Unix for Mac OS X: Visual Quickpro Guide

by Matisse Enzer

For intermediate to advanced courses in using the Macintosh, and for introductory-to-intermediate level courses in UNIX that utilize Mac OS X, this guide gives a clear introduction to the Unix... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0201795353
• ISBN13: 9780201795356
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Peachpit Press
• Length: 541 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 7.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Matisse Enzer Gets It -- This is a great book

I'm on a quest to learn Perl to write CGI scripts and I want to do it all on my Mac using the wonderful tools that come with OS X. One problem, I haven't used Unix in years (since college) and even then I couldn't do much more than navigate around using "ls" on the command line. Suffice it to say that I am very much a "newbie".I looked at all of the books in this category and chose this one by Matisse Enzer. My instincts were right on -- this is a great book.It is well written, well organized and very easy to follow. It is both a book that you can sit down and read as well as a useful reference. The logical path that Matisse takes the reader through to learn the essential Unix invocations and other mystical Unix-spellcraft makes learning a pleasure!In less than a week, I was able to configure my Apache server and the powerful Sendmail program included with OS X. This goes well beyond the basics that are also inluded in the book (there is a lot of great beginner stuff). Matisse helped me to absord the fundamentals quickly so I was able to move onto more advanced subjects without wasting any time.I am definitely a beginner when it comes to Unix, however, Matisse lays the concepts out so well, I already feel confident taking on more advanced Unix projects.Get this -- when I did run into a snag, I went to the Apple help forums to get an answer. Guess who answered my post that same day? Thats right, Matisse Enzer. He did everything but autograph my book -- which I am still working on ;)Buy this book -- you won't be sorry.

the best of all worlds

This book opens the wonderful world of unix to everyone who wants to know more of what happens under the hood of the fabulous Macintosh operating system. Beautifully organized, well written, and full of vital information (and accessorized with tons of great hints), Matisse Enzer wrote a book for anyone who wants to understand unix; being on a Mac just makes it that much more fun.

Good Depth and Good Size

I am a MacAddict and I attended a UNIX based school so when Mac OS X was announced I was very happy. It actually sparked my interest in learning more about Unix. I know a bunch of the "simple" commands and am comfortable with a shell. I bought Mac OS X Unleashed for 10.1 last year and it had a very good section on Unix. I have browsed the 10.2 Unleashed and it is also good. However, it's one big honkin' book. So, I was on the lookout for a MacOSX Unix only book and happened upon this one. As the author states in her "review" it is the most in depth beginner's guide to Unix in the MacOSX realm; even compared to O'Reilly's MacOSX Unix books. It has PeachPit's expected depth at beginner level yet is a QuickPro book so it's even more powerful than a QuickStart title. It combines the right amounts of understandability, book size, and depth of any I've come across so far. You want to dabble in Unix for OS X or take the first steps to being a Unix King? Then this book is a great choice.

Unix for Poets- a unix primer for those who think different

If you are like me, you wanted to get under the hood of OS X but didn't wanna get lost in the Unix priesthood of supersekrit handshakes and obscure jargon. Matisse's book cuts to the quick: He gives you practical lessons with excellent context and great commands that actually DO something useful. If David Pogue's "the Missing Manual" was the best manual for introducing the OSX interface, Matisse's book is the best way to introduce yourself to what lies underneath OSX. They should give you a copy when you get a new Mac!

Comments from the author

Hi folks, I wanted to add my commenst here to clarify who this book is for and what you can expect from it."Unix for Mac OS X" is a very intense beginner's guide to Unix. The book assumes NO prior experience with Unix. It does assume you are an enthusiastic and adventurous type (or you wouldn't be bothering with Unix in the first place.) The book provides a great deal more detail then any other beginner-level Unix book I am aware of and I hope that people will use it as a solid starting point to go even deeper into Unix, which is an excellent platform for collaborative computing.