Review: Raspberry Pi Networking Cookbook from PacktPub

I just read this ebook available from here: http://www.packtpub.com/raspberry-pi-...

I'd really have liked to give 3.5 stars for this book, hesitating between 3 and 4.

On the one hand I ask myself if I'd paid the asking price - I didn't this is a review copy - would I be pleased with my purchase, and on the other hand is it a good read, does it contain useful networking or other information?

Well, I'd be disappointed to have paid the asking price and then discover that half this book is a beginners guide to Raspberry Pi installation and configuration. It's as if the editor required 200 pages so the book had to be filled out with sexy Raspberry Pi images next to it's packaging and cables.

Nevertheless there is some very useful carefully written content in this book.

I've the impression that it's two books in one.
- Unpacking and using your Raspberry Pi
- Raspberry Pi Networking Cookbook

The first half, the "unpacking" is very much a beginners guide, albeit a carefully written one.
It covers packaging, cabling, choosing an OS, downloading the OS, installing, booting, configuring, installing applications.
But I think most people will by this book based on it's title and so be disappointed with the first half.

Nvertheless the second half is quite a comprehensive guide to networking on the Raspberry Pi and the information is useful for learning Linux networking in general.
The 2nd half of the book covers file sharing (with Samba), the ufw firewall, installing various popular web servers (Apache, Nginx, lighttpd), a Wiki and a wireless access point. Use of iptables and dhcpd is also covered in the wireless access point section.

Overall it's an interesting well written book, with some interesting networking tips for the beginner.

Thanks to packtpub for the chance to review this book.
I hope I'll have the opportunity to review more Packtpub books, especially related to Cloud Computing, Virtualisation and Networking.