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Rating: 
Summary: Not SuSE Specific Enough
Review: First, I need to make clear that I have not read this book. I am currently trying to use SuSE's configuration files and packet filtering firewall script /sbin/SuSEfirewall to set up IP-masquerading and packet filtering on my four machine home network. The working solution has eluded me for about two weeks now. So, when I saw this book, I went straight to the index looking for SuSEfirewall. Nothing. There was a listing for ipchains, however, so I looked at that. In that section, there is no mention at all of SuSE specific tools for setting up packet filtering, just a discussion of ipchains rulesets which I could get for free from the IPCHAINS how-to at the Linux Documentation Project. The discussion of protecting the firewall from internal machines references the book "Red Hat Linux Network Administration". How SuSE specific is that?Not wanting to pan this book on just this one issue alone, I looked for information on setting up printers (another issue that caused me some frustration in the past). The only mention I could find was in reference to setting up Samba so that Windows machines could use printers on a Linux server. That discussion was a page and half long. No mention of apsfilter or CUPS in the index. Sections which mention using yast to set up a NIC and a network have screen shots, but these are so dark that I had to struggle to see what screen they were taken from. It would have been much better to print them in color, or to just describe them in words. The dark splotches on the screen just seem amateurish. This book may have some good information in it, but I am not going to spend over $30 to find out. SuSE includes a manual with their distribution which is at least as good as this book, and although the distribution might be $15 to $20 more expensive, it also comes with more software.
Rating:
Summary: Not SuSE Specific Enough
Review: First, I need to make clear that I have not read this book. I am currently trying to use SuSE's configuration files and packet filtering firewall script /sbin/SuSEfirewall to set up IP-masquerading and packet filtering on my four machine home network. The working solution has eluded me for about two weeks now. So, when I saw this book, I went straight to the index looking for SuSEfirewall. Nothing. There was a listing for ipchains, however, so I looked at that. In that section, there is no mention at all of SuSE specific tools for setting up packet filtering, just a discussion of ipchains rulesets which I could get for free from the IPCHAINS how-to at the Linux Documentation Project. The discussion of protecting the firewall from internal machines references the book "Red Hat Linux Network Administration". How SuSE specific is that? Not wanting to pan this book on just this one issue alone, I looked for information on setting up printers (another issue that caused me some frustration in the past). The only mention I could find was in reference to setting up Samba so that Windows machines could use printers on a Linux server. That discussion was a page and half long. No mention of apsfilter or CUPS in the index. Sections which mention using yast to set up a NIC and a network have screen shots, but these are so dark that I had to struggle to see what screen they were taken from. It would have been much better to print them in color, or to just describe them in words. The dark splotches on the screen just seem amateurish. This book may have some good information in it, but I am not going to spend over $30 to find out. SuSE includes a manual with their distribution which is at least as good as this book, and although the distribution might be $15 to $20 more expensive, it also comes with more software.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T BUY IT! IT'S A TRICK!
Review: Like several people before me said, it has typos and unreadable screenshots. But that's not the worst. Sure, you get some CDs with the book but don't think they are a distribution. They are an incomplete, butchered distribution for which the installation software was NOT modified and getting anything done - like installing - with this big piece of *&#$ is next to impossible. Maybe a Linux 'expert' could piece it back together but not a newbie or somebody learning. They call it an 'evaluation version' but it doesn't give you a chance to evaluate it. The only way this book might be of use is if: a) you ALREADY have SuSE, and b) it has particular info you want. Since it commonly seems to take you to the edge of complete info and not get you there I would say there are probably better books to be had. Stay away from this junk.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T BUY IT! IT'S A TRICK!
Review: Like several people before me said, it has typos and unreadable screenshots. But that's not the worst. Sure, you get some CDs with the book but don't think they are a distribution. They are an incomplete, butchered distribution for which the installation software was NOT modified and getting anything done - like installing - with this big piece of *&#$ is next to impossible. Maybe a Linux 'expert' could piece it back together but not a newbie or somebody learning. They call it an 'evaluation version' but it doesn't give you a chance to evaluate it. The only way this book might be of use is if: a) you ALREADY have SuSE, and b) it has particular info you want. Since it commonly seems to take you to the edge of complete info and not get you there I would say there are probably better books to be had. Stay away from this junk.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved it...
Review: SuSE is my distribution of choice and although I have more Linux books than I need, I took a peek at this one and decided I had to buy it. I think the book is set up very well, is easy to read and comes closer than other books I've read to being written in "English" rather than "Engineer". It isn't terribly SuSE specific (which I think is a good thing) but it does cover a good range of topics from installation to configuration including SuSE specific tidbits here and there. I read the other reviews here and was puzzled by them... I am a terible speller which may explain why I didn't notice the typos in the book. Your milage may vary...
Rating:
Summary: Where were the proof readers?
Review: This is without a doubt the worst book I have ever read. The screen captures are virtually unreadable, and the book is full of errors. Typos, technical errors, references to the wrong figures, references to lines in examples that were not there, etc. The errors became such a distraction that I ceased really being able to focus on the technical material in the book - such that it is. Syntax examples are in the wrong case, fonts are not used consistently to call out commands, programs, etc. Stupid stuff like periods missing from IP addresses, etc. that any proof reader should have caught. I quit reading it around page 214, and threw it away. I emailed the publisher, and their response after several days was, in so many words, "thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts." My email to SuSE came after only a few hours and was far more personal. Don't waste your money on this book. I'm really sorry that I did. And I'll be very very careful before I buy another book by this publisher. (I guess O'Reilly has spoiled me!)
Rating:
Summary: Where were the proof readers?
Review: This is without a doubt the worst book I have ever read. The screen captures are virtually unreadable, and the book is full of errors. Typos, technical errors, references to the wrong figures, references to lines in examples that were not there, etc. The errors became such a distraction that I ceased really being able to focus on the technical material in the book - such that it is. Syntax examples are in the wrong case, fonts are not used consistently to call out commands, programs, etc. Stupid stuff like periods missing from IP addresses, etc. that any proof reader should have caught. I quit reading it around page 214, and threw it away. I emailed the publisher, and their response after several days was, in so many words, "thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts." My email to SuSE came after only a few hours and was far more personal. Don't waste your money on this book. I'm really sorry that I did. And I'll be very very careful before I buy another book by this publisher. (I guess O'Reilly has spoiled me!)
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