UNIX in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference - Covers Gnu/Linux, Mac OS X, and Solaris

by Arnold Robbins

Book Overview

As an open operating system, Unix can be improved on by anyone and everyone: individuals, companies, universities, and more. As a result, the very nature of Unix has been altered over the years by numerous extensions formulated in an assortment of versions. Today, Unix encompasses everything from Sun's Solaris to Apple's Mac OS X and more varieties of Linux than you can easily name.

The latest edition of this bestselling reference brings Unix...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596100299
• ISBN13: 9780596100292
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 906 Pages
• Weight: 2.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

The Best Nutshell Book

If you use Unix at your job or home (I understand Mac's O/S 10 uses BSD Unix), GET THIS BOOK! Having said that, be warned that this isn't a book it you are trying to learn Unix from scratch. However, this is THE bible for Unix users. Even beginners will benefit from owning this book (I did when I started).The reason this book is so great is that it contains all of the various Unix commands including those for the various shells (Korn Shell, C Shell, Bourne Shell). Various editors (VI, sed, ex, emacs), awk, macros, tracers, SCCS, RCS, and much more are included here so no matter what you do in Unix, you'll have the commands to use it. Also included is an Obsolete Command section. These are commands which current versions of Unix no longer use but older versions would (obviously).Intermediate and advanced Unix users benefit the most from this book. Sure, you could use the Unix "man" command to get the online manual, but if you are like me, you like having a book to consult. Beginners will benefit from this book as it gives the user a look at the depth of Unix and a source to look up commands. Since the book doesn't contain a lot of examples, beginners may find this troubling. However, as they learn, the book will become of greater value.Bottom line, all Unix users should get this book! It is a must have and you are only short-changing yourself if you don't have it on your bookshelf.

Concise <quick> reference for Unix basics

You have a general section on shells and then seperate sections for Bourne|Korn and another one for the C shell. There are seperate sections on pattern matching, the Emacs editor, Vi (an invaluable resource in and of itself), Ex editor, Sed editor, and Awk (scripting language). Then there's a text formatting section containing information on Nroff, Troff, macros, and preprocessors. Then for developers there are sections on SCCS, make, debugging, and RCS. And perhaps most importantly there is a fairly exhaustive section on Unix commands and switches.So this one handy dandy reference covers most of the major aspects that developers and dba's need. This is not the guide for system administrators but for the rest of us this one reference fills most of the bill. I have two copies. One I keep at the office and the other stays at home with me. Now i'm not gonna say that it's the end all and be all of unix but as a quick reference it's indispensible.Buy it.

Excellent Reference

This book is a great reference. Information about commands, shells, editors, make files, etc. pretty much whatever is there. There is "just enough" information here to help you get done whatever it is you're trying to do. Definitely not for beginners though since before you try to do anything in UNIX, you should understand how unix works but thats not the purpose of this book anyway.

Indispensable reference guide!

I had a 1992 copy of this book and just recently found out about the updated version. Wow. This updated version contains most if not all of the information in the old one plus so much more! Once again, this book is probably the best reference book out there about UNIX. This book devotes almost 200 pages alone to commands, along with chapters on the various shells, vi commands, emacs, various text formatting macros, and even a chapter about awk.If you are a UNIX 'geek' or 'wannabe UNIX geek' like me, or just want to know more about UNIX, this book is for you. It's probably not for beginners however. They would be advised to buy "Learning About UNIX" or another good introductory book.

The best of its kind

Unix in a Nutshell continues to be the best overall reference book on the Unix operating system. Organized so that all commands and options are easily found and understood, it is an indispensable tool for those who work in a Unix environment. But it is not just a guide to Unix commands and their options, it also contains a mass of useful information about the Unix Shell, shell scripting, text editing and formatting, and much more. Truely one of the most useful computer reference books I have ever purchased, and for the money it is the best bargain you will find in the Unix field. I highly recommend it for all those who work with (or are interested in) Unix and want just about all the information they could need in one neat package. A great buy.