Michael W. Lucas's Blog, page 48
April 25, 2017
Penguicon 2017 Schedule
Next weekend, April 28-30 2017, I’ll be at Penguicon. Two weekends after that (12-14 May), I’ll be at Kansas LinuxFest. But we’re on Penguicon right now.
Here’s my events and the description for each. Each is 1 hour unless specified otherwise. And I’m asking your help for some of these events.
Friday:
9PM: The OpenBSD Web Stack – OpenBSD is best known for security and networking. But they also have a highly secure web server and load balancer. This talk will take you through the OpenBSD web s...
April 11, 2017
on the title of “git commit murder”
First, the good news. git commit murder is my best-selling fiction title. And the initial reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.
Thank you all. Really.
Computer nerds, being the sort of people they are, have this burning desire for correctness. And I’ve gotten more than one comment that the title should have been:
git commit -am "murder"
Here’s why I didn’t do that.
First, “git commit murder” is a perfectly valid command to commit the file or directory “murder.” Also, bookstore databases...
March 30, 2017
New novel: “git commit murder”
If you follow me on social media you’ll have known this already, but now that the print is out here’s the formal announcement.
My new novel, git commit murder, is out. It’s pretty much “if Agatha Christie ran Unix cons.”
The BSD North conference draws some of the smartest people in the world. These few days will validate Dale Whitehead’s work—or expose him as a fraud.
When a tragic death devastates the conference, only Dale suspects murder.
Computer geeks care about code.
But do they care eno...
March 28, 2017
“Httpd and Relayd Mastery” off to copyedit
Reyk got his tech edits on the “Httpd and Relayd manuscript back to me. I considered sending it out for a wider tech review, but it’s been through a few hands already. And nobody knows this software better than Reyk.
So I’ve sent it on to copyedit.
If you’re one of the folks who have a copy of the manuscript: I can use any feedback I get in the next couple of weeks.
The book won’t be ready for Penguicon, sadly. I should have it in print for BSDCan, however.
I will have stickers of the front c...
March 27, 2017
AF3e Auction Winner
I’m pleased to say that with a bid of $800, Bert JW Reeger has won the Absolute FreeBSD 3rd Edition Tuckerization Auction.
Bert, send me your donation receipt.
After the Httpd and Relayd Mastery Tuckerization auction, I’m slightly surprised that this auction didn’t go higher. AF3e is a bigger tome than the relayd book. I’m forced to conclude that the FreeBSD folks just have less team spirit than the OpenBSD folks. (Not zero, mind you, but 8/13th as much.) Or the OpenBSD folks are accustomed t...
“Absolute FreeBSD 3rd ed” Auction ends SOON
In a few hours, the auction to get your name in the third edition of Absolute FreeBSD will close.
Right now, the winning bid is at $605.
Feel free to bid or not, as you wish. I do have to say, though:
The auction I just did to Tuckerize someone in a small OpenBSD book went for $1300. Absolute FreeBSD is a bigger book, and will have wider distribution.
If the AF3e auction goes for less than that, I’ll be forced to conclude that FreeBSD folks have less team spirit than the OpenBSD ones. The Ope...
March 22, 2017
“And then the murders began.”
A whole bunch of people have pointed me at articles like this one, which claim that you can improve almost any book by making the second sentence “And then the murders began.”
It’s entirely possible they’re correct. But let’s check, with a sampling of books. As different books come in different tenses and have different voices, I’ve made some minor changes.
“Many people find encryption disturbing and even a little scary. And then the murders begin.” — PGP & GPG“Welcome to Cisco Routers for...
March 15, 2017
Get your name in “Absolute FreeBSD 3rd Edition”
The charity auction for the httpd/relayd book raised $1300 for the OpenBSD Foundation. And more importantly, running the auction amused me. Heaping abuse on the generous winner, in a book, has amused me even more.
So let’s do this again.
The new edition of Absolute FreeBSD needs a sample user. I’ll refer to this user in appropriate sections throughout the book, as I need them. I can promise they’ll appear at least half a dozen times.
That sample user could be you.
All it’ll take is a donation...
March 9, 2017
Relayd and the Next Tech Book
Relayd and Httpd Mastery is off to Reyk for his comments and abuse. Once he gets it back to me I’ll solicit further tech reviewers. I want to have it out in ebook by the end of April, for Penguicon. (I’ve missed the window for print for Penguicon, sadly.)
This means I’ll be shutting down the ebook and print sponsorships opportunities this weekend. Move now if you want your name in the book.
What’s next? The agreement is in place, and everything else is out of the way, so I can say: I’m starti...
March 1, 2017
My face on the wall
I gave a talk at the Troy Public Library on Monday night. It went well: great audience, lots of questions. To my surprise, they had a poster announcing the talk. Like I’m a draw or something.
Librarian Cathy was kind enough to take my picture with it. The poster is great.
What’s that on my face? Well, I think Benno Rico captured that best: “HELLO HUMANS I AM SMILING AT YOU TO SHOW YOU I WILL NOT MURDER YOU IN YOUR SLEEP DO NOT FEAR”
If I could smile, I’d be on TV. Late night. Hawking petrifi...
