By Dave Taylor, Brian Jepson
December 2002
Pages: 158
ISBN 10: 0-596-00470-2 |
ISBN 13: 9780596004705
(Average of 2 Customer Reviews)
This book has been updated—the edition you're requesting is OUT OF PRINT. Please visit the catalog page of the latest edition.
The latest edition is also available on Safari Books Online.
This compact book provides a user-friendly tour of your Mac's Unix base. As you explore Terminal and familiarize yourself with the command line, you'll also learn about the hundreds of Unix programs that come with your Mac and begin to understand the power and flexibility of Unix. Updated to cover Jaguar (Mac OS X, 10.2), this book will keep you current with the latest features of your Mac.
Full Description
- Customize your shell environment
- Manage files and directories
- Successfully print from the Unix command line
- Edit and create files with the vi editor
- Perform remote logins
- Access Internet functions
- Understand pipes and filters
- Use background processing
- Use Fink, an easy way to install open source Unix software on Mac OS X
Register your book | Submit Errata | Dave's Web Site
Browse within this book
Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter | Colophon
Book details
Second Edition: December 2002
ISBN: 0-596-00470-2
Pages: 158
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 2 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
Learning Unix for Mac OS X, 2nd Edition Review, June 04 2003
(in response to Robert Broen's question about sending email via smtp.mac.com):
You should be able to use the following setting for your smtp-server in ~/.pinerc:
smtp-server=smtp.mac.com/user=YOURUSERNAME
(Replace YOURUSERNAME with your .Mac user name.)
If you get an error message about an invalid certificate, you may want to try appending novalidate-cert, which tells Pine to accept smtp.mac.com's SSL certificate, even though it cannot be verified by a certifying authority:
smtp-server=smtp.mac.com/user=YOURUSERNAME/novalidate-cert
Learning Unix for Mac OS X, 2nd Edition Review, June 02 2003
A very good book to start on the terminal stuff. I'm feeling more and more comfortable in the shell. Be sure to practice everything in the book extensively.
Possible errata: I still haven't got Pine to send email using smtp.mac.com. One million configuration options and no smtp authentication!?
Media reviews
"Two books from O'Reilly, 'Learning Unix for Mac OS X'...and 'Mac OS X for Unix Geeks'...should certainly be on your shelf. Both are recommended by the Apple Developer Connection (ADC). 'Learning Unix for Mac OS X' is aimed at Mac OS users who are interested in learning about Unix; 'Mac OS X for Unix Geeks' is amied at long-time Unix users who are 'switching' to Mac OS X. Whivhever group you see yourself in, I'd recommend adding both books to your shelf--if one doesn't address your questions, the other probably will."
--Vicki Brown, "MacTech," September 2003
"If you are running OS X and want to explore 'Terminal,' this book is your travel guide. Even if you have never used a command-line operating environment, it will lead you along an easy path to learning the 'Darwin' version of Unix...This is a practical and exceptionally well-written introduction for Mac OS X users."
--Major Keary, Book News, 2003 No. 3
"This book does a great job of laying out the basics of Unix for people who have little or no Unix experience...This book does a great job of laying out the basics of Unix for people who have little or no Unix experience."
--Amazon.com Reader Review, May 18, 2003
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0596004702/
"In the vast world of Linux/Unix, I found it hard to know where to start learning. I figured that since I knew a significant amount about OS X that this book might make for a good beginning level book. I was so right...if you are looking for a short, basic introduction to the world of Unix so you can get around, this book is definitely for you."
--Amazon.com Reader Review, May 26, 2003
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0596004702/
"'Learning Unix' introduces power Mac users to Unix basics, covering the most commonly used commands. Beginning with an explanation of how to get into the Terminal command line window, it culminates with a useful 'where to go from here' chapter. Notes cover common traps and tips; exercises let users practice; additional resources are recommended throughout."
--Rachel Singer Gordon, "Library Journal," 5/1/03
"'Learning Unix for Mac OS X' is a great 'Welcome to the power of Mac OS X' introductory book for the Unix uninitiated and I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in taking that first step into the waters of Unix with Mac OS X."
--John Nouveaux, North Coast Mac User Group, May 2003
"It has all the essentials in one fairly slim volume that is tailored specifically for OS X. It offers a clear and concise introduction."--Ric Getter, MacDirectory
"If you want to dive into Unix (and you really should) start here."
--Narasu Rebbapragada, MacAddict, January 2003
Reviews From Previous Edition
"Slim and unassuming, but contains valuable nuggets of Mac OS X lore."
--Rich Morin, MACTECH, Dec 2002
"Not every Mac user will have a need--let alone a desire--to explore Unix, but if you want to see what is under the bonnet, this is an excellent guide."
--Major Keary, Book News No. 16, 2002
"In fact, this is an excellent (and very good value) introduction to Unix in all its flavour."
--IT Training, September 2002
"Opening 'Learning Unix for Mac OS X' was like visiting an old friend...OS X adds considerably to its Unix base, so this book has a lot of Mac-specific territory to cover. Fortunately, the journey is a pleasurable one...I know this book will stay close to my G4 and get well worn over the years."
--Jack Dolby, Club Mac of Hampton, August 2002
"So, you bought your brand-new Apple computer, excited to try out OS X and all its Unixy goodness, only to find out that while Apple is happy to tout the Unix heritage of OS X, they don't put any emphasis on all the goodies under the hood. The product manual shows you around the sexy new GUI, but you're left to stumble through the command-line toolbox that comes with it on your own. O'Reilly's 'Learning Unix for Mac OS X' is the first book (that I'm aware of, anyway) out there to help the Mac faithful get a grip on Unix. It's a smallish tome that won't scare off folks who are used to pointing and clicking (with only one button!) their way through life...you happen to be in possession of an Apple machine running OS X and want to make use of the command-line tools, this is a great book to start with. Folks who are going from Windows to the Mac or people moving from older Mac OSes will find this book a real handy companion...The book is well worth the $19.95 cover price if you're not familiar with Unix. It might just make command-line enthusiasts out of the Mac faithful."--Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, UnixReview.com, September 2002
"Unbeknownst to most owners of the 2 million Macintosh computers running the new OS X operating system is that these machines are based on the powerful Unix language...There's hardly a word about this in the manuals from Apple, but that lack of information gets fixed very nicely by a new book from O'Reilly & Associates 'Unix for Mac OSX.'"
--James Coates, Chicago Tribune, July 29, 2002
"I urge you to get a copy of the book--the asking price is well worth the peace of mind it brings."
--George Carrington, ACT Apple Users Group, Australia, August 2002
"As soon as the UPS man left my door step and I saw the box that this gem was in I was stunned. It was so small! Small for computer books is anything under 400 pages and this book sure weighs in at less than that. It's bigger than a Pocket Reference but smaller than most O'Reilly books. After reading it I can truthfully say that 'size really doesn't matter'!...This book is everything (and more) that I had to learn by trial and error and complex man pages. My only regret is that this wasn't available a year ago. I would have paid TWICE the price just to save the time/frustration I spent learning what I had."
--Jonathan Gales, macmerc.com, May 30, 2002
"Mac users have sort of been thrown into deep water with the introduction of Apple's Mac OSX operating System. All of a sudden, the cuddly interface was slapped on a Ferrari-like Unix engine. Sure enough, there is a large pent-up demand among Mac users to find out how that powerful Unix engine works, ably addressed by this book...It's a good resource for the advanced beginner who wants to play under the hood."
--Netsurfer Digest, May 23, 2002
"That little iMac sitting on your desk has literally industrial strength web serving capabilities. Taylor and Peak give a gentle introduction to the world of the Unix command line within OS X."
--Peter Cramer, Macintosh Users of Delaware, June 2002
