Just slightly off topic?

[Robert G. Brown]

On Wed, 16 Sep 1998, Kragen wrote:

> Here was my logic:
> 1. To set up and run Beowulfs, you must understand networks and TCP/IP well.
> 2. Reading RFCs is a good way to learn about TCP/IP and networks.
> 3. Therefore, reading RFCs is a good thing to do if you want to learn to
> 	set up Beowulfs.
> 
> It sounds like you disagree with point (2).  I spent a lot of time
> reading RFCs in 1992 and 1993, when I first got on the Internet.  I
> have continued to read RFCs ever since.  I have found it most
> informative, and didn't find it confusing.
> 
> _TCP/IP Illustrated_ was also very helpful, as was having friends
> (later) who set up an ISP.

And it doesn't hurt to let somebody know that RFC's exist and are the
"bones" upon which the entire Internet is built... nothing like the
"horse's mouth" to resolve disputes.

A couple more networking references (since networking is kind of
important to beowulfs or clusters:-):

Stevens et. al. has an excellent and encyclopediac set of books on
TCP/IP networking including socket programming and more.  Somebody stole
my copy of his original book a few years ago and I'm still irritated --
the latest edition is up to three or four volumes and contains a lot of
mostly irrelevant stuff but is still very very good.

http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/security/IP.intro 
http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/security/local.guide

are dated, but still EXTREMELY useful introductions to TCP/IP and
general networking.  The underlying hardware layer changes, but the
ISO/OSI protocol stack remains the same and is a useful conceptual
division even where it is morphed.  It is often useful to know a bit
about how ethernet/TCP/IP headers are laid out...

Finally Graham Glass has written a truly excellent book on programming
in the Unix environment.  It is the BEST general purpose introduction to
Unix from first logging in and learning to run the shell, through the
standard Unix toolset (sed, awk, grep, etc.) into programming (dbx,
make, cc), SOCKET programming (!) complete with example code, and other
general purpose systems programming.  The book ends with a short review
of the underlying structure of Unix, the filesystem and all that.
Marvelous way to achieve advanced chela status with just one book.  If
your budget is limited and you can get just one book to do it all
(except advanced systems administration, sorry) this is it.

    rgb

Robert G. Brown	                       http://www.phy.duke.edu/~rgb/
Duke University Dept. of Physics, Box 90305
Durham, N.C. 27708-0305
Phone: 1-919-660-2567  Fax: 919-660-2525     email:rgb@phy.duke.edu