[pfSense] Direct purchase of pfSense book pdf

[David Brown]

On 30/09/2011 09:50, Chris Buechler wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 30, 2011 at 3:24 AM, David Brown<david at westcontrol.com>  wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Is it possible to buy a copy of the pfSense book as a pdf file, with the
>> money going directly to the pfSense project (or the book's authors)? That
>> would be more convenient for me for reference, faster delivery (it will take
>> a couple of weeks to get the paper book to Norway), more environmentally
>> friendly, more up-to-date (assuming the book is being updated for 2.0), and
>> gives the money to the people who did the pfSense work.
>>
>
> By contract, we don't have that option for the current edition. There
> is a Kindle version available. I expect we will for the next edition
> though (ETA unknown but it'll be available electronically in parts for
> purchase of some kind before it's completely finished and in print).
>

For various reasons (which would be way off-topic here), Kindle is not 
an option for me.

I can understand that there are reasons for different models for books, 
with different types of contracts, different people wanting to get paid 
(you, as authors, can get money for a directly purchased pdf file - but 
there are probably editors, marketers and other people whose income is 
more connected to printed versions).

I would certainly be happy to pay for an electronic version of the book 
- but it must be in a free and open format.  Typically that means a 
normal pdf file - it is important that it can be easily read and 
searched on a variety of platforms without needing specific software.

Of course, that makes it more difficult to make sure people are honest, 
and pay for the book (you guys need to eat too - coffee and pizza cost 
real money!).  One solution that I have seen on a different project is 
that when you buy a pdf book, it is watermarked with the purchaser's 
name and/or company.  This makes it easy for the purchaser to use the 
book themselves, but they will be very unlikely to spread it around to 
others.

>
>> Searching for dead-tree format pfSense books, I can see three books.
>> "PFSense: The Definitive Guide" (Jim Pingle, Christopher Buechler, 2009),
>> "PFSense" (Lambert Surhone, Mariam Tennoe, Susan Henssonow, 2010), and
>> "PfSense 2 Cookbook" (Matt Williamson, 2011).  I gather that "The Definitive
>> Guide" is /the/ book,
>
> That's correct.
>
>> but are the other two recommended?
>>
>
> I wouldn't bother. The 2010 one I'm not even sure what it is, looks
> like some weird compilation of what is probably freely available info
> (i.e. take doc.pfsense.org and some other random open source docs and
> put it in print). The Packt book was written based on the alpha
> version and I could write a short book just of the errata of what all
> is wrong in it, plus the promised royalty money to the project from it
> is nowhere to be seen.

OK - thanks for that advice.  I'll just order your book.