This book is OK - we used it as the text in our graduate level (Data Security & Cryptography class). I'm a computer scientist, not a mathematician (believe me, I read Chapter 7 a lot) and I found that many of the examples glossed over small yet critical details, especially modular arithmetic, that often stumped me for hours. I resorted to using Schneier's book as a counterpart for some of the more basic stuff. Also the section on Elliptic Curve Cryptography was difficult and again, other texts were referenced frequently.All in all this is a good book, but the math-weary beware - other texts may be required to really understand what's going on.
I use a Belkin OmniCube 4-port PS/2 switch box at home that I'm pretty happy with. It was rather inexpensive from CDW (about $110 ~6 mo. ago) compared to other Belkin models, and there's essentially no difference. The cable sets are $25 or so apiece, but you can get really long ones. I can change the active port with just a few keystrokes, which means I don't have to reach across my desk and press the button.
I've used it with essentially no problems using XFree86 3.3.3/3.3.5 on Linux, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD, and also Windows 98/NT. I have only one problem and that is with my laptop. When I switch away and then come back, X loses control of my mouse so I have to kill X and restart it (which is annoying). I am pretty sure that error is caused by my laptop's BIOS or imwheel since the Belkin works great with X on my other machines.
I've used Cybex and other Belkin models, but this one is just as good IMO... CDR
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/etc/bashrc:
if [ "$UID" = 0 ]; then
PS1="\[\033[1;31m\]\u@\h:\w# \[\033[0m\]"
else
PS1="\[\033[1;33m\]\u@\h:\w\$\[\033[0m\] "
fi
This book is OK - we used it as the text in our graduate level (Data Security & Cryptography class). I'm a computer scientist, not a mathematician (believe me, I read Chapter 7 a lot) and I found that many of the examples glossed over small yet critical details, especially modular arithmetic, that often stumped me for hours. I resorted to using Schneier's book as a counterpart for some of the more basic stuff. Also the section on Elliptic Curve Cryptography was difficult and again, other texts were referenced frequently.All in all this is a good book, but the math-weary beware - other texts may be required to really understand what's going on.
I use a Belkin OmniCube 4-port PS/2 switch box at home that I'm pretty happy with. It was rather inexpensive from CDW (about $110 ~6 mo. ago) compared to other Belkin models, and there's essentially no difference. The cable sets are $25 or so apiece, but you can get really long ones. I can change the active port with just a few keystrokes, which means I don't have to reach across my desk and press the button.
I've used it with essentially no problems using XFree86 3.3.3/3.3.5 on Linux, OpenBSD, and FreeBSD, and also Windows 98/NT. I have only one problem and that is with my laptop. When I switch away and then come back, X loses control of my mouse so I have to kill X and restart it (which is annoying). I am pretty sure that error is caused by my laptop's BIOS or imwheel since the Belkin works great with X on my other machines.
I've used Cybex and other Belkin models, but this one is just as good IMO... CDR