Product Description
Keep pace with the fast-developing world of operating systems

Open-source operating systems, virtual machines, and clustered computing are among the leading fields of operating systems and networking that are rapidly changing. With substantial revisions and organizational changes, Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne’s Operating System Concepts, Eighth Edition remains as current and relevant as ever, helping you master the fundamental concepts of operating systems while preparing yourself for today’s emerging developments.

As in the past, the text brings you up to speed on core knowledge and skills, including:

• What operating systems are, what they do, and how they are designed and constructed
• Process, memory, and storage management
• Protection and security
• Distributed systems
• Special-purpose systems

Beyond the basics, the Eight Edition sports substantive revisions and organizational changes that clue you in to such cutting-edge developments as open-source operating systems, multi-core processors, clustered computers, virtual machines, transactional memory, NUMA, Solaris 10 memory management, Sun’s ZFS file system, and more. New to this edition is the use of a simulator to dynamically demonstrate several operating system topics.

Best of all, a greatly enhanced WileyPlus, a multitude of new problems and programming exercises, and other enhancements to this edition all work together to prepare you enter the world of operating systems with confidence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

First Buy .. Great Product!!
I have just come to US for masters and this is my first book that I have bought. Book is almost NEW !! Only issue I had was.. I ordered in expedited shipping.. and it arrived in 5 days :(

Thanks

A sound introductory text
This provides a solid introduction to the basics of operating system (OS) internals. After an introductory section, this covers the major subsystems in an orderly progression: processes, memory, storage, protection, distributed systems, and special purpose systems. Although I might quibble with some of the ordering, (e.g., virtual memory vis a vis process management), this gives a firm foundation for anyone teaching introductory OS internals. As an aside, instructors should also be aware of the additional support they'll find at the book's web site.

I have no real objections to this book, but find that some of its emphasis won't suit all readers. For example, 99% of all processors don't run Windows or Linux. Instead, they run your DVD player, car air bags, microwave, digital watch, and just about everything else with a power cord or battery. Engineering students headed for embedded system development will need supplementary material. Also, like every other undergrad text I know, this underplays the critical importance of standards in everything from APIs and file system structures to network protocols and safe coding guideline.

I've taught from this book and from Tanenbaum and, to tell the truth, have no strong preference between the two. They present comparable material at roughly the same level, both offer good case studies, and both offer on-line support to students and instructors. Each outweighs the other on specific topics but, on the whole, that seems to balance out. I note that some reviewers object to this book's level. To them, I can only say: that's life. OS development is at least ten times as hard as developing mainstream applications (as measured by programmers' output of debugged code), so it will require some programming knowledge to follow discussions of OS internals. Railing against obviously important prerequisites says more about the speaker than about the book.

- wiredweird

Wish it could have more examples
This book is VERY abstract. It's like learning a computer without actually having it. It tries to cover many concepts related to operating systems, but because of that no space left for a real life applications or examples. A simplest way they describe a process or a thread in this book is to draw a rectangle, name it process, draw another rectangle, name it CPU, put an arrow in between and you are done. And this is like that throughout the book and throughout all the concepts they are trying to explain. Very poor explanation and no examples at all. You will find challenging exercises at the end of each chapter, but you will not find any answers in the chapter itself. Each chapter simply gives you an idea about some operating system concept but how it actually work is up to you to figure it out. Text is very formal and hard to understand; they will confuse you even with simple concepts. I used to google many topics and found a much better and meaningful explanation online that I immediately understood and even taught others. Most of the projects are shortly described with little help on how to do it and no warnings if there is a chance on crashing a kernel, for example. I crashed mine, no big deal.

And don't expect to learn anything specific to UNIX or Windows, Solaris, or AIX, for example, as they do not go into that depth, only slightly they will cover how Windows handles that, how Solaris handles that.. blah.
Not worth of reading it, but had to have it as my textbook.

Excellent but expensive
I really liked the book. I think is a pretty good book and it came in a great shape. however, I also consider its kind of expensive.

A must read if you are a serious Software Engineer
I used this book on my OS class in my MS in CS. I remember that back in college, I took OS with an older version of the same book, but now my perspective change drastically.

I you really want to take advantage of how an OS works and the techniques for managing resources and to apply this knowledge to your own programs, please read this book. If you like advanced topics such as multi-threading and multi-processing, it will help you to understand how the OS interacts with the user programs and how you can use different approaches such as thread kernel model, etc. ... Read more

Product Description

The widely anticipated revision of this worldwide best-seller incorporates the latest developments in operating systems technologies.  The Third Edition includes up-to-date materials on relevant operating systems such as Linux, Windows, and embedded real-time and multimedia systems.Includes new and updated coverage of multimedia operating systems, multiprocessors, virtual machines, and antivirus software. Covers internal workings of Windows Vista (Ch. 11); unique even for current publications. Provides information on current research based Tanenbaum’s experiences as an operating systems researcher.A useful reference for programmers.

Tanenbaum's mantra is simple, accessible operating system design. Given that modern operating systems have extensive features, he is forced to reconcile physical size with simplicity. Toward this end, he makes frequent references to the Frederick Brooks classic The Mythical Man-Month for wisdom on managing large, complex software development projects. He finds both Windows 2000 and Unix/Linux guilty of being too complicated--with a particular skewering of Windows 2000 and its "mammoth Win32 API." A primary culprit is the attempt to make operating systems more "user-friendly," which Tanenbaum views as an excuse for bloated code. The solution is to have smart people, the smallest possible team, and well-defined interactions between various operating systems components. Future operating system design will benefit if the advice in this book is taken to heart. --Pete Ostenson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

blah
Student, I do not like this book. I feel like I am reading a dictionary, which is long and boring. Would prefer if author cut out the definition to term, histories, fact and stick it at the end of the book instead.

A modern classic
I've taught from another text, but this one seems to provide the most solid foundation of any around. It covers all of the basics of operating system responsibilities in a thorough and orderly way, starting with processes, memory, file systems, and security, including information about malicious attacks.This new edition also addresses multiprocessor systems, which have become prevalent in the form of multi-core processors, and the special needs of media processing systems. Toward the end, it also presents case studies of three contemporary OSs, in enough detail to understand the differences between the different OS philosophies and structures. After a relatively brief chapter summarizing Tanenbaum's beliefs about OS design, this ends with a bibliography that even researchers and advanced practitioners will appreciate.

But, if you haven't already found out the hard way, OSs raise surprisingly strong feelings. In my case, the feeling is that the book ignores about 99% of all processors - the ones in your cell phone, car systems, appliances, and everything else that doesn't look like a computer, i.e. the embedded processors. These systems impose critical constraints on timing, memory, and performance, and impose different kinds of constraints according to their usage. It also skims lightly over the server farms that prevail in banking, industry, and commerce, and over the massive demands addressed by things like the Google file system.

Still, this book presents all of the basics. Even when programming an embedded system too small to support an OS, the principles taught here will still be useful. And, when the reader graduates to more specialized topics, like massively parallel supercomputers, high reliability systems, or multi-tierd enterprise systems, this provides a solid foundation on which to build the more unusual structures. There's only so much you can pack into a one-term introduction to operating systems, and this book does a great job of it.

- wiredweird

spent my money wisely
My book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner!!I didn't pay much for it, and I'm thankful for that. :)

Go get any book by Silberschatz instead
I'm sorry I have to disagree. This book is sloppy and poorly written. Besides the run on sentences, multiple spelling errors, and ridiculously long and labored explanations, the book is a dead bore. The author violates the one simple rule when writing a definition or explanation...do not use the word as definition. Granted, some chapters and sections are better written than others, however, overall the student who is desperate to comprehend will eventually head to the web in search of a better explanation. Along the way they will find Abraham Silberschatz textbooks and breathe a sigh of relief.

Fine for it's time. Simplistic, subjective.
There's plenty of humor and opinion mixed in with the text, which is fine if you're into that.

While reading this text I've ran into a few topics like scheduling and context switching that were explained much more clearly in comparable texts by Silberschatz, et al. ... Read more

Product Description
Another defining moment in the evolution of operating systems
Small footprint operating systems, such as those driving the handheld devices that the baby dinosaurs are using on the cover, are just one of the cutting-edge applications you'll find in Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne's Operating System Concepts, Seventh Edition.
By staying current, remaining relevant, and adapting to emerging course needs, this market-leading text has continued to define the operating systems course. This Seventh Edition not only presents the latest and most relevant systems, it also digs deeper to uncover those fundamental concepts that have remained constant throughout the evolution of today's operation systems. With this strong conceptual foundation in place, students can more easily understand the details related to specific systems.
New Adaptations
* Increased coverage of user perspective in Chapter 1.
* Increased coverage of OS design throughout.
* A new chapter on real-time and embedded systems (Chapter 19).
* A new chapter on multimedia (Chapter 20).
* Additional coverage of security and protection.
* Additional coverage of distributed programming.
* New exercises at the end of each chapter.
* New programming exercises and projects at the end of each chapter.
* New student-focused pedagogy and a new two-color design to enhance the learning process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Not worth money and time
Being a computer science student, I had a previous version of this book as a textbook since in college several years ago.I found my lecturer gave more information than the textbook provided in some topics, thus reading the book after class makes non-sense.

Recently I read the book of this version for the phd's advanced operating system class.Again I find this book famous only for it's a mostly-adopted textbook.A big problem of this book is that it covers too many topics to provide insight on each problem, sometimes no further explanation given.Therefore students can't fully understand each problem through reading the book.

As it's an introductory textbook, I agree that this book provides comprehensive topics of operating systems, but not for advanced study.I am not sure it is a good introductory but you definitely need to search for other materials for deeper discussion per topic.

One of my least favorites
I'm using this book in a graduate level computer science course, and find this book to be the most boring textbook I have ever had the misfortune of reading.The wording in this textbook is very dry and uninteresting, and the author makes no attempt to keep the reader's interest in the materials he is presenting.The only positive I can say, is that I got this book used off of Amazon for only six dollars, and it arrived in almost brand new condition.

Operating Systen Concept Book
I ordered this book online but no option was available for express delivery. The standard delivery which was available was thus utilized and the item received within the stipulated delivery estimate (three weeks).

Overall the experince was fine but I would have preffered an option for express delivery which did not appear from the sellers' delivery method.

Operating System Concepts
Great read. Anyone who wants to dive into the basics of kernel programming should read this book. There is a good set of practice problems, but personally I found the writing done well enough so that I did not need the extra practice. In addition, the writers have a sense of humor and make the reading fun, rather than a listing of computer facts like other books.

Good book.

Good OS txt
Very helpful in understanding basic concepts.Examples is what makes this text stand out, with plenty of examples, and a good website to view source code ... Read more

Product Description
- Covers the fundamental design principles common to all modern operating systems, including UNIX, Linux, and DOS, with an emphasis on abstract principles, rather than implementations in any particular system - Takes Schaum's internationally acclaimed problem-solved approach, featuring detailed problems with step-by-step solutions; clear, concise explanations of all relevant operating system concepts and applications; and expert tips and techniques for solving difficult problems- Designed to be a supplementary text in traditional operating system courses (taken by more than 100,000 students a year), as well as a handy professional resource for practitioners looking for clear, concise answers to general operating system questions, especially about systems with which they may not be familiar ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Satisfied Customer
My book was in perfect condition.It was not damaged during shipping.Delivery was fast.I had regular shipping, ordered it on a Wednesday and it was here by Friday or Saturday.

Good at what it does
What it does: lead the reader through the basic concepts of classic operating systems: processes, synchronization, memory, virtual memory, file systems, IO, and security. Each section alternates between text and answered problems, as is usual for a Schaum's Outline. That's very helpful - putting a concept to use on one problem drives the point home better than a hundred pages of reading. The reader who completes this book, working a good number of the problems, will have seen most of the topics presented in a one-term OS class. No problem there.

The book necessarily lacks in breadth and in detail, however. This book doesn't try to be a Tanenbaum, and isn't, so it skips many crucial topics. The interaction of hardware and OS is very under-represented. That includes things like memory-mapped IO, interrupt levels, multiprocessor configurations, and cache coherency. It mentions real-time systems, without discussing the many ways that embedded kernels differ from Windows. It discusses priveleged instructions, but skips context switching between privelege levels. The section on virtual memory skips a lot - how it interacts with a system's process structure, multiple address spaces, shared pages, reasons for non-pageable memory, and more. It brings up ancient topics, like swapping and overlays, that have just about no significance in major commercial systems. Having brought them up, it fails to mention why they're no longer relevant.

But there's only so much you can cram into a 228-page summary. The content is worth three stars at best, but I give it one more for (mostly) meeting its goals.

//wiredweird

Excellent supplement
I have over 10 Schaum's guides for my various courses.I would say this OS guide is perhaps the best one along with the Seymour Lipschutz's erudite "probability" (not to be confused with Murray R. Spiegel's befuddled attempt for Schaum's).

The last reviewer's comments seemed unwarranted especially since this book has more then enough problems on semaphores even if it's not as strong on file systems.This book is spot on covering the important parts of the classic operating systems curriculum from the sublime Tannebaum to the feckless Nutt.This book has an abundance of sample problems from all the major topics: File Systems, Interprocess communication, Device I/O, Networks, Security, and the dreaded Virtual Memory.Besides this the author covers algorithms, from the Philosophers to Bankers, from Hard drive c-scan to Paging LRU.I find the author easy to understand, complete, and very much in tune with what you will likely be tested on.I can honestly say this 200 page book was more valuable to me then the pescribed text.

Mediocre book, disappointing
I was looking for a rigorous review to supplement my Operating Systems course and I found that this book certainly fell short of that.I wanted more practice for the kinds of questions we would get on exams, but many of the topics addressed were treated at too simplistic of a level.

I also would have have preferred a range of examples dealing with topics like semaphores and mutual exclusion, deadlock, file systems, but instead all the sample questions were disappointing and I found myself actually wasting time with this book.It would have been more productive to have just stuck with the textbook.Usually Schaum's does a good job, but I think they seriously fell short with their Operating Systems book. ... Read more

Product Description
The award-winning team of Abraham Silberschatz, Peter Galvin, and Greg Gagne gets system administrators right up to speed on all the key concepts of computer operating systems. This new edition gives them a thorough theoretical foundation that they can apply to a wide variety of systems as they progress to the next level of their computer work. It presents several new Java example programs including features in Java 7. Increased coverage is offered on user perspective, OS design, security, and distributed programming. New exercises are also provided to reinforce the concepts and enable system administrators to design with confidence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good Book.
A little hard to read if you have no previous knowledge. A lot of information/content to learn but that was because i took it as a summer class. Read and understand the book properly as I did and i got rewarded with an A.

A sound introductory text
This provides a solid introduction to the basics of operating system (OS) internals. After an introductory section, this covers the major subsystems in an orderly progression: processes, memory, storage, protection, distributed systems, and special purpose systems. Although I might quibble with some of the ordering, (e.g., virtual memory vis a vis process management), this gives a firm foundation for anyone teaching introductory OS internals. As an aside, instructors should also be aware of the additional support they'll find at the book's web site.

I have no real objections to this book, but find that some of its emphasis won't suit all readers. For example, 99% of all processors don't run Windows or Linux. Instead, they run your DVD player, car air bags, microwave, digital watch, and just about everything else with a power cord or battery. Engineering students headed for embedded system development will need supplementary material. Also, like every other undergrad text I know, this underplays the critical importance of standards in everything from APIs and file system structures to network protocols and safe coding guideline.

The Java emphasis definitely adds to this book's breadth. For years now, OS examples have featured the Unix API or, perhaps grudgingly, examples from Windows. They're not the only games in town, though. Java's API differs in many ways from the Winux (Lindows?) models, especially in areas having to do with threading and safe execution. When you add in Java's wide popularity and its role as conceptual predecessor to .NET and C#, that makes it a logical candidate for study. Compared to the non-Java version of this title, the additions are minor but well-chosen.

I've taught from the non-Java version of this book and from Tanenbaum and, to tell the truth, have no strong preference between the two. They present comparable material at roughly the same level, both offer good case studies, and both offer on-line support to students and instructors. Each outweighs the other on specific topics but, on the whole, that seems to balance out.

-- wiredweird

Well written!
This is a well written book compared to other books about Java. It gives logical explanations and is easy to understand. Now I understand why my Prof. said they've used this book since he was in school studying Java. Its a great source for the novice, intermediate and advanced student. Great Book to keep if you ever need to refer to it in the future!

thanks again..
Great product, great price and great service " too good to be true", but it is.

Great Book
Currently I am a CS student in my senior year. I am taking my final for the class tomorrow and the book has done an excellent job of taking some complex topics and translating them into legible english. That being said, I will just explain some of the flaws.

The first problem is the pictures or figures in book which are trying to give a visualization of the topics being explained. There a surprising amount of figures in the book that are completely horrid. I mean that they just either further add confusion or are just completely useless. Very shocking because the author/authors are very talented with words, yet seem to very bad when it comes to creating visualizations. There are a few with flat out errors as well.

The second problem is that the questions in the back of each chapter are acatastrophe. The questions are typically just very vague or just aren't very good questions. For instance, there is a question that is similar this

"Does virtual memory need to be supported by the operating system of a handheld system?"

The answer in the teachers guide is apparently "yes". But clearly, this answer is truly "no". Handheld device operating systems don't NEED to support virtual memory. There are plenty of handheld devices that don't, and certainly you don't ever NEED to support alot of things. The question really means to ask "Is it beneficial for a handheld device to support virtual memory?" The obvious answer that is "of course". I got this question wrong on my homework, but myself and a few others talked with the teacher and he quickly agreed that we were right. There are just far too many questions like this that are poorly written.

Regardless of these two problems, the book is really well done. ... Read more

Product Description
Programmers don’t want to just read about the core concepts of operating systems. They want to learn how to apply the material by actually building applications. This new book motivates them by presenting numerous programming exercises at the code level. They are not only introduced to the OS concepts and abstractions, but also the implementation. Two design projects are integrated throughout the book that they’ll be able to follow to get them into the code. Self-assessment and review material is presented at the end of each chapter to reinforce concepts. These features help to make this an excellent resource for programmers to gain invaluable experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Parallel Operating Systems with Windows and Linux introduces the key features of computer operating systems.It assumes that the students have previously used a personal computer with the Windows or Linux operating systems.This text uses a unique approach for the presentation of operating system concepts.Each concept will first be presented conceptually.Then the concepts will be demonstrated on both of the two operating systems in parallel.This parallel structure will be enabled by using Microsoft Virtual PC 2004.Students will be able to instantly switch between the two operating systems to complete the numerous hands-on activities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Completely satisfied customer!
Book came in new condition as stated and was received very quickly!Would definitely do business again and highly recommend store/seller!

Awsome!!!
well i ordered it cause i needed it for my class and it got here just when they said it would and im happy bout that.

Actually went to the school who has these teachers.
The exercises are bland, and definitely doesn't even begin to properly cover linux. almost treats linux as a step child. give it a cookie just because its here and i dont want to hear its supporters cry. it also seems to treat the distribution fedora as the alpha and omega of linux. it does vaguely mention there are others, but just barely and easy to miss.

the good points are, its almost idiot proof. i say almost, because, well, most people still couldn't get the ideas given in this book. the subjects are decently explained, and all exercises are incrementally stepped through. how tough is it to follow this?

type dir /s into command prompt to see a listing of the files in your current directory and all directories below it. some how, people manage to mangle that. its literally like, step one leads directly to step two, just type what you see on page, its done. maybe that was the problem it babied them too much, lord help us if we are required to think for ourselves. hi pete, meet repete.

Thank goodness my teacher Mr. BOz was there to clear the fuzzy parts of it, and actually understand the in depth workings (mostly in the linux areas). *shameless plug to praise him*

This book is probably better for one grade under. like the class where the teacher slowly says "This is a computer!" *hears ooos and ahhs from crowd* "press this button to turn it on!* *even more ooos and ahhs*.

Still, this is a good book to have for reference, just don't expect to be enthralled to learn. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first, and still, the most comprehensive book to describe the sophisticated workings of the UNIX System V kernel--the internal algorithms, the structures that form the basis of the UNIX operating system, and their relationship to the programming interface. System programmers will gain a better understanding of how the kernel works and will be able to compare algorithms used in the UNIX system to algorithms used in other operating systems. Programmers on UNIX systems will gain a deeper understanding of how their programs interact with the system and can thereby code more efficient programs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Definitive guide for UNIX internals
This book is for anyone who wants to know what happens "under the hood" in a UNIX based operating system. I especially like the pseudocode given for various system calls and other important kernel functions. The exercises given at the end of chapters are thought provoking. This book is not about how to learn/work in UNIX. Some of the topics such as streams may not be relevant in some of the current implementations of UNIX (or clones of UNIX), but most of the book is still relevant.

The pinacle of OS books
I'm something of an OS freak (not an expert though) and I collect OS books. I've read many of the classics of the field but I think this book is the crowning achievement of OS literature. Here are the arguments to support my claim:

a) It does not go into explaining general OS theory, thus all space can be dedicated to explaining the details of one operating system (Unix System V Release 2). This of course makes it unsuitable for begginers as it assumes you have a good understanding of basic concepts like race conditions, mutual exclusion, data structures, etc. If you're a begginer don't buy this book yet; get "Operating Systems - Design and Implementation" by Tanenbaum & Woodhull or "Operating System Concepts" by Silberschatz, Galvin and Baer.

b) It details EVERY algorithm with C-like pseudocode and adds verbal explanations exemplifying operations running through the algorithms. This is unlike other OS books which sometimes just give general descriptions of algorithms with no examples.

c) Explanations are complemented by many diagrams of data structures in various states of manipulation by the algorithms. This is possibly the most valuable feature of the book as it does wonders to help you understand what the kernel is doing; you get to 'see' how the algorithms work. This sets it apart from practically all other OS books I've read that just mention in passing "... then function 'x' manipulates data structure 'y'" and leave you to find out the implications of these manipulations. Diagrams also make the book superior to mere code listings.

d) Each chapter 'uses' the algorithms explained in the previous chapter to explain higher level functionality. This is much unlike other OS books which are just unstructured and make you loose the big picture of how the various pieces fit together. Chapters also start with an introductory overall view of the current topic.

So, what is not to like about this book? The only thing I can think of is that it deals with a 'dead' OS. Unix System V only runs in a handful of computer installations these days (if any), while its derivatives have changed too much to serve as a reference while reading the book. Still, System V binaries and source are available on the internet, legally of course. Search for The Unix Heritage Society archives. If you want to get really hardcore you can even get a PDP-11 emulator and set up Sys V in it. There are, of course, other books that delve into present day operating systems; "Solaris Internals" , for instance.

Also, Unix-haters might point out this is just another book on Unix. Well, unfortunately there are no books that explain, say MS Windows, at this level of detail; blaim MS. But still, while dealing with the specifics of one single OS, you do get a general understanding of how other OS's might work.

In my humble opinion this book is the 'King of the Hill' of OS literature; it has helped me finally understand things like context switching and memory mapping. An absolute feast to read, particularly if you like Unix.

magnificent discussion of internal architecture of UNIX
While there may be more detail to be found in "The Magic Garden," or more up-to-date coverage in the likes of Vahalia or Schimmel, Bach's opus is, in the view of this twenty-plus-year UNIX guru, unmatched. I say this because only while reading Bach's book do I experience the sense of philsophic structural perfection, of tool-orientation, of practicality-versus-theoretic-efficiency tradeoff, that characterizes the earliest UNIX monographs (Ritchie, Kernighan, Bourne, Lycklama, Ossana; that sort of thing) that busied me as a freshman. Bach imparts to the reader a glorious--and gloriously holistic--depiction of the structure of the UNIX kernel as a unit. Algorithmic details are provided where appropriate. Exceptionally well thought-out exercises stimulate the reader to extend the textual material where meet. The material is assuredly out of date, but I dare you to critize, say, Lions as being "out of date" (whether or not it describes a 25-year-old, 9K-LOC kernel, it is a scripture of paramount importance, a cornerstone of my computer engineering [n.b.: I didn't say "computer science"] library).

For those who are wont to compare Leffler and Bach--if for no other reason than that they are coevals--I heartily endorse Bach over its competitor. It's nice. It's clean. It's precise. You just couldn't ask for more. And, BTW, stay away from "The Magic Garden." I'm not sure that five hundred pages worth of out-of-context code excerpts, inundating the reader with thousands of kernel variables, accomplishes much by way of imparting conceptual understanding.

(I'm reminded: a customer of mine--an older gentleman with a Ph.D. in physics--once asked me for a concise description of the workings of UNIX, something that introduced the basic concepts at a scholarly but not overweight level. I told him I had a recommendation in mind. "You're going to give me 'The Magic Garden'," John complained; "Don't bother. It stinks!" Was John ever surprised when I pointed him to the third entry in Tanenbaum's Modern Operating Systems series. It has concise thirty or forty-page entries on UNIX, MS-DOS, and a handful of others. For those who want to know--from a scientist's viewpoint--what the fundamentals of the UNIX OS and superjacent environment are, what it can do, how one navigates within it, etc., at a _conceptual_ level that trucks not with the details of Bach or Leffler, seek ye Tanenbaum II.)

Awesome book on UNIX Internals
It is one of the greatest books that I have ever read on UNIX. It is a comprhensive yet simple depiction of Unix Operating System. This book is a MUST READ for UNIX / UNIX LIKE Operating System Engineers. It is worth possesing a copy as it can come handy quite regularly. I give it a full go go!

A model for how technical books should be written
Maurice Bach's The Design of the Unix Operating System still holds the place of honor on my technical reference bookshelf.After almost 20 years, it provides a clear overview of basic Unix organization and operations and is a model for how technical books should be written.Readers who complain that the text is dated evidently did not bother to notice the 1986 copyright date.Its age, however, has not diminished its clarity of content or usefulness in understanding the Unix operating system. Bach deserves an award for excellence in technical writing. ... Read more

Product Description

• Book previously known as Applied Operating System Concepts
• New edition provides readers with a clear description of the concepts that underlie operating systems
• Uses Java to illustrate ideas, fundamental concepts, and applications
• Includes numerous examples and up-to-date coverage of popular operating systems, including Linux and XP

Customer Reviews (1)

Well written book with a lot of figures and diagram
This book was well written.I am a graduate computer science student, who rarely used this book, but when I had reviewed the book provided detail information.This book helps you understand a lot about the overall fundamentals of Computer-System Structure, Processes, Threads, CPU Scheduling, Synchronization, Deadlocks, and Memory Management. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook offers a survey of all the major microcomputer operating systems through real-world case studies, annotated illustrations, and step-by-step tutorials and projects. It is designed for IT students who want to learn how to install, configure, and troubleshoot operating systems.This book will teach the basic functions of an operating system, such as the graphical user interface, memory management, device management, and file management. It also explains how to install, configure, and troubleshoot each of the major microcomputer operating systems, including DOS, Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, and, Linux, as well as explain the purpose of operating systems in different hardware environments, such as microcomputers and networks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Nice Book
This edition is great for learning operating systems prior to Vista. The book has large text, great clear colored pictures, additional tips windows along the margins, and bold red key terms. Each end of a chapter also contains several quizes and lab projects. Although, it's starting to show age, this is a wonderfully designed book in terms of text & graphics, a pleasure to read.

Survey of Operating Systems
Received this book quickly. Actually was sent 2 of them and billed for 2. They refunded the 2nd book after it was sent back and paid for shipping. Refund was complete. Great service.

Excellent Learning Tool
As an IT student, I occasionally run into material that I find stale, boring, and overwhelming.This book isn't like that.I am able to review study material that is not only useful, but fun to read!You can't go wrong with this book, it is a valuable resource to learning OSs and what makes them tick.

Excellent add on for the A+ study guide.
Looking for the A+ certification? As you know this certification has 2 exams, I for hardware and 1 for the Operating systems. This book is a great prep tool for the OS section as it covers several key operating systems and few that aren't on the exam.

The book starts off with a hardware overview, which is very helpful in the understanding of software. Then you deal with the older operating systems like Windows 3.X and DOS, this is a nice foundation to learn the roots of the operating system.

Then comes NT, 2000, XP and there is even section for the MAC OS and Linux group. What I liked about this book was the exercises and labs; they would prove to very helpful in understanding certain concepts.

About the only thing missing is cds with evaluation copies of the operating system(s), in case you don't have access to them. Overall this book is a great compliment to the Mike Meyers All in One A+ Study Guide. As an Instructor, this book becomes a valuable add on to the curriculum.

Excellent introduction for IT students
This book is great for students who want to become IT professionals. It's more than just learning how to use client-side operating systems. In this book, you learn how to install, configure and troubleshoot, and includes coverage of networking. Read this and you're on your way to an A+ certfication not to mention a desktop support or help desk position. It's a beautifully designed book. ... Read more

Product Description

Serving as both a basic reference and an up-to-date survey of the state of the art, this book covers the concepts, structure, and mechanisms of operating systems. Stallings presents the nature and characteristics of modern-day operating systems clearly and completely. Updated treatment of Windows as a case study to cover Windows Vista. Online animations with references incorporated throughout. A new chapter on Embedded Operating Systems. Part Six (Distributed Systems and Security) moved online, reducing the cost and size of the book without loss of content. Expanded coverage of security. New figures added, with many existing figures updated to enhance clarity. A useful reference for programmers, systems engineers, network designers and others involved in the design of computer products, information system and computer system personnel.

Customer Reviews (44)

as promised
not much to say, got it in time in the condition it was posted as.

Review of Operating Systems' Book
the item is arrived in excellent condition and the saller has complied with the delivery time.
I recommend it to all Europeans guys.
Cheers

Needed this book for college course
my son needed this book for a college course and the college didn't have it so naturally, went to Amazon.
thanks for having the book and getting it to me so quickly.

Well written and detail oriented
Operating Systems is a comprehensive and well written technicalbook.Anyone interested in a solid understanding of the fundamentals of operating systems should consider this book.Any computer science professional will reference this book repeatedly to freshen up understanding of key principles and theories.From application programming to systems administration, this book is important for the integration of techniques that rely on a firm understanding of theory.

Stallings OS 6th Edition
This book provides not only an excellent overview of general operating systems principles, but it also describes modern operating systems such as Windows (in its many guises), UNIX and Linux in great detail.
Another strength is the use of many excellent diagrams to illustrate the concepts dealt with in the book.

I am using it as a reference for one of my courses. ... Read more

Product Description
Revised to address the latest version of MINIX (MINIX 3), this streamlined, simplified new edition remains the only operating systems book to first explain relevant principles, then demonstrate applications using a Linux-like operating system as the detailed example. Designed especially for high reliability and for use in embedded systems. Minux features a simpler presentation than previous versions, with less than 4,000 lines of code in the kernel. The book is has been fully updated, with significant changes to the sections on CPU scheduling, deadlocks, file system reliability and security.      The book’s reference section has been updated to reference modern literature.   Written by the creator of Minux, professional programmers will now have the most up-to-date tutorial and reference available today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

CD missing
The book was in good condition, but it missed the CD at the end of book.

Good
Very good, but half of it is the Minix source code. So, you'll carry more than you actually need.

Could be better
I have studied UNIX kernels (Lyons Book), Minix kernels (this book) and Lunux kernels (many books). I wish Minix had more books than just the one Tanenbaum book. What is missing from Minix are books like Kernighan's book on the Unix Programming Environment. Minix only has an ASH shell so the numerous shell books do not apply. And Tanenbaum's book does not do justice to systems programming.
I think Dr. Tanenbaum used a microkernel with Minix because it was easier to impliment memory and file management as modules. He had been teaching from Lyons book when AT&T stopped allowing reproduction of the source code. He developed Minix as a teaching tool to fill in the gap. But I struggle trying to do API programming with Minix with the lack of books and the use of the not so well documented ACK compilier.
So if you must use this book for a course then you must buy the book. But if you are on your own learning operating systems I would stick with UNIX (Lyons book is available again) or Linux with the numerous books on the kernel.

A truly brilliant work of a Master piece
Many people who are commenting on the book by Tanenbaum are people who are writing after the year 2000. Operating system developed has had a long history since 1970 when Unix was developed.

After that there was no significant movement on the Unix like systems (of course Microsoft and Apple were working) on their own OS but there were not Unix like.

Tanenbaum wrote a Unix like System in 1987 which shares the File management, Process Management, Device Management and Memory management with Unix. He called it as MINIX OS.

After that rest is History, Linus Torvalds wrote the Linux kernel. Even though Linux today has advanced a lot due to the Networking code, ACPI, SMB, Device drivers, please should examine Linux 0.01 written first by Linus.

That code also consisted of only 20,000 lines and was very similar to MINIX(Not in design but in Code size).

So do not blame the Author if he is not writing an advanced OS for you to study. Those have millions of lines of code.

What MINIX shows us is a reliable and stable OS that is good study material for better OS's.

If you want to understand nuts and bolts of OS study this book and write the code. You will be a master of Operating system.

Atleast it is not those books who dig into a LOT OF THEORY like Different types of OS and explaining the theoritical aspects but do nothing of implementation.

This book does the implementation.***** Stars.

Great OS book
I really liked this book, specially how it describes the implementation of several aspects of the operating system. ... Read more

Product Description
The first motivation for writing this book is to teach mycolleagues about RTOS (Real-Time Operating System) concepts and the proprietary RTOSdeveloped for our project by me. I realized that the same material with some extensioncan be useful to most embedded engineers who are beginners in learning about RTOS. Icame across many embedded engineers who are not comfortable to use real-time operatingsystem. A significant fraction of these people have taken operating systems courseduring their undergraduate or graduate studies! The unease obviously even moreaggravated for those embedded engineers who do not take operating systems course duringtheir college level studies. I think this is the main reason that some companies stilluse tricky, messy workarounds to solve their scheduling problems in their simple andmoderately complex projects. The operating systems course the engineers studied duringtheir undergraduation is too broad which only cover theoretical aspects of all kinds ofsystems, and mostly devoid of practical training that students can not gain the abilityto develop one!

RTOS market share surveys show a significantfraction of companies use their proprietary operating systems. The proprietary RTOS hasthe advantages of leanness, higher efficiency and much more configurability as it isentirely open. Even though the market share for proprietary RTOS is slowly declining,the fraction of the companies that use proprietary RTOSes will be significant for manymore years. This book can be a great resource for the engineers who are developing andmaintaining a proprietary RTOS for his/her company.

This bookaddress the needs of the people who want to learn about RTOS and also those who want todevelop one. This book gives in-depth understanding of RTOS, make the reader comfortablein understanding a code written using RTOS, make the reader comfortable using RTOS todevelop a new piece of code. This book explains all basic RTOS concepts starting fromscratch in detail. So a beginner or a person only with little experience with RTOS cansignificantly benefit from this book. This book discusses most of the RTOS concepts andimplements them in a piece of code and develops one simple RTOS kernel, named as SROS(Simple Real-time Operating System). All the features for SROS kernel are developed oneat a time in an evolutionary manner. So this book can also benefit an experienced personwho wants to know more about RTOS kernel. As this book develop feature by feature in apiece meal fashion, this book can greatly benefit the people who want to develop aproprietary RTOS for their projects. As this book covers the kernel of RTOS and pointout some short term projects a reader can do, this book can also be used by students whowant to know about the kernel of RTOS and want to do some short term projects on RTOS.

This book introduces the RTOS concepts one by one and shows theirimplementations in C code, or pseudo C code together with ARM assembly code when Cimplementation is not possible (i.e. in case of Hardware Abstraction Layer functions).Every piece of code shown as example in this book has either C code or pseudo C code soreaders with out the knowledge of ARM architecture and instruction set can alsounderstand the functionality of the code easily. (The ARM code given in this book andCDROM is developed for ARM architecture V5 and tested on ARM9 platform). Allover thebook when we mention ARM processor, it means we are referring to an ARM core thatimplement ARM V5 architecture. The RTOS code developed in the book is named as SROS(Simple Real-time Operating System). The SROS kernel implementation is on similar linesto many commercially available RTOSes. The SROS kernel features are added chapter afterchapter. At any level of development, SROS code available in the accompanied CDROM canbe readily used in an ARM based system and can be ported easily to other processorplatforms. SROS features are implemented incrementally so that user has the choice ofusing it at any level of complexity. SROS with minimal features provide minimum code,execution time overheads and vice versa. The code size and execution complexity of SROSis less in the initial version compared to the later version even after unused functionsare removed by linker. The accompanied CD-ROM provides 2 versions of SROS which wereincrementally developed and finished by the end of 2nd and 3rd chapters.

The author assumes that the reader is familiar with Cprogramming, and simple data structure - linked lists. No knowledge about assemblyprogramming of ARM processor is assumed, even though the accompanying CDROM provide theSROS implementation on ARM platform, which is auxiliary.

Thereaders of this book after reading it can have the comfort of working/evaluating anyRTOS, can have the comfort of knowing the internals of RTOS, can use highly simple andoptimal SROS without any royalties with the flexibility of customizations, or candevelop a simple proprietary real-time operating system in a few days. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

About SROS
The book gives a good insight into kernels. The text,however,could have been more concise (rather then repetitious).

Some nice info, but a very rough book...
There is some nice info in this book, but lots of the text you can get for free by downloading technical doc's from ARM.The grammer is very rough.Sometimes you really have to struggle to try to guess what the author is trying to say.Sometimes I just gave up and pressed on.I would not recommend this book, especially to anyone who hadn't already read other books on RTOS's, or tried to write their own RTOS.

Good book for RTOS
Despite the deficiency of a "broken English" the book explains the RTOS principles very well. The idea of using different lists for different states of the threads is well implemented, synchronization principles are well explained and most importantly the accompanying code works. I needed to modify the native ARM assembly to GNU, but this is not a big deal. The only problem you can have is when adding ISR. Here, mode switch is needed to make this work. Good book and you can learn from it. Caution: you need to know principles of OS in general, and need to have some knowledge with embedded systems.

Broken English
This book reads like something written in a foreign language and put through google translator.

Hard to read with little substance
This book is written in broken English and is very hard to follow. After forcing through the atrocious grammar I was disappointed to find little content of value. ... Read more

Product Description
For many thousands of readers, Ken Wilber has provided a model that actually makes sense of life and the universe. After spending decades streamlining this model into a concise, accessible form, Ken has finally created the ideal tool for sparking an immediate revolution of mind and spirit—The Integral Operating System. With this multi-modal "platform for the soul," users will learn how to see the world with a whole new level of understanding and philosophical sophistication. The Integral Operating System includes:• Ken Wilber teaching in person on DVD, covering every component of his model in detail• A 40-page primer for becoming fl uent in AQAL (All Quadrants, All Levels) and learning to adapt any question into the framework of the Integral Map• Two CDs of Ken Wilber addressing the most frequently asked questions about his Integral vision, including how to put these ideas into practice and "live the model" • The Integral Road Map: an accordion fold chart of Ken Wilber’s legendary all-quadrant model, and much more

As one of the most influential figures of human spiritual evolution, Ken Wilber has been called "the Einstein of consciousness." For devoted fans and interested seekers alike, here is an unprecedented chance for you to "upload" Wilber’s teachings as he illuminates the intricacies of The Integral Operating System. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Well...
I tried getting interested in this program, but I couldn't grasp it, and found I didn't want to. I am trying to live in my head less, and my body more, and I don't see this as being conducive to doing so. Now I just want to think of someone I can gift it to.

Nothing below the shoulders ...
Ken Wilber doesn't seem to be able to "get out of his head"!

This "integral" system is akin to giving someone a computer with a blank hard drive, a concise programming manual, and telling them all of the ways that this computer will make their lives better - as soon as they program (create) their "operating system". As valuable as this "operating system" may be, it's hardly very approachable or (initially) practical.

If you can enjoy - or tolerate - the challenge of doing things such as reading psychology or philosophy text books, then any of Wilber's works may be helpful. If, like me, those kinds of things make your eyes roll back into your head, then leave Wilber on the shelf.

More of same with ribbons & bows
The written material in this you would read in a day and it basically sums up Wilber's ideas succinctly but it is not an enjoyable read. The videos are very poor with Wilber sitting in a chair, usually, pontificating on things. The audio CDs are poorly recorded interviews with Wilber really just being at his repetitious best.
I have found some of Wilber's writing interesting. However, I think he has been sucked into Marketingitis. The packaging looks really nice though so nice I gave it to someone as a present. In the last few years Wilber has gone from Wilber 1 - Philosopher to Wilber 2 - "The Brand". Not really that much depth after all.

Transformational 101 Ken Wilbers' INtegral Operating System
It's sometimes hard to understand Ken Wilburs' vision.( for me anyways) Now he has put together an "integrated" package using the metaphor of 'techspeak" to present an Integral Operating System for living. The users guide is short and to the point, outlining the theory and practice, while providing a step by step practice complete with a foldout poster for easy visulaization of the four quadrants. There are four dvds with additional media and converstaions with Ken Wilber explaining the four quadrants of the Integral Operating System.The packaging and presentation of the the message and the media is clean, direct and easy on the eye. The computer techspeak can be taken with a little wink of the eye, but his vision and plan comes across clearly. I have been reading various books by Wilber over the last year and this collection makes his vision a lot more understandable and easier to grasp at with a day by day action plan for implementation. You wonder if there will be an upgrade fee for version 2.0.

An excellent introduction and overview
A very compact and useful overview of Ken Wilber's Integral perspectives and practices. ... Read more

Product Description
Global Information Society: Operating Information Systems in a Dynamic Global Business Environment addresses the importance of information technology management and issues in operating information systems in the global dynamic business environment. It embraces discussions of the global information technology theory, frameworks and IT architecture, discovery of global knowledge management, improvement of the global information systems development methodologies, and applications of the latest technologies such as mobile technology and Web services in global information systems development and operations. Global Information Society: Operating Information Systems in a Dynamic Global Business Environment is a collection of new ideas, latest technology applications and experiences in global information systems development and operations. It contributes significantly to the academic, research and corporate business communities. ... Read more

Product Description
If you're new to Unix, this concise book will tell youjust what you need to get started and no more. Thisfifth edition is the most effective introduction toUnix in print, covering Internet usage for email,file transfers, and web browsing. It's an ideal primerfor Mac and PC users who need to know a little aboutUnix on the systems they visit.The new edition also contains many major and minorupdates to help the reader navigate Unix'sever-expanding capabilities. In response to thepopularity of Linux, the book now focuses on thepopular bash shell preferred by most Linux users.A new chapter explains how to use ftp, pine for mail,and offers useful knowledge on how to surf the web.And the author has included tips throughout the texton security basics, especially in the Internet andnetworking sections. The book includes a completelyupdated quick reference card to make it easier forthe reader to access the key functions of the command line.Amazon.com Review
Part basic primer, part reference guide, this slim volume will make your life with UNIX much simpler. This book is specifically designed for those who are new to UNIX and contains neither introductory-level condescension nor advanced-level gibberish. Well-indexed and clearly mapped, Learning the UNIX Operating System will show you how to use and manage files and get your e-mail as well as how to perform more advanced tasks, such as redirecting standard input/output and multitasking your processes. Those new to the UNIX world will appreciate its concise presentation, and those reasonably familiar with UNIX will learn many new shortcuts, tricks, and tools. --Jennifer Buckendorff ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Perfect for Linux beginners
This book is absolutely perfect for Linux beginners who are yet to become familiar with the command line environment. I got this book when I was a college freshman, and even now, when I am in grad school, I often find myself going through it for a quick reference.

However, if you are looking for a deep detailed UNIX guide, then this would not serve your purpose.

I wouldn't if I were you
This was an optional text for an Intro Unix/Linux course.I am so glad the required book is a lot better than this one.Some of the code samples are in the paragraphs and it is hard to tell what is text and what is a unix command.If I only had this text, I doubt I could get through the class.It provides no new information.

Learnin Unix Op Sys
Excellent program - I just decided that I would not be able to use Linux while in school

Good stuff to start with
This book is a great book to start-up on your Unix commands.The examples re-iterate their meaning and I think this book is a great start to the world of Unix.

The X Win discussion though I thought could have been at the end of the book instead of the beginning.

Excellent Beginner Book!
I didn't know anything about Unix at all.After reading the reviews here, I decided on this book.It's for beginners like me.After finishing the book and practicing the exercises, I believe that I'm ready to go to the next level.And I didn't need any over-priced DVDs to go with it (and neither do you!) ... Read more

Product Description
This sixth edition provides students with an applied introduction to the principles of operating systems while guiding them through most operating systems used today. Aimed at students who are interested in using, rather than designing, computer operating systems and networks, the text is designed to show why operating systems are needed and what they do. This book takes students through the principles of OS and illustrates them with a wealth of examples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Good book for the newbie
I'd purchased this book for a computer class & I have to say that I did like the book. I'll admit, it wasn't the most thrilling textbook I had to read, but it did list things pretty clearly.

The beginning of the book had some pretty basic stuff, which I already knew but I suppose that there's people out there who are even more of a newbie than I am & didn't know some of that stuff.

This is a good textbook, but I'm interested in seeing what the next edition has in comparison to this one.

Very well written.
However, one should have some basic understandings before start reading this book.
You can learn everything about the main types operating systems from it .

Awesome buy
The book was great at a great price. Came new in the plastic and for half of what my college bookstore wanted. It came in the time they said it would and I am very happy with this purchase.

TextBook review
Book is exactly as stated. A+++,, Shipping was fast... Will buy from the seller next time...

Excellent breadth and clarity, organization and details wanting
Unlike other OS books I've seen, A Systematic View is a clearly written, concise introduction to the foundations of operating systems -- or at least the first few chapters are. As noted by other reviewers, the book doesn't know where to go after the first section -- it meanders into too-brief-to-be-useful hands-on tutorial sections for the middle portion, then moves on to touch open a few particulars with a few popular systems in a way remniscent of excerpts from a heavier text before concluding with a section on distributed computing (the bulk of which concerns remote file access via CIFS/SMB). Scattered amongst the latter half of the book are some decent portions on virtual memory and x86 architectural features.

The book would benefit greatly from having the tutorials moved to online appendices, the OS-specific analysis moved to standard appendices, and the core principles delved into more deeply. Davis and Rajkumar could also do with a few more technical proofreaders; while grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors are kept to a minimum, terminology is used oddly at best throughout the work with many of the "real-world" examples being flat-out wrong.

Reservations aside, I have not found a more approachable introductory/survey text. It's just a pity that there are so many problems with it even in the 6th edition. With a bit of work this could be a respectable upper-division text, but at the moment I can only recommend it for two-year technical/community colleges. ... Read more

Product Description
After authoring a best-selling text in India, Dhananjay Dhamdhere has written Operating Systems, and it includes precise definitions and clear explanations of fundamental concepts, which makes this text an excellent text for the first course in operating systems.

Concepts, techniques, and case studies are well integrated so many design and implementation details look obvious to the student. Exceptionally clear explanations of concepts are offered, and coverage of both fundamentals and such cutting-edge material like encryption and security is included. The numerous case studies are tied firmly to real-world experiences with operating systems that students will likely encounter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great OS Book
I bought this bough as cheap as half price.Great save.The book is in a incredible good coondition.
Thank you very much. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the most successful operating systems book on the market, with lifetime sales of well over 200,000 copies. In the fourth edition, this book enhances its reputation for clear coverage of the fundamental concepts which are the foundation of operating systems. The book has been revised to decrease coverage of older ideas, and expand discussion of new, common operating systems.Amazon.com Review
Operating systems are large and complex, and yet must function with near-absolute reliability--that's why they're a class unto themselves in the field of software development. Since its first release 20 years ago, "the dinosaur book"--Operating System Concepts by Abraham Silberschatz, Peter Baer Galvin, and Greg Gagne--has been a valuable reference for designers and implementers of operating systems. The newly released sixth edition of this book maintains the volume's authority with new sections on thread management, distributed processes, and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). There's also information on the workings of the latest crop of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows 2000, Linux, FreeBSD, and compact operating systems for handheld devices.

This book is concerned with the design of operating systems, which is to say it enumerates the problems that pop up in the creation of efficient systems and explores alternative ways of dealing with them, detailing the advantages and shortcomings of each. For example, in their chapter on scheduling CPU activity, the authors explain several algorithms (first-come, first-served, and round-robin scheduling, among others) for allocating the capacity of single and multiple processors among jobs. They highlight the relative advantages of each, and explain how several real-life operating systems solve the problem. They then present the reader with exercises (this book is essentially a university textbook) that inspire thought and discussion. --David Wall

Topics covered: The problems faced by designers of system software for electronic computers, and strategies that have been developed over the past 20 years to address (and, in some cases, solve) them. Problems of CPU scheduling, memory allocation, paging, processes and threads, storage management, distributed processes and storage mechanisms, and security are all discussed thoroughly and with many authoritative references. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (57)

A must-read!
This is a review of the 5th and 6th editions of Operating Systems Concepts, by Avi Silberschatz and Peter Galvin; Greg Gagne was their co-author on the 6th edition.More recent editions are available which I haven't yet read.For readers of this review, the main advantage of the 5th and 6th editions is that you can buy them very cheaply here on Amazon.com from a 3rd-party bookseller. For example, at this very moment, I see that a used copy of the 6th edition can be picked up for only $2.48 before shipping and handling. That is the bargain of year!If you can afford a newer edition, by all means, go for it.

Anyway, even in spite of their having been superseded by more recent editions, the 5th and 6th editions are each an excellent introduction to operating systems concepts. It is to be hoped that CIS and MIS majors will use this book in their introductory course on operating systems, instead of a book that focuses only on Windows. IT, MIS and networking professionals whose only experience with operating systems has been the desktop and/or server version of Microsoft's or Apple's OSes, or Linux, should also read -- and re-read -- this book. It will make them more well-rounded professionals and enable them to recognize and intelligently consider issues that need to be looked at from an operating systems perspective. Other professionals will benefit from reading (and re-reading this) this book too. For example, product managers at telcos who make product catalog decisions about routers, PBXes, smartphones, or any other equipment that runs an operating system, will benefit from this book too, since it will enable them to factor operating system considerations into their decision-making process.

Among the best operating systems texts for its' time
Many years ago, I was contacted by a desperate department head in need of someone to teach operating systems. With only two weeks to go before the class started, he was beginning to suffer from a case of the jitters. I agreed to teach the class and this was the book that had already been selected for the course.
Through the course of the class, I never had any reason to complain about the selection. I found the material well presented and while I had to do the usual explanation and clarifications in class, there was nothing that I considered beyond the norm. The coverage was thorough and when I needed to select exercises for the students, I took them directly from the book and only occasionally modified them to emphasize a particular point.
After examining other operating systems texts, I still consider this one among the best, at least for its' time.

Not a very good book.Had to buy it for a class.
Not a very good book.Had to buy it for a class.

It's the "Concepts" Book
This book does a good job in keeping up with the Title, "OS Concepts". I won't go in detail justifying that, as it's already been done by several before me.

However, one point worth mentioning is that it's still a concepts book. To be a real programmer / computer science person, one needs to implement the concepts. In that regard, I'd recommed the book" Operating Systems: Design & Implementation by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Albert S. Woodhull". That way you'll know what the code looks like.

This book is great to start with and learn how an OS works. "NO CODE INSIDE THOUGH"

Accessible treatment of complex topics
This book does a great job of presenting all details of operating system design and operation. When appropriate, the authors point out how Linux, Solaris or Windows implements a given topic. This is valuable for software developers who work on these platform and need to understand how the scheduler is going to react if you spawn new threads/processes.

The one bad thing I can say is that some examples are too general and do not convey the proper detail. This is just a minor distraction and does not take away from the book's overall effectiveness. ... Read more

Product Description
DISTRIBUTED OPERATING SYSTEMS will provide engineers, educators, and researchers with an in-depth understanding of the full range of distributed operating systems components. Each chapter addresses de-facto standards, popular technologies, and design principles applicable to a wide variety of systems. Complete with chapter summaries, end-of-chapter exercises and bibliographies, DISTRIBUTED OPERATING SYSTEMS concludes with a set of case studies that provide real-world insights into four distributed operating systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great job...
I am a faculty member in Computer Science at Georgia Southwestern State University, USA. I have used this book for a course on Distributed Operating Systems for graduate students. During the process of selecting a book for this course, I have looked into a number of books on this topic. Finally I selected this book due to the following reasons: 1. The content is clear start from the beginning. 2. Same (lucid) style of explanation throughout the book. 3. The material is complete in so many aspects.4. Up to date (till the date of publication). 5. A clever student can read it and understand on his/her own.

What else I want? Great job!!

I am looking forward for the second edition of this book!

Bhanu Prasad

Great Organisation and content
Concepts and coverage is excellent for learning and the content are not too in-depth especially towards a student. Cover areas like file organisation as well as memory management which is lacking in many similartopic publications. Chapters discussed are comprehensive and relevant tolearners in these fields. Diagrams are illustrative and easy to understand.A good choice especially to students that are beginners in operatingsystems concepts. ... Read more