is Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment a good read for someone looking to write network server software for freebsd? up_the_irons: thank you sir robonerd: i think so, i'm trying to remember that myself it was one of the richard w stevens books at least :) (i lost it) robonerd: i first did network programming using some stuff i found online, which was terrible, then i got a richard w stevens book and it was better, but i'd still managed to understand most of it. it just wasn't in one nice easy place. and this was like 15 years ago. there may be better resources online now, for all i know ... seems anything from stevens is good pity he's dead now :((( i want the go to book for learning how to write software both the unix way, but also playing nicely on a unix host. is that book The Unix Programming Environment? or is there one better? That will definitely teach the unix way. I don't know of a book with more detail, thou.