how she goes about it. We should something like what she does when things crop up we don't fully understand. Don't have to write them up like she does, but why not? Feynman technique, if you can explain it simply to the person you were before you learned it you understand it.