Product Description
The changes to UNIX programming that have taken place since 1985 are extensive to say the least. The first edition of Advanced UNIX Programming is still used and considered to be a must have book on any UNIX programmer's shelf. With this new edition UNIX programmers now have a one-volume, comprehensive, in-depth guide to the essential system-level services provided to them by the UNIX family of operating systems - now including Linux, FreeBSD, and the Mac OS X kernel (Darwin). All UNIX application programs, regardless of what language they are written in, run on top of these services, so mastering them is essential for successful UNIX programming. And, with a movement towards open-source systems, programmers will appreciate the book's emphasis on portability. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Read more on Unix
The copy I read had a different cover.
This book is interesting, showing you the relation between C and Unix.

THE book to get for UNIX programming
I am a systems administrator professionally, but I have a need to know the inner workings of UNIX that only seems to be covered in programming books. Specifically relating to certain system calls and interprocess communication methods.

This author has forgotten more about UNIX than I will ever grasp. While this book is dedicated to programming applications in UNIX and understanding the operating system's function calls, I am finding it to be a very handy reference for advanced system administration as well. The book is worth the price just for the chapters on process communication, in my opinion.

I really like the author's writing style. He gets down to business and covers the material without adding a lot of needless fluff or by making the chapters overly wordy.

The book is designed to server as a reference and is well-indexed, which is refreshing to find these days. It's very easy to find a topic you need as not everyone will need the amount of depth covered by each chapter in full.

I wish there were more UNIX books out there like this one.

Informative
The book is good for beginners.All you need to know to get started with Unix/Linux programming.

A very useful reference
I bought this book in order to get an overview on what primitives I have available on a unix system for doing system programming. I found the book to be very useful for that purpose.

I use it occasionally.

I also found my peers lending it from me again and again.

To summarize: useful.

The best UNIX programming book that I know of
What's more to say, the title say's it all...Buy it! ... Read more

Product Description
Learn how to work under the hood of Mac OS X without breaking a sweat using this all-new addition to Sybex's reputable suite of Mac titles. Employing a skill-level approach to the command line, this unique book works for all Mac users from beginner to experienced. First get familiar with the fundamental commands then tackle complex tasks, such as modifying users, groups, and permissions. Finish up with advanced system maintenance and management techniques. A logical next step to Sybex's best-selling Mastering Mac OS X, 3rd Edition, this book offers timesaving ways to work more efficiently. Includes a Foreword from Adam Engst, the publisher of TidBITS. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

MAc OS X Command Line: Unix Under The Hood
Hi all, I have a pleasure in letting you know that I got my book as I expected. My suggestion is it would be nice if an ebook of this kind can be developed so as customers that bought it can download for an option to read from the iPad or Kindle.

This book is more for Unix novices
I found 2 chapters to be very useful, Chapter 12 on Working with Users, Groups and Permissions and Ch. 14 on Managing Programs and Processes.The remaining chapters are pretty much standard Unix commands; but, very well written for Unix novices.Overall the book is well written that I would use it as a Unix reference for commands that I am familiar with (example, didn't know ls -F would show me the directories with a slash).

It is really good book, pleasure to spend time with.
OS X UNIX is amazingly friendly and accessible. Some people who had never used command line before, type commands and work with the operating system directly as a "cool guys" in movies! This book is very helpful and well written and it is serves as a very nice reference. If you really need the initial training I would say that "UNIX Essentials" DVD I found here on Amazon is a nice option. It is complete UNIX course recorded and this book and a video they contribute one another greatly. You improve the reading and by reading you improve what you have seen.
The book is very particular about the subjects that related to OS X and because there are some differences between OS X and other UNIXes it is nice to have a book that deals with it.

Mostly good stuff
Structured in a distinctive but helpful way, "The Mac OS X Command Line: Unix Under the Hood" is quite a solid introduction to the command line, a mechanism that not only speeds and simplifies many tasks but also lets you do a number of things unavailable under the GUI. Its 400+ pages, arranged fundamentally as a tutorial, are replete with basic steps and shortcuts alike. The book covers everything from Terminal ("gateway" to the command line) to the file system to text editing and printing; in the later chapters, it moves on to such relatively advanced topics as file compression and archiving, groups and permissions, networking, program and process management, system maintenance, and shell configuration. Interleaved between the chapters (and here is where the book's structure is distinctive) are sections devoted to key Unix concepts that recur to the point of transcending multiple chapters; these nine sections, referred to as Interludes, tackle things like command syntax, pathnames, redirection, the "open" command (more powerful than it may sound), wildcards, and ways of automating commands.

Besides obviously providing a nice treatment of the basics, the book offers plenty of advanced material for the experienced user. The index is nice to see and easy to use. Other nice touches are a command list, chapter summaries in the introduction, and an appendix with additional readings.

Allowing for a variety of problem areas, in large measure evidently outside the author's control, this is a book well worth reading and using. It is true that some of the editing errors are thoroughly confusing (references to subsequent material as supposedly already presented, references to misidentified chapters, related graphics positioned out of logical order, and so on); still, the book is redeemed by the readily understood and applied, comprehensive, and mostly well-organized content.

Chuck Brandstater

Clear and easy to follow
As anyone who's used one of Kirk McElhearn's other books on the Mac OS will be unsurprised to hear, I found this book very easy to follow -- so easy in fact that I found I could skip the first few chapters. That's probably because I'm not a complete command-line virgin (I remember the days before Windows and the first Mac OS, and as a web designer I've done a bit of tinkering in Unix on some of the web servers I use) but even if you are, from my impression of the first chapters, this book can tell you everything you need to know to start using the command line.

The book is designed as a chapter-by-chapter tutorial, teaching you the things you need to know in a methodical order, but it contains enough information, and has a good enough index, to be used as your main reference for the command line once you've mastered the basics.

My only criticism would be that while it tells you how to do all sorts of useful things, it doesn't have enough real-world, detailed examples of the kind of uses you could put your new knowledge to -- I was expecting some kind of 'case studies' feature, giving real examples of how to use commands you've just learned to automate your back-up procedures, for example. The information's all in there, but to some extent you have to work out what you can do with it for yourself.

But I guess that's only a minor criticism -- you probably wouldn't read this book in the first place if you didn't have some idea of the kind of thing you can do with the command line.

So all in all, it's a great starting point, and I can see that in the future I'm going to find it a valuable reference. ... Read more

Product Description
Jason Fox's perpetual obsession with being the ultimate science and math nerd is an ongoing story line in FoxTrot and one of its most popular themes. In this first ever FoxTrot themed book, the best math, science, and other geek-worthy cartoons are collected for all of FoxTrot's many fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

For the True Geek
"Foxtrot" has always included a lot of math, science, and technology jokes in it's strips.As far as I know, it's the only strip to ever have been drawn by a trained physicist.Part of the appeal of the strip was that much of the humor came from the perspective of someone who clearly related to geeks and nerds.I enjoyed the strip since it was first published and still read it now in its Sunday-only format.With only 52 strips a year being written and published now, there can only be a new collection of "Foxtrot" strips every couple of years.Therefore, it was inevitable that a collection of "Foxtrot" strips solely about math, science, and technology appear.I mean, Bill Amend has to do something to fill up the free time and make some extra cash.

MATH, SCIENCE, AND UNIX UNDERPANTS brings together the most mathematical, scientific, and technological "Foxtrot" strips that are still relevant.That means there's a lot more strips about math and science than technology because technology just changed while you were reading this paragraph.The strips span the life of the strip and personally that was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book.I liked seeing how the characters evolved over time into their current forms.

MATH, SCIENCE, AND UNIX UNDERPANTS is a "Foxtrot" collection that won't appeal to all fans of "Foxtrot".It will appeal to most, but I know of a couple "Foxtrot" fans who like the strip, except when it makes some joke that revolves around a mathematical principle or scientific theory.This is a book that will appeal to most "Foxtrot" fans as well as people who have an interest in science and math.As a bonus, the ones and zeroes on the cover as well as the warning label on the back cover glow in the dark.

Great collection for scientists.
Funny, relaxing, and very entertaining. I gave it as a present and no where else could I find a cartoon book with a focus on math a science. As with all Fox Trot books, very funny!!

A perfect gift for a science geek or a science teacher....
If you read the description you will see this is a themed collection, not a new one. Perfect for kids taking science/math,science/math teachers and just nerds in general.All those strips I have laboriously cut out from the paper (my kids know if it is a science/math Foxtrot to make sure it gets saved) reproduced in one place.

If you do not know any science or math, you will not "get" all these cartoons.My kids enjoy going through it and saying "I get this one, not that one etc".One day I picked up my daughter from school and she told me that she finally got the "Fibonachos" cartoon after math class that day. I love it!

A fascinating read
I saw a strip by Bill Amend in a techie blog and found myself to his Foxtrot website. There, I found a this Amazon link to this book. To my surprise, it costed less than $10 including shipping! I just thought I would give it a try since my collection of comics so far consisted only of Calvin n' Hobbes and Dilbert.

I must say this is a great book for nerds like me. I breezed through it in less than a day. Jason Fox is hilarious and is my new hero. The seller's shipping was well before time and was packaged neatly. I recommend this book to all buyers who have never read Bill Amend's work. It was a revelation for me. I plan to buy more of his stuff.

Math, Science, and Unix Underpants
For most people the worst thing about high school was math, with science running a close second. In //Math, Science, and UNIX Underpants//, those memories are brought back one comic strip at a time. Bill Amend has gone through the archives of Fox Trot and brought out what he thinks are the strips that best represent our collective school nightmares, even if you're like that geek Jason.

//Math, Science, and UNIX Underpants// has some of the funniest moments in Fox Trot history, and they show how the various characters have suffered or exalted in the fields of math and science, and how computers haven't exactly helped the generation divide or sibling warfare. It's interesting to see how the kids fight on every field, even if it's just tweaking the others, and how even the sciences can be wielded like weapons. Part of Fox Trot's appeal has always been how the kids fight and ally, and they don't let even grades get in the way of that. Learning about computers, science, and math are definitely one of our weakest areas, and its interesting to see how Amend has chosen to demonstrate that. This is a great book, especially if you've suffered through school.

Reviewed by Jamais Jochim ... Read more

Product Description
This legendary underground classic, reproduced without modification, is two works in one: the complete source code to an early version (Edition 6) of the UNIX operating system and a brilliant commentary on that code by John Lions. Lions' marriage of source code with commentary was originally used as an operating systems textbook, and remains just as relevant today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A must read
A must read for lovers of the C-Language and Multi-tasking Multi-user OS. As I recall, 1000 lines of assembly code and 9000 lines of C-Language within 16-32k space. This describes UNIX before semaphores and shared memory(ipc facility), Streams Drivers, C-with-Classes, SUN, Berkeley UNIX, tcp/ip, sockets... and all that jazz. This is the Kernel in it's glory. Refer to: Mashey Shell, Bourne Shell, Korn Shell, ed, vi, emacs, BCP.
|0<-<

Excellent book for Unix lover
I have been working with Unix for more than 5 years, and read more than 20 books about unix itself.But I never seend book like this much well explain about internal architecture.Unix 6 on PDP-11 is old, but main idea still remain all major distribution.

It great helpful for my understanding about Unix.

Complete, Yet Small Enough to Grasp
The world is full of books on operating systems: their theory, their internals, their applications, etc.The Lions book connects OS theory to practice better than anything I have ever seen.Reading it beforehand certainly made graduate-school Operating Systems a lot easier.

The Way
Any comments made on a superlative commentary on superb code would be largely superfluous. This gem should be part of any Operating Systems course. The greatest of the pleasures offered by the book is the opportunity to read the source code, version 6 of the UNIX Operating System. It is a unique opportunity to see the real masters at work!

Highly recommended, with Maurice J Bach's "The Design of the Unix Operating System" as a supplement.

Amazing and insightful historical perspective
I learned about the existence of this manuscript 16 years ago, yet could never find a full version, until the book came. I have read most of it and it is beatiful. Many of the tradeoffs the early UNIX versions had are there. Context switching is done via coroutine jumps, the callout table is used only for the teletype, the very origins of the scheduler and swapper are neatly explained among many other things. PDP11 architecture is simple enough to make this book still a jewel for those interested in learning OS concepts and evolution and specifically UNIX. ... Read more

Product Description
An ideal tutorial for those new to administration and an invaluable reference for experienced professionals.Stresses a practical approach to systems and administration, from basic topics to UNIX esoterica. Now covering Red Hat Linux. Previous edition not cited. Softcover.Amazon.com Review
The third edition of Unix System Administration Handbook stands as a fantastic Unix book, perhaps one that's destined for legend. It's arguably the best general Unix book around. Don't delay in getting it, and don't spend too much time flinching at the price; it's worth it. If you work with Unix--in any of its flavors--you'll use this book, and frequently.

How, then, to begin the song of praises for the book? Let's start with its comprehensiveness. The authors--a whole passel of them, but miraculously consistent in style--deal with every subject that's central to the Unix universe. Their diligence extends even to detailed coverage of subjects (like the Domain Name System (DNS)) that many authorial squads omit. System administrators need to understand it all--it's good to see everything covered in one book. Of course, you still will need more focused texts for really complicated situations, but the coverage here will carry you a long way.

Although you probably will want to read this book cover to cover eventually, you might first look at the index, which typically will guide you to a couple of sections. First, an overview of the subject that interests you will explain what the service or feature is meant to do, what it isn't meant to do, and how (in fairly general terms) it does its job. You'll find four sections--one each on the relevant configuration facts of the four emphasized Unix variants. These sections aren't presented as explicit sequences of steps (which invariably leave the reader asking, "But, what if... " anyway), but as narratives that are interspersed with commands and configuration file listings. The approach works well, and it's made even better by the syntax summaries and conceptual diagrams that pop up now and then. --David Wall

Topics covered: Administration of Unix systems, with specific reference to Solaris 2.7, HP-UX 11.00, Red Hat Linux 6.2, and FreeBSD 3.4. Administration is a broad subject, and the authors touch on most of its aspects, including user and file operations (basic and advanced), hardware configuration, and kernel tweaking. Networking coverage includes basic connectivity, routing, server software, DNS, and security. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (49)

handbook for sys adm
this book is really helpful in understanding and clearing concepts regarding the activities of a system administrator. i found it a good book to keep for your help in understanding complexities of a unix operating systems

Unix System Admin used book purchased
I received the book within a few days and even though the book is used it was in perfect conditions.

It's a very Good book
I really liked this book because it contains a lot of information on different flavors of unix, like HP-UX, SUN, FreeBSD, linux.

It's pretty detailed on most topics covered, probably the only thing that's missing is shell scripting.

I would recommend this book as a general reference to Unix Administration.

UNIX
This book is good for the UNIX people. I received it in a very good condition.

Doubleplus good!
For me, the greatness of this book resides in the cross platform explanations of how various system tasks differ from one OS architecture to another.Beyond BSD vs. SysV, I find the deeper I go the more different they all become.This book really helps cut through the confusion.
... Read more

Product Description
Presents a comprehensive guide to every form of IPC, including message passing, synchronization, shared memory, & Remote Procedure Calls (RPC). Text contains extensive new source code - all carefully optimized & available on the Web.DLC: Unix (Computer file).Amazon.com Review
The first volume of Unix Network Programming, Networking APIs: Sockets andXTI covers just about everything you need to know to get yourapplications to talk to other computers on a network. In this secondvolume, W. Richard Stevens discusses what you need to know to get yourapplications to talk to other applications running on yourcomputer. There's a big difference, and Stevens covers it well.

Stevens introduces the reader to the internal structures of Posixinterprocess communication (IPC) and System V (SysV) IPC; pipes andfirst in, first outs (FIFOs); message queues; how to lock and unlockfiles and records; semaphores; shared memory; and remote procedurecalls (RPCs). He explains the difference between the Posix and SysVimplementations of semaphores, message queues, and sharedmemory. There are also plenty of notes and examples for the reader.

This book is invaluable for programmers because it explains all ofthose little "gotchas" that always seem to pop up. In addition, theexplanations of the differences between Posix IPC and SysV IPC reallyhelp readers decide which version they'd like to use for theirapplications. --Doug Beaver ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Great BOOK
Just a great knowledge pot.Great book and there are others in the series.Recommended.

purchased on Sep 23, not received yet
I ordered the book on Sep 23. Today is Oct. 28, I haven't received the book yet. When will I have it? Are you cheating me to get my money and give me nothing?

If you want to program in Linux you need this book.
Programming UNIX or Linux networks is a piece of cake with these books. You need the set, Vol 1 & 2.

As a professional programmer of 20 years I use the book as a refernce for all my new programs. I have used the books to break into the world of VoIP and audio CODEC network programming.

Classic work - but in series need of updates as time goes on
I cannot fathom a guess as to how many times the books in this series have saved my in project work over the years.The only drawback with this series is that some publisher should endeavor to keep them up to date.Serious Unix system programmers must have copies of the complete series.

The real power of UNIX is in communication
The real power of UNIX or any application for that matter is in interprocess communication. I found early on that to accomplish any large project would require the cooperation of interprocess communication. Now I find that simple administration skills also require a knolage of this interprocess communication.

My first foray into the field was to use semaphores to flag processes to run at the proper time. Later I needed to use pipes for a front-end in communication to SNA. Again I found IPC's could help inform and control processes that were in canned packages and not accessible any other way. The list of useful tools can go on and on. I also had to find the NT equivalent as it became popular.

UNIX is still out there in many forms and if one is to survive in the field an understanding of interprocess communications is imperative.

The Abbreviated Table of Contents:
Part 1. Introduction
1. Introduction
2. POSIX IPC
3. System V IPC
Part 2. Message Passing
4. Pipes and FIFOs
5. Posix Message Queues
6. System V Message Queues
Part 3. Synchronization
7. Mutexes and Condition Variables
8. Read-Write Locks
9. Record Locking
10. POSIX Semaphores
11. System V Semaphores
Part 4. Shared Memory
12. Shared Memory Introduction
13. POSIX Shared Memory
14. System V Shared Memory
Part 5. Remote Procedure Calls
15. Doors
16. Sun RPC
Epilogue
Appendix A. Performance Measurements
Appendix B. Threads Primer
Appendix C. Miscellaneous Source Code
Appendix D. Solutions to Selected Exercises
Bibliography
Index

One final note is that with systems dispersed globally Remote Procedures Calls are taking precedence in Interprocess communications.
... Read more

Product Description
Any UNIX programmer using the latest workstations or super minicomputers from vendors such as Sun, Silicon Graphics (SGI), AT&T, Amdahl, IBM, Apple, Compaq, Mentor Graphics, and Thinking Machines needs this book to optimize his/her job performance. This book teaches how these architectures operate using clear, comprehensible examples to explain the concepts, and provides a good reference for people already familiar with the basic concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Read - Loads of Info
Even tech managers who are working with UNIX will like the easy to read, simple to understand insight in this book.

I promise - you will learn something you did not know.

Great Book for Linux Kernel People
I recently started working on the Linux kernel and found myself
perplexed by the multiprocessor code I found.After asking
around, a number of the more experienced Linux kernel developers
recommended this book.It's excellent!It taught me everything
I needed to know to get my work done.Plus there's the added
bonus that this book thoroughly covers cache architecture and its
interaction with the operating system.I highly recommend this
book to anyone working on the Linux kernel.It has far more depth and detail on multiprocessing and cache management than any
of the Linux books I've seen.And it's the only book I've ever
seen that so thoroughly explains the hardware involved in caches
and multiprocessors and their effects on the operating system in
a way that's easy to understand.

What's there is good, but...
In many ways this is a great book.The subject is one that is known to induce headaches, and the author covers it with truly admirable clarity.It's worth buying the book for the chapter on cache consistency alone; like many others, I had to spend years piecing the same information together from varied sources, and it would be hard to overstate the value of having it all in one place.

So why only three stars?The problem is that the book is incomplete.Cache systems and virtual-memory systems interact in myriad ways, but you wouldn't know that from reading this book.Similarly, storage and networking subsystems are often the bloodiest battlegrounds with respect to multiprocessor synchronization, and yet special considerations in those areas are not covered.Many old architectures (e.g. Apollo, ELXSI) are mentioned, and yet NUMA never even gets a nod.I know that covering all of these topics in any kind of depth would be impossible in a single book of any reasonable length, but their *total* omission is something I consider unacceptable.

This is a book I would recommend without hesitation to any number of people.Unfortunately, that recommendation would always have to be accompanied by recommendations for other books that pick up where this one inexplicably leaves off.

THE book if you are a kernel/threading developer.
I work on MP SVR4 kernels and this book is where I got most of my basics on MP from. I didn't understand the contents all at once - especially the initial intro to memory models in chapter 8, but after reading the SPARC specs (V8 & V9) and chapter 13, I can see how all this is relevant.

If you are porting a unix or any OS for that matter to todays architectures, this book should help clear up what issues you would encounter and how best to solve them. For example the memory models and consistency guarantees of the source architecture and how they compare to the destination.

And ofcourse its a great aid to understanding any contemporary OS' kernel code.

veliath

Wonderful Book
This book is amazing. I wanted to learn more about synchronization on multiprocessor systems, this book covers that better than any other source I have found.

If you want to understand SMP systems and the programmingissues they cause, this is the book. ... Read more

Product Description
The leading book in its field, this guide focuses on the design, development and coding of network software under the UNIX operating system. Provides over 15,000 lines of C code with descriptions of how and why a given solution is achieved. For programmers seeking an indepth tutorial on sockets, transport level interface (TLI), interprocess communications (IPC) facilities under System V and BSD UNIX.Amazon.com Review
Focuses on design, development, and coding of networking softwareunder the UNIX operating system. Begins by showing that a fundamentalbasic for networking programming is interprocess communication (IPC),and a requisite for understanding IPC is a knowledge of whatconstitutes a process. Throughout, the text provides both descriptionand examples of how and why a particular solution is implemented. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

One of the best books I've ever read
This book must be by far one of the most valuable books I have ever read. I learned to love Unix/C programming from it and I have treasured the knowledge I have gained from it ever since. Mr.Stevens has passed away but this book holds some wonderful memories and discoveries for me.

Classic work - but in series need of updates as time goes on
I cannot fathom a guess as to how many times the books in this series have saved my in project work over the years.The only drawback with this series is that some publisher should endeavor to keep them up to date.Serious Unix system programmers must have copies of the complete series.

A Unix Bible
I have been actively involved in computer software/hardware for close to 20 years and have purchased probably 200+ books in this time period. Over 75% I wish I hadn't purchased. This book is probably in my top 10 however.

This book is what's called a "Bible". It's an authoritive reference on Unix networking and communications (ipc/rpc) and much else. I equate it to the Kernighan & Ritchie C book, etc.

I wouldn't recommend this book to someone new to computers, but if you have a few years under your belt, or are an eager-beaver then go ahead...you won't regret your purchase.

The author uses a simple client/server program example (a simple file server) and then goes through several iterations/revisions, each using a different IPC mechanism to accomplish same task. A great technique for exploring new concepts...tie them all to a single program design with the program evolving to use different APIs/IPC mechanisms.

A "must-have" classic programming text
Don't let the title fool you - this book is more about writingrobust applications in UNIX than mere network programming.
In his trademark crisp and to-the-point style, Tanenbaum describes UNIX from the C programmer's point of view. The book groups system calls by domain (file I/O, IPC etc) and illustrates different usage scenarios. This is one of few texts that explain the *why* aspect of system calls, not just the *how*. After reading this book, you will have gained insight on improving your current programming project, and understand UNIX inside-out.

Astonishing and Readable! Simply let knowledge flow in you!
Okay, this is the story. I have not bought this book, but got it from a university library, for a short term of a week. It is an amazing book, Richards simply is a magician, when ever it comes to displaying and explaining data. There are 2 kind of books, one that you read 50 pages of, and start randomly select pages to read out of it, and one that you read fully, continuesly, and never noticed you have spent a whole day reading it. Richards casts a spell on you with his books, they are magically clear, and vastly informative so that you will surely understand with every meaning of that word!. This is the second kind of a book! A MUST on every shelf, unfortunatly i am still desperately looking for this book!. For the "data" in it: Robust explanation of UNIX, Richards goes from the OS view and dives deeply into the internals, providing vast and clear explanations for _everything_. Throw all other books away, this is THE book. ... Read more

Product Description
The Definitive UNIX Resource--Fully Updated

Get cutting-edge coverage of the newestreleases of UNIX--including Solaris 10, all Linux distributions, HP-UX, AIX, and FreeBSD--from this thoroughly revised, one-stop resource for users at all experience levels. Written by UNIX experts with many years of experience starting with Bell Laboratories, UNIX: The Complete Reference, Second Edition provides step-by-step instructions on how to use UNIX and take advantage of its powerful tools and utilities.

Get up-and-running on UNIX quickly, use the command shell and desktop, and access the Internet and e-mail. You'll also learn to administer systems and networks, develop applications, and secure your UNIX environment. Up-to-date chapters on UNIX desktops, Samba, Python, Java Apache, and UNIX Web development are included.

• Install, configure, and maintain UNIX on your PC or workstation
• Work with files, directories, commands, and the UNIX shell
• Create and modify text files using powerful text editors
• Use UNIX desktops, including GNOME, CDE, and KDE, as an end user or system administrator
• Use and manage e-mail, TCP/IP networking, and Internet services
• Protect and maintain the security of your UNIX system and network
• Share devices, printers, and files between Windows and UNIX systems
• Use powerful UNIX tools, including awk, sed, and grep
• Develop your own shell, Python, and Perl scripts, and Java, C, and C++ programs under UNIX
• Set up Apache Web servers and develop browser-independent Web sites and applications

Customer Reviews (2)

Book was in excellent condition !!!
I got a used book but it was in pretty good condition close to a new book. Book arrived very soon.

reliable reference
I sure hope you don't intend to read this cover to cover. It functions best as a reliable and comprehensive reference to unix. For both system administrators and programmers. Yes, if you are the latter, you still have to deal with the operating system, even if you hide inside a programming language most of the time.

The various unix shells are evenhandedly described. The Bourne shell. The c shell. Korn shell. Try not to get into arguments with unix fans over the choice of shell. It is better to regard these as equivalent in functionality, with only minor differences not worth arguing about.

As the book explains, there are several unix variants. But the coverage spans all the major types. You can also use the book profitably if you have a linux machine. Most of the linux commands are deliberately mimicking unix equivalents. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

There is no other
Any serious programmer should read this book, regardless of programming language or system used.Even if you use Windows or something else normally, skimming over this book and reading certain chapters in-depth (chapters 3 and 4 in particular are invaluable) will give you immense knowledge you can use in many places.

Outside of what you expect it to teach you (which it will and will do well), it will likely help you in ways you won't anticipate, too.

Despite its age, in the canon of Unix literature this book has been and continues to be the acme.I can't recommend this book strongly enough.

Great book: get the 2nd edition
The second edition was published in June 2005.Unless you're a computer historian, get the new one:

(...)
Great book.Marc Rochkind's book is also very good and surprisingly non-overlapping, considering.

Classic work - but in series need of updates as time goes on
I cannot fathom a guess as to how many times the books in this series have saved my in project work over the years.The only drawback with this series is that some publisher should endeavor to keep them up to date.Serious Unix system programmers must have copies of the complete series.

A Unix Programmers Bible
This is an essential book for any serious or professional Unix programmer.

Written in a clear paedagogical style, Professor Stevens demonstrates mastery of the subject, and his desire to pass that expertise on to the reader.

The API's are illuminated by clear examples of their use. He also mentions many of the pitfalls to look out for when programming across the different flavours (BSD, SRV4) and different standards (POSIX, ANSI).

It is a comprehensive tome that represents real value for money.

I use this book so much I will probably need to buy another copy in a few years, if it doesn't go on permanent loan first.

Lucid Explanations to understand UNIX !
This is inarguably the best book you can find to learn UNIX programming. Not only is everything that is required clearly explained with examples, the author goes out of his way to give us pertinent extra information.

Buy it! ... Read more

Product Description
Your UNIX: The Ultimate Guide is both an outstanding pedagogical tool and an exhaustive reference. It is the ideal text for any Unix course. It can also be used for any introductory programming course that includes Unix and for advanced courses such as those on Operating Systems and System Administration. Excellent pedagogy is implemented throughout. Real-world examples make it easier for students to grasp concepts while chapters on advanced material take more experienced students beyond the basics. Over nine hundred exercises and self-test questions allow students to test and reinforce their understanding of material at different levels. This book also features coverage of Linux, where Linux differs from UNIX. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

your unix: the ultimate guide
boodlebooks sent me the wrong edition. I ordered the 2nd edition and was sent the 1st edition which is 10 years old.

Great book!
I took a college course in Fall 2009 that used the 2nd ed. of this book, but I bought the 1st ed. on accident. I'm glad I did. Both editions are very challenging and strengthened my knowledge of *Nix and shell programming. I would definitely recommend attempting the exercises at the end of the chapters.

best unix book for the beginner
bought this book for a beginner's unix course and is a great reference for all things unix. wonderfully written and easy to follow. a model for other books

Way overpriced, general UNIX book
I did not find in this book anything that may justify its price. It is a general book on UNIX that repeats the same things like any of FREE pdf books by GNU project or "UNIX for dummies" that is 6 times less. The book is also full of mistakes, and on some subjects it's plain wrong. To spend this kind of money you can find much better options out there.
After reviewing most of the ecstatic reviews on this book I conclude they are fake.

It's a great book!
Well worth the money, explains things very well, the questions are thought provoking and very well done.

I would have given it 5 stars if not for the poor quality of the binding--the book COMPLETELY fell apart. This also happened to several other students in my class--very annoying after I paid $100 for it.

McGrawHill sent me another one after I complained loudly. ... Read more

Product Description

Whether you need a network of ten Linux PCs and a server or a datacenter with a few thousand Unix nodes, you need to know how to automate much of the installation, configuration, and standard system administration.

Build your network once using cfengine, and the network build will work, without user intervention, on any hardware you prefer. Automating Linux and Unix System Administration, Second Edition is unique in its focus on how to make the system administrator’s job easier and more efficient: instead of just managing the system administrator’s time, the book explains the technology to automate repetitive tasks and the methodology to automate successfully.

• Both new and seasoned professionals will profit from industry–leading insights into the automation process.
• System administrators will attain a thorough grasp of cfengine, kickstart, and shell scripting for automation.
• After reading all chapters and following all exercises in this book, the reader will be able to set up anything from a Linux datacenter to a small office network.

Customer Reviews (6)

Awesome
Having the authors guide you through the process of configuring automated installations and configuration of servers is priceless.

This book is a must for any linux/unix sysadmin out there. I hope there is a 3rd edition with the new Cfengine 3 soon!

This book is not for the beginning linux/unix admin, though. You should have a thorough knowledge of the systems already. Once you have that, using the methods in this book will save you and your bosses countless hours of managing your servers.

I would like to thank the authors for a brilliant piece of work.

Cfengine missing manual
As a CFengine evangelist I find this book very useful to brush up my automation skills, Cfengine peculiarities and even such obscure features as modules and methods in Cfengine. THe only drawback of this book that it needs better visualization - a Cfengine and automation is a complex concept, so few more diagrams would be very helpful.The Cfengine portal([...])already has thisbook present!

Just the reference you were looking for.
If you are the kind of person that doesn't have time to reinvent the wheel and you like solutions that Just Work but are also well though out, then this book is just the thing for you. Linux admins that have to handle a large number of machines in an Enterprise environment where downtime is just not an option will love that this book gives you in depth explanations supported by rock solution solutions to let you manage the configurations of a massive number of machines with a moderate investment of time and almost zero ongoing effort. The authors do an exception job of delving down into the details when necessary and painting a robust "big picture" that an experienced admin will certain appreciate. I predict this book will become a must-have for your administrative reference shelf.

Excellent Content and Coverage
The book fulfills the promise of showing how to setup and manage a properly automated fleet of Debian, RedHat Linux, and Solaris systems. It touches on all the essential points of doing so, from bootstrapping the initial install systems to configuring essential services such as NTP and Nagios. I believe the text is stronger for not considering (the many!) alternative configuration management and monitoring tools available, and not going into detail on LDAP and Kerberos, as these topics are covered elsewhere, and would make this book loose focus.

Inexperienced systems administrators will benefit from the coverage of need-to-know utilities, such as sudo and SSH, along with the appendix of useful Unix tools, as well as learning how to properly setup a site from scratch. As an experienced sysadmin, I enjoyed the book, picking up a variety of good shell tips, and an excellent way of organizing cfengine configuration files.

Great book with a lot of CFEngine
Repetitive tasks not only waste time, but each repitition is prone to error. Automation is the solution to repetition and any serious System Administrator will tell you that automation is a cornerstone of the profession. Automating Linux and UNIX System Administration is a great guide to building this cornerstone.

This book covers a wide variety of topics including: simple shell scripting, remote management with SSH, automated installations, monitoring, and configuration management. The majority of the items are explained with using CFEngine in mind -- so much so that I feel this book should probably advertise its heavy use of CFEngine somewhere in the title or at least on the cover. If you don't use CFEngine and have no plans to do so, a lot of this book becomes irrelevant. However, CFEngine is a popular, robust management system and is worth getting to know.

If you're still managing servers by hand, it's probably time to start thinking about automation. Automating Linux and UNIX System Administration is a solid book that will set you on the right track. ... Read more

Product Description
In a nutshell, this updated UNIX classic covers everything you'll ever need for threads, TCP/IP and RPC programming--with reusable code examples that explain syntax along the way. Robbins and Robbins explain the essentials of UNIX programming, concentrating on communication, concurrency, and multithreading techniques and why, when, and how to use them. They also show how to design complex software to get the best from the UNIX operating system. Using short code snippets to illustrate how to use system calls, they also include a number of hands-on "projects" that very quickly help readers expand their skill levels. The book includes chapters on files, signals, semaphores, POSIX threads, client-server communication, and remote procedure calls. There are also short examples, working code, and simplified libraries for use in network communication applications featured throughout the book. The updated Second Edition includes all-new chapters on the Web and multicast and a completely revised and updated RPC chapter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

It's a lot more than just concurrency - it's the best introduction to C i've seen.
This is an awesome book. You'll have to be patient when going through it. And you'll learn a lot if you follow along with the examples and make everything work. It took me probably 6 hours just to get through chapter 2 - not because I can't read, but because I'm paying attention to every little detail, and making sure I learn what's going on.

The other thing that came as a big surprise, was that this is the best introduction to C i've come across. I've read quite a few books on C. Generally, I get through these other books on C - I get the syntax and pointers, and headers, etc. What I can never get through in these other C books, is that they use Math for all the examples. Which bores me, and sometimes frustrates me - because what I want to do with systems programming is not math - that's just me.

Of all the C books I've read, this one, and "C - A Reference Manual 5th Edition" are the best C books.

One pitfall in the book, is that with most of the examples, the conditionals to check pointers, and some other conditionals are somewhat amateur looking (that's just me). For example, in chapter 2, the "listlib.c" file has tons of conditionals like this:

list_t **newptrs;
if(headptr == NULL)
{
errno = EINVAL;
return -1;
}

That started to confuse me, why not just write:

list_t **newptrs;
if(!headptr)
{
errno = EINVAL;
return -1;
}

Which is ok. So there are many times where it seems the author is either purposefully writing conditionals to be verbose for readers, or doesn't know how to simplify with "not" flips.

Another example:

if(ptr != NULL)

can be simplified to:
if(ptr)

Other than those small things, this book is great.

EDIT: One other thing that's slightly annoying.

The authors like to put all of their code in conditionals. Like this:

if ((sigemptyset(&twosigs) == -1) || (sigaddset(&twosigs, SIGINT) == -1) || (sigaddset(&twosigs, SIGQUIT) == -1)) perror("Failed to set up signal mask");

For me that's ok in only a few places. They do it everywhere and it's really annoying. Maybe they did it just to save space in the book?

Relatively thorough reference.
This is an invaluable reference to keep close at hand if you are a programmer supporting UNIX.The only thing I didn't find in this text is how to change your process name on-the-fly.Everything else I've looked for was there, and in most cases, described in detail.

If you do systems programming on UNIX then you should have this book.

Comprehensive
This book contains the answers to almost any question concerning communication, concurrency and threads.All of the included code works fine, but is often ugly.At least the ugly code is available online if you are too lazy to write your own, or type it yourself.
3 stars because this book follows the typical computer book pattern.It's too big.Huge examples and discussion for rarely used features, when a table enumerating specifics would be better.There is alot of fluff, but at least the material is there.

Worth my yearly salary!
I read it in one of the book store in three hours. I bought it a month later. It saved me several times. One of the best books I have ever had.

practical it is
This is the type of book that doesn't leave you with more questions than it answers.It doesn't just discuss the concepts and then you're on your own for coding.It gives you enough code and explanation so that you can implement mutex locks, semaphores, threads, etc.It doesn't force you to go search online for code samples.I refer to this book often, and not just when writing code for Unix. ... Read more

Product Description
* Covering all aspects of the Unix operating system and assuming no prior knowledge of Unix, this book begins with the fundamentals and works from the ground up to some of the more advanced programming techniques
* The authors provide a wealth of real-world experience with the Unix operating system, delivering actual examples while showing some of the common misconceptions and errors that new users make ? Special emphasis is placed on the Apple Mac OS X environment as well as Linux, Solaris, and migrating from Windows to Unix
* A unique conversion section of the book details specific advice and instructions for transitioning Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux users ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Dudes on front cover...
Guy on right ran over his dog on the way to the photo shoot. Guy on left is getting with Guy on right's wife.

great and timeless Unix information here
This review first appeared in the AZTCS journal.

When I glanced at this book, my first question was, "Who are these guys on the cover?"Before scanning the contents and index, my usual first step in examining a new book, I searched for the cover credits.I found none.

I use the term Unix as the authors use the term, to designate all Unix based systems including Linux, Solaris, OSX, and the BSDs as well as Unix.

The 400+ page paperback book is divided into 21 chapters.Each chapter ends with exercises; the solutions are found at the end of the book.The book's copyright is 2005 but the fundamentals of the Unix based operating systems don't change much so this book is by no means out of date.

Included is a CD of KNOPPIX 3.7.This is an old version of KNOPPIX but very usable for the authors' purpose of learning Unix.By using the live CD, it is possible to study Unix without installing it.

The book begins with introductory material giving a, thankfully, very brief history of Unix and its evolution.Next "Beginning Unix" explains how the Unix system is set up and what the major components are.

Logging in is covered.Logging out and shutting down the computer, if you have permission, are explained.Logging in and out properly is well detailed.

The book explains files in a very thorough and informative manner.As the whole strategy of Unix is based on files, creating, removing, copying, moving and organizing files are important functions.File permissions and their importance receive thorough and clear discussion.With a thorough understanding of permissions many potentially frustrating problems can be avoided or solved quickly.

Commands are introduced as needed for completing simple to very complex exercises.The functions of the shell are explored.Simple and advanced scripting is explained and several examples are presented.Besides shell scripts, there is a brief introduction to PHP.Piping, using the output of one program as input for another program, is illustrated with several meaningful examples.

There is a chapter on customizing your personal environment. Customizing the prompt, creating aliases, and organizing your work are explained in detail.This is much different than the usual customizing instructions focusing on the desktop.

Full chapters cover securing the system, using log files, understanding and controlling jobs and processes, backing up information, and automating tasks using cron.These chapters are useful in administering your Unix system.Administration on a desktop Unix system is important as the user is usually the administrator.

Network connections are explained, both in theory and by example.As Unix originated as a network environment, there are many tasks to be accomplished over the network.This information is important in connecting to the Internet.

There is a chapter covering installing programs from source code.Although this was necessary in early Linux distributions, the repositories available with most distributions make this interesting but seldom used information for most users.The procedure and potential pitfalls are discussed in detail.Reading this chapter reenforced my feeling "this is something I don't need to do for a while."

Migrating from a Mac or a Windows PC to Unix takes up the last two chapters of the book.These chapters should be very helpful in making the transition.They concentrate on the skills developed in using the Mac or a Windows PC and help transfer them to a Unix system.

Conclusions

There are several things I like about this book.Extensive use of screen shots in combination with the text helps me understand the examples more easily.The examples are clear and concise.The theory included helps improve understanding of the subject but doesn't overload the reader.The flow of the book is logical with examples building on previous exercises.

The complete lack of discussion of KDE, Gnome and other desktops is refreshing as these are explained in several other sources; I see no use for another superficial chapter or two in this book.It is more difficult to find good information on using the command line than using GUIs and this book has much good excellent information.

I am a Linux user with about two years experience so I found much new information in "Beginning Unix".This book answers questions I didn't know I had.There are several examples and techniques presented that will make my use of Linux more efficient, powerful and fun.Many "fuzzy areas" came into focus for me.

I think, at completion of this book, the user will be comfortable and effective at using the command line.After these exercises the user might be tired of the command line but they will not be fearful.

Try another book
Here are a bunch of problems I discovered with this book(I had to omit half of them because of amazon's 1000 word limit for reviews):

1) Links (p.63)
There are some contradictory statements in this section.I found a website that does a good job of explaining hard links v. soft links, and it uses diagrams.Why didn't the authors use diagrams?

2) Deleting Files (p.73)
The authors say the rm command(remove) has a -f option that will remove a file without prompting for confirmation, e.g.

rm -f filename

However, when I use therm command *without using the -f option*, it removes files without prompting for confirmation anyway.So, I'm left wondering what the -f option does.I have to use rm -i to make rm prompt me for confirmation before removing the file.The authors mention that you can create aliases for commands, which essentially means you can rename a command.So you can do this:

$ alias rm = "rm -i"

Thereafter, when you issue the rm command, unix will interpret rm to mean rm -i, and then the rm command will prompt you for confirmation before removing a file.Did the authors do that on their system?And is that why they say using rm -f is necessary to skip the confirmation message before removing a file?Who knows?

3) apropos (p. 110)
The authors say the command:

apropos keyword

can be used to find files with the specified keyword in their name. That doesn't work for me.I looked around on the internet, and I can't find any UNIX tutorials that say apropos will return file names with the specified keyword in them.In fact, after some more digging, I discovered that the apropos command is equivalent to man -k, and man -k searches the man pages for *descriptions* containing the specified keyword--it does not search filenames for the keyword, so the example in the book won't work.

4)Advanced Tools (chap. 8)
The authors decided to introduce regular expressions, which I know pretty well.Personally, I don't think regular expressions should be included in a beginning text on anything--although they are well worth learning for any computer language.So I was interested to see how the authors would tackle the subject.To my surprise, I found the author's introduction to patterns quite good--except for one little thing.They don't show you how to use the patterns with a unix command.The author's start out the section by telling you to type in an overly long amount of example text into a testfile.Then they say: "The results shown in each case represent output from your testfile if the example search were run on it". However, they don't tell you how to run an example search on the testfile.All they do is show you a pattern and what matches it would produce-- if you ran a search on the testfile.I don't think some(most?) beginners will be able to figure out how to perform a search on the testfile.The authors could have very simply combined all their example patterns with a simple vi search command(vi is a unix text editor).In vi, the '/' plus a specified pattern will search the file for the pattern and move the cursor to the matching word.That way a beginner could actually use one of the example patterns to search the testfile and see for themselves what it does.

5) grep p.160
Nowhere in the description of grep do the authors tell you what the command actually outputs.All they tell you is that grep is one of the most useful commands in UNIX.Great!What does it do?If you consult the man pages, i.e. man grep, you will learn that grep prints *the entire line* in a file if the line contains something that matches the pattern.I lost all respect for the author's ability to teach unix after that omission.

6) find (p.161)
The authors say if you issue the following commmand:

find /etc -name passwd

That command does nothing in Mac OS X.In Mac OS X, there is no ouput and no errors--even though there's a file called passwd in the /etc directory. Back to the man pages.This time the man pages weren't helpful in figuring out how the find command works.This isthe worst section of the book so far.

I've only just finished chapter 8, but I feel like I should post this review now, so anyone considering this book will know what to expect.

I think these authors are too long removed from beginner status, and therefore they don't know how to speak to beginners.Unfortunately, this book contains contradictions and incomplete or confusing descriptions, and some things are just plain wrong.In addition, as I read the book I found myself repeatedly saying to myself, "Why didn't the authors simply say it like this?".

I was really excited about this book because I just started using an intel iMac with Mac OS X 10.4.7, and I wanted to learn some basic Unix.This book points out when other versions of Unix may have different commands or effects, and the authors specifically address Mac OS X differences throughout the text. However, nothing in the book explained some of the discrepancies I experienced when I tried some of the commands in Mac OS X.Did the descriptions contain mistakes or did the authors omit something?Or are things just different on Mac OS X? All three--as I found out.

I recently spotted the book Unix Visual QuickStart Guide(3rd edition) on the shelves of my local bookstore, and after reading some random sections, I wish I had purchased that book instead.

from rags to riches
i'me new to unix. when i started reading this book i thought what a waste of money but after completing chapter 2 and reading through chapter 3 i realized that it was a gem in disguise. i still haven't finished reading it because i'me reviewing it about 3 weeks after i got it, but i have been messing around knoppix and now, i installed FreeBsd and currently all the examples in the book work. i feel comfortable. By the way, the examples at the endof the book make it somewhat of a school text and it gives u a little challenge at times but they are not gravely difficult.

Great book for Beginners to Unix/Linux/Mac OS X
Great book for beginners to the Unix/Linux or Mac OS X operating system. The two appendices with the conversion from Mac (both Mac OS X and Mac OS 9) to Unix and Windows to Unix is helpful for those who are used to working with Windows or Mac and want to transfer their knowledge of those operating systems to the Unix/Linux world. These sections identify the fundamentals of the operating systems and how they are similar to Unix/Linux. There is also information on the different programs that are similar between the systems.

The rest of the book assumes the reader has no knowledge of Unix/Linux and progresses from the basics of the operating system to more in-depth topics as the book continues to later chapters. The inclusion of the Knoppix Linux operating system allows the reader to follow the book while using a complete Unix environment (with no changes to the thier installed operating system). ... Read more

Product Description
This book addresses topics in the area of forensic analysis of systems running on variants of the UNIX operating system, which is the choice of hackers for their attack platforms. According to a 2007 IDC report, UNIX servers account for the second-largest segment of spending (behind Windows) in the worldwide server market with $4.2 billion in 2Q07, representing 31.7% of corporate server spending. UNIX systems have not been analyzed to any significant depth largely due to a lack of understanding on the part of the investigator, an understanding and knowledge base that has been achieved by the attacker. The companion DVD provides a simulated or "live" UNIX environment where readers can test the skills they've learned in the book and use custom tools developed by the authors.

The book begins with a chapter to describe why and how the book was written, and for whom, and then immediately begins addressing the issues of live response (volatile) data collection and analysis.The book continues by addressing issues of collecting and analyzing the contents of physical memory (i.e., RAM).The following chapters address /proc analysis, revealing the wealth of significant evidence, and analysis of files created by or on UNIX systems.Then the book addresses the underground world of UNIX hacking and reveals methods and techniques used by hackers, malware coders, and anti-forensic developers.The book then illustrates to the investigator how to analyze these files and extract the information they need to perform a comprehensive forensic analysis.The final chapter includes a detailed discussion of Loadable Kernel Modules and Malware. The companion DVD provides a simulated or "live" UNIX environment where readers can test the skills they've learned in the book and use custom tools developed by the authors.

Throughout the book the author provides a wealth of unique information, providing tools, techniques and information that won't be found anywhere else.Not only are the tools provided, but the author also provides sample files so that after completing a detailed walk-through, the reader can immediately practice the new-found skills.


* The companion DVD for the book contains significant, unique materials (movies, spreadsheet, code, etc.) not available any place else.
* This book contains information about UNIX forensic analysis that is not available anywhere else. Much of the information is a result of the author's own unique research and work.
* The authors have the combined experience of Law Enforcement, Military, and Corporate forensics. This unique perspective makes this book attractive to ALL forensic investigators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Hardly A Book About Forensics
The title may mislead readers to believe that this book discusses actual forensics of Unix and Linux systems. It does not. The authors waste precious pages in this short book discussing their favorite cool Linux apps like Nessus and Metasploit but don't have any meaningful discussion about the various flavors of Unix: AIX, Solaris, *BSD, etc. Their "Unix and Linux" forensic book is almost entirely about Linux. There is no thoughtful discussion about filesystem forensics; no technical detail helpful to Forensic Examiners.

The few moments where the authors approach a meaningful forensic topic, the reader is redirected to an online resource rather than provided an analysis or explanation within the book.

The book title may lead readers to believe that an accompanying DVD contains a Unix forensic toolkit of some kind. In fact, there is only 1.8 MB of documents and no tools save for a few (4) short Bash scripts that hardly cover a thorough forensics examination: live or otherwise. One of the scripts is only one line. One of these documents is an incomplete 3.5 page summary of Sleuthkit tools. By "incomplete" I mean that it is apparent that the author decided to quit writing. Apparently there was no room in this 236 page, 14-gauge font book to cover in any detail the different Unix filesystems, data acquisition, data carving or static filesystem analysis. But the authors make plenty of room to discuss scanning with Unix tools (nmap, nessus, etc.).

There is a section entitled "Malware" except that no malware sample is actually examined. The reader is briefly introduced to Panda's AV scanner and is walked through how to use ClamAV as if that is the only AV scanner available for either a Unix user or Forensic Examiner. Forensic Examiners should pay very close attention to AntiVirus product comparative reviews.

The book cover boasts that this is the "only digital forensic analysis book for *nix". Indeed there may be little in the way of books solely dedicated to Unix forensics but other books cover Unix forensics with greater detail than this one. For example, Brian Carrier's "Filesystem Forensic Analysis" or Jones, Bejtlich and Rose's "Real Digital Forensics".

The book cover also boasts that readers can "Hit the ground running" with the information within. Unfortunately, if readers expect the content to help them bridge a gap between Windows and Unix, they will hit the ground with a resounding thud. If any Forensics Examiner finds value in the content of this book for actual Unix forensic investigations, I would question that examiner's experience and training.

If the authors wanted to write a book about cool Linux tools or network scanning, they should have entitled the book differently. Perhaps "A Beginner's Guide to Using Linux and Linux Security Applications".

I felt the title was misleading and false advertising. The authors take advantage of the word "Forensics" to sell a book that is not about forensics. For $53.95 I expected much more and was extremely disappointed and disgusted at the inferiority of the content.

going on ebay
I don't often write reviews, but after reading this book, I decided to write one.Not because this book was excellent, but because I was quite disappointed.I am not an expert in *nix security by any means; however, this book is exteremly basic.The target audience for this book is someone who has little or no knowledge in linux or unix internals and security.
If you already know unix or linux, but are not familiar with tools like Nessus, nmap, wireshark, tcpdump, netcat, etc... just go directly to [...], where you can find the compilied list of the top 100 security tools from the nmap-hackers mailing list.

What a waste of time and money.

Very informative style of delivery in Forensic World
The authors initiate a very interesting subject, with very easy informative style of delivery. Looking forward of going through more advanced material by the authors with such valuable information.

Excellent introduction to Linux forensics, ideal for those starting out or Windows centric examiner who is curious about Linux
The first few chapters leads the reader gently into appreciating the differences between Windows and *nix based nomenclature. There are a number of practical tools covered which would assist any Windows investigator to perform post forensic analysis.The tools needed to get the job done on *nix boxes are covered more than adequately.Chapter 4 introduces the reader to some practical advice on triage and live data analysis, there are some useful practical exercises using search techniques and the author shares his experience offering some good practical advice on narrowing the search to relevant areas of investigation.Chapter 5 provides some of the best examples I have seen of the "top 10 hacking" tools covered.This should inspire any reader to appreciate how best to investigate against such "tools".This chapter inspires the reader to conduct their own research in a laboratory environment with just enough of a sweetener provided in the examples to encourage them to do so.Chapter 6 takes the reader on an insightful tour of the /proc filesystem highlighting some of the key areas an investigator needs to know in terms of live analysis and key areas for volatile data capture.There's small additional section on the sysfs which covers additional areas of interest relevant to the investigator.Included in this chapter is an insightful walkthru of an investigation further re-enforcing the ideas presented by the author.Chapter 7 guides the reader through the filesystem, highlighting key areas such as configuration files.The author also provides the reader with some inventive techniques for investigation. Although a short chapter it concisely provides enough detail to assist the reader in their investigations.Chapter 8 contains detailed instructions on the use and installation of anti-virus/malware software with a good overview provided by the author of Linux file permissions/security.The final appendix is a worthy addition providing a good overview of auditing and logging not just on *nix but includes,Windows, firewalls, router, IDS and IPS systems.It provides a complementary addition to the literature.

Summary.
The author has sought to introduce the reader to a very wide subject area,which considering the diversity of Unices is a brave and audacious move.It is quite amazing how much the author has managed to cover and condense into only 8 chapters and an appendix.The authors clearly have a vast amount of forensic experience especially with regard to incident response, providing practical and sound advice to the reader.There are a number of other sources hinted at by the authors which shows thorough research benefiting this literature and ultimately the reader.This book provides the reader with a perfect introduction to UNIX and Linux Forensic Analysis,additional it should also benefit forensic investigators from the Windows centric world in grasping some of the power available with Linux and Open Source tools.This should allow the reader to complement their own arsenal of investigation tools and techniques with a complementary set of Linux forensic CDs and methodology.This is a book I would heartily recommend to experienced computer forensic examiners and those starting out.Especially to those investigators more used to the Windows environment.The book is clearly an introduction and hints at more to come.I very much look forward to reading more material from the authors covering more advanced topics in their next book.The final paragraph of the synopsis clearly says it all.
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

This book helped me pass the 734
I read this book cover to cover. I took all the chapter sample tests, and the Appendix test. Then I re-read the book. I took the 734 exam today and passed 96% (only missed 2 out of 51 questions). Clearly this book works.

The sample exam questions are so close to the actual test questions that, if you understand why a sample question is correct in this book, take all the sample questions and do well, I don't think it is possible to fail the 734.

I say this with several caveats. First, the book is filled with typos and a few serious factual errors. You should have your laptop open as you go through the book and read the DB2 9 and 9.5 Information Center to verify details. Second, the book completely glosses over some DB2 features such as the Administration Server, some details on DPF, or how to use db2pd effectively. Again, check the Internet and IBM Information Center for more information to fill out those gaps.

The Index and Table of Contents could be much better.

I would have liked the Appendix sample test to have had different questions than those used in the Chapter sample tests. At some point obviously the reader begins to memorize the test questions which skews the results for the final sample test, reducing its effectiveness as an assessment tool.

This is NOT a generic reference for how to be an effective DBA. This is a certification guide and will only help you pass the 734 test. The 734 is NOT a comprehensive test of what it takes to be a DB2 LUW DBA. In my opinion, IBM needs to develop a more detailed certification roadmap for DB2 database administrators. In particular there should be a separate certification exam for DPF/Data Warehouse/Balanced Infosphere administration.

You should consider passing the 734 only the beginning of wisdom. Follow this up with your own independent reading in the IBM Information Center and Redbooks.

This book got me to pass the 734 exam on first try
If you are trying to get your Advanced DB2 certification then I highly recommend getting this book. Not only did this book help me pass my 734 exam the first time, I also use it as a guide book for on the job references. It's not a book to go to for a bunch of examples, but it will guide you to the right answers. Buy this book, you won't be let down.

Another Home Run
It's not surprising that this book is extremely well written and informative considering the two authors. Roger Sanders is "the" DB2 author we all admire and Dwaine Snow has long been considered an "expert to the experts" so the collaboration of these two virtually guaranteed a success. Despite this being a Certification Study Guide (a slot that it fits very well indeed), the information this book contains goes well beyond what would simply prepare someone to pass the cert.It is an excellent foundational work for any DB2 DBA and should be considered required reading for those of us who work with the product daily.

EXCELLENT BOOK!!!HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!
I own several of Roger Sanders' books and I have heard Dwaine speak at conferences in the past so I was excited to see that they were working together to produce this book. I pre-ordered a copy and when it arrived, I found it easy to read and full of good information. Before I bought this book, I took the 734 exam and my score was rather low - 39%. After reading this book and working through the practice questions at the end of each chapter, I was able to pass on my second attempt with a score of 84%! I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to prepare for the 734 exam

Not up to par
This book does not warrant an "Advanced" label. The content contains much of the same information as any of the other DBA books. I would have expected more for an "advanced" label. The V9 books have not lived up to their predecessors. I found the V8 books much more informative and useful as a DBA. ... Read more

Product Description
UNIX for Programmers and Users, Third Edition follows in the tradition of previous editions to provide readers with complete, up-to-date coverage of UNIX.In this new edition readers will find information on basic concepts, popular utilities, shells, networking, systems programming, internals, system administration, and much more.For anyone who is interested in learning about UNIX. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

3rd edition (latest) is bad
I got the first edition of this book in the 1990s and I loved it.Recently (2007), I needed UNIX skills in my job again and I thought, "Why not pick up the latest edition - the 3rd?"Well folks - It is bad.

(1) It is poorly printed.Much of the text "fades out" in the low-quality printing they did.Even the binding and physical paper feel cheap when handled.

(2) Pages of text are unchanged from the early 1990s - which also seems cheap - except now it's worse, because they've added in typos and even technical errors.

(3) The index is so full of errors, it's unusable.Which means, if I want to look something up - forget it.

Save your money, folks.This edition is not worth the high price tag.

Good book, surprised at the sender
I received the book quickly, and the quality of the book is very good. Just surprised at the location of sender, it is in Taiwan, not California as displayed on the web site. And the shipping label was not clear, the manager of the apartment and I were very, very difficult to read the receiver's name, and almost cannot see the address. Anyway, I think this is good seller based on the time of shipping process and the quality of the book.

Expensive but good
I had to port some Windows C/C++ code to Solaris and went to the bookstore hoping to find something that would bring me up to speed with the basic utilities and UNIX concepts from the perspective of a programmer. Bookstore shelves are usually crowded with books that deal with the admin part of Unix but good programming books are a tad harder to find.

The first few chapters about the commonly used utilities quickly taught me to navigate the system but a full 4 chapters are devoted to the shell - a general introduction, bsh, ksh and csh - which was too much for me. I skipped the ksh and csh chapters. Also the systems programming chapters goes into a lot of detail about files most of which I already knew. If you, like me are a Windows programmer making a transition to Unix, be prepared to wade through and often skip stuff you already know. The good thing however is that the writing style is lucid and clear and this book is an easy read.Introduction to file permissions(chown etc) is very well written. Examples are clear and well placed. The brief introductions to perl and awk are also useful.

Though the price is on the higher side, I think this book is a good buy. Its kept me interested and reading for over a week now and I must say I know so much more Unix for that. If it had been priced say 10-12 dollars lower, I might have given this baby a 4 on 5.

Very good book for people new to UNIX
I have the first edition of this book, and used it in college.This book does a good job explaining the basics and some intermediate topics.I particularly enjoyed chapters on system programming and unix internals.Also, the book serves as a good reference.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to start out with UNIX.

a OK book
This book covers all useful topics about the UNIX,which is what I like. However, this book has many programsand command which are out-of-date. The author need to update new programming styles in the UNIX. The author does not give detailed explanation of the regular expresstion which is very powerful in vi, grap, ed and awk utility. ... Read more

Product Description
When Practical Unix Security was first published more than a decade ago, it became an instant classic. Crammed with information about host security, it saved many a Unix system administrator from disaster. The second edition added much-needed Internet security coverage and doubled the size of the original volume. The third edition is a comprehensive update of this very popular book - a companion for the Unix/Linux system administrator who needs to secure his or her organization's system, networks, and web presence in an increasingly hostile world.Focusing on the four most popular Unix variants today--Solaris, Mac OS X, Linux, and FreeBSD--this book contains new information on PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules), LDAP, SMB/Samba, anti-theft technologies, embedded systems, wireless and laptop issues, forensics, intrusion detection, chroot jails, telephone scanners and firewalls, virtual and cryptographic filesystems, WebNFS, kernel security levels, outsourcing, legal issues, new Internet protocols and cryptographic algorithms, and much more.Packed with 1000 pages of helpful text, scripts, checklists, tips, and warnings, Practical Unix & Internet Security remains the definitive reference for Unix administrators and anyone who cares about protecting their systems and data from today's threats.Amazon.com Review
The world's most business-critical transactions run on Unix machines, which means the machines running those transactions attract evildoers. Furthermore, a lot of those machines have Internet connections, which means it's always possible that some nefarious remote user will find a way in. The third edition of Practical Unix & Internet Security contains--to an even greater extent than its favorably reputed ancestors--an enormous amount of accumulated wisdom about how to protect Internet-connected Unix machines from intrusion and other forms of attack. This book is fat with practical advice on specific defensive measures (to defeat known attacks) and generally wise policies (to head off as-yet-undiscovered ones).

The authors' approach to Unix security is holistic and clever; they devote as much space to security philosophy as to advice about closing TCP ports and disabling unnecessary services. They also recognize that lots of Unix machines are development platforms, and make many recommendations to consider as you design software. It's rare that you read a page in this carefully compiled book that does not impart some obscure nugget of knowledge, or remind you to implement some important policy. Plus, the authors have a style that reminds their readers that computing is supposed to be about intellectual exercise and fun, an attitude that's absent from too much of the information technology industry lately. Read this book if you use any flavor of Unix in any mission-critical situation. --David Wall

Topics covered: Security risks (and ways to limit them) under Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, and FreeBSD. Coverage ranges from responsible system administration (including selection of usernames and logins) to intrusion detection, break-in forensics, and log analysis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Excellent Guide
This book is just what I was looking for.Excellent Security Guide to day to day security issues at my workplace.Information about TPC and UDP ports and their security risks have been very useful.

This book must be part of every UNIX System Security Profesional.

Order a wrong edition
I saw that there is a bargain of another paperback edition on the page of 3rd edition, so I didn't recheck whether it is 3rd edition. So I end up in buying 2 books, 2nd and 3rd editions, because I need the 3rd edition for my class. It would be better to put edition number up in the page, not only paperback or library binding!

A mile wide, several inches deep, great for filling in gaps
I hate to repeat the cliche, but if you can only buy one security book this year and you are a *nix geek, this should be it, hands down.As some point out, you can probably find everything in this book online, but then again you can find anything online, so why buy any books at all?I don't like giving 5 stars; this book left me no choice.

The strength of this book lies in several areas.First, the authors probably have 50+ years experience between them and it shows.You really get the impression that they've "been there, done that".But they don't try and "wow" you with their intelligence and they aren't condescending, in fact they write quite clearly.

The "mile wide" crack I made in the title refers to the fact that this book covers everything from physical security and social engineering, to how to setup up integrity checking with tripwire and use PAM.Basically I found this book to be invaluable because while I could breeze through certain sections, there was a ton of material that I needed more knowledge about, but either never got around to it, or didn't even know I was lacking.An example is NFS.I knew I needed more background about NFS because I work in infosec, but every place I've ever worked has banned NFS outright, which makes it a little more difficult to learn....Another 2 technologies pop into my mind: LDAP and PAM.I knew what they were, but now I know how to set up the basics and can branch out on my own.

In our infosec world it's simply not possible to know everything.This book gives the reader a solid grounding in a ton of stuff, which enables him to go out and Google around intelligently for more advanced information.In a pinch it can also be used as an anti-theft device since it weighs in at 900+ pages and is quite heavy.

Awesome security book!
Practical Unix & Internet Security, the 3rd Edition has a ton of new useful information.

If you have but one securityreference, this should be it!

Best for beginners
As a Linux administrator, I ordered this book hoping to find out how hackers typically gain access to systems and neat little tricks for locking down my system, as well as detecting and dealing with intruders.While Practical Unix & Internet Security did cover these topics, it covered little I didn't already know.

Significant time is spent explaining how unix-based systems work.The book covers things such as file systems, partition structure, file ownership/permissions, users and groups, inodes, ssh, backups, etc.Each command, utility, procedure or feature is detailed over several pages followed by an explanation of what you should be doing with said topic.

There are also a few real-world examples here and there; stories most of us have heard before, like the admin who had . in his path.

Unlike many computer books, this one is well written and an easy read, and it's certainly a lot more friendly than some unix geek's advice which consists of RTFM.

I think this book would be great for someone who has a very basic understanding of unix-based systems but has never administrated one before, but for those of us who've already had some experience running unix there's probably not anything new here for you. ... Read more

Product Description
In the tradition of 12-step programs that help people overcome their addictions by sharing stories, The UNIX-Haters Handbook is the self-help guide for people affected by the world's most esoteric and most widely used operating system.

Turn here for answers to all-important questions, such as...

Why does the online documentation lie to us?Why does the operating system overwrite valuable files with garbage?Why does the user's guide bear no relationship to reality?Why do the commands have cryptic names that have no bearing on their function?What is a grep? What is vi? Do troffs live under bridges, or are they inverted trons?WHERE ARE THEY SENDING ALL THE UPPERCASE LETTERS? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Interesting footnote to an 80's platform war
I'll get this out of the way first: the book is a polemic, and I've no idea how serious the authors are. Given when it was written and the example annoyances it comes across as a requiem for the operating systems on minicomputers and mainframes, which from the 1980s on lost ground to cheaper Unix workstations. Losing the skillset you've spent the last decade or two perfecting isn't easy, and the unix-haters mailing list appears to have provided the perfect outlet.

The contributors to the mailing list and subsequent book are all technical, and as such are in an ideal position to articulate criticisms. Many of the criticisms are of a historical nature, even at the time of writing; many seem to be aimed at a different target (e.g. Usenet or Sendmail), but try to drag Unix in by association; and some are spot on and could be updated and expanded to modern *nix.

But... having power users write the book does have a couple of downsides. Firstly, you'll need Unix familiarity to know what they're talking about.Secondly, the book goes overboard with the nit-picking: e.g. some functionality that the user of one operating system likes is absent in Unix -- never mind that it's also absent in almost every other OS.

Also, the fact that we're comparing what were then called "open systems" with the legacy systems they displaced may be lost to a modern reader.This book an historical footnote to a high-end 80s platform war, of interest to anyone who was around for it.

Don't waste any time trying to find a copy of this
When this book was written (mid 1990's) it contained some small elements of truth. Most of it however, even at that time, was a collection of nits which only the most deranged would find amusing.

From the perspective of UNIX/Linux in 2009, there is little relevant in this book. Mercifully, it's long out of print.

The paper is recyclable!
This book is basically the floor-sweepings from an very-early-90s postings to a listserv and a few newsgroups where people complained about anything that they got at a prompt, or as a prompt.

So: csh bugs?weird bits of XWindows internals? bugs in a late 80s implementations of "find" on SunOS?that one time that someone at Apple misconfigured sendmail?uuencode?Usenet?LaTeX?even the entire language of C++?It's all wadded together as "Unix", and thus is the subject of the book's snideness: "Error Messages and Error Checking, NOT!". "Snoozenet" (LOL THAT MEANS USENET!)."like, oh my god, checking for whether or not the name ended in '.c'? I think you know the answer."

The only real lesson of the book is: don't overwrite or permanently erase files without prompting.And that's why this is all taken care of by OSX's or Gnome's or KDE's file managers.

And you can get that lesson from the book you should be buying instead, Donald Norman's (The Design of Everyday Things) (or his other books).And if you are in a mood for filtering good ideas out of not-well-aging weirdness, consider Jef Raskin's (The Humane Interface).

Zany, Amusing, Entertaining Muses on Unix OS
I had to the chance to check this zany collection of "hatred" when I was down at Texas State University in San Marcos last semester. I think it's excellent (and funny)! I believe the people who are going to get the most from this book are the ones who come into the text with an "open mind," meaning that they are probably Unix (or Linux) users already and if they aren't, don't let the 'tone' of this book drive you away from Unix.

Unix = POWER. If you'd rather let the computer/OS "do everything for you" (which in some cases, in doesn't do well or doesn't do at all), Unix is not for you. However, if you like to have power over the functionality of your computer, like knowing more than the average person, or the like, Unix is definitely for you. In fact, Unix allows you to do A LOT more than you could EVER do in a "proprietary black box".

I like this book because, from a centristic viewpoint (and taking it with a grain of salt), it shows you possible design flaws that you can overcome in your own programming endeavors -- it is in this manner that I think the book succeeds. Don't get it twisted: I have a Windows box and a Unix one at home, and the Unix box is my workhorse. I agree with one of the earlier reviewers of this book in which he (David Kelly, Amazon Reviewer) stated:

"I challenge any of you out there who dislike Unix to take one of my classes. Your Unixphobic attitudes can be overcome with the proper education...It's [also] interesting to note that Unix is stronger than ever while you can't find this book anymore [it being out of print]."

'Nuff said. Otherwise, an entertaining read.

Things Are Going to Get a Lot Worse Before Things Get Worse
If you can find a copy of this book, grab it and hold on to it, for it's a true UNIX classic. Don't miss the Forward by Donald Norman, Apple Computer, and the Anti-Forward by Dennis Ritchie of AT&T Bell Labs.

The preface starts off by stating, "Things Are Going to Get a Lot Worse Before Things Get Worse." As you read on, you'll quickly see their point... as you laugh between the paragraphs.

Then there's this choice tidbit: "Modern UNIX is a catastrophe. It's the 'Un-Operating System': unreliable, unintuitive, unforgiving, unhelpful, and underpowered. Little is more frustrating than trying to force UNIX to do something useful and nontrivial. Modern UNIX impedes progress in computer science, wastes billions of dollars, and destroys the common sense of many who seriously use it. An exaggeration? You won't think so after reading this book."

This is truly a humorous look at the dark side of UNIX, written by highly knowledgeable UNIX insiders. Some of the chapter subtitles include: "Power Tools for Power Fools," and for the C++ chapter, "The COBOL of the 90s."

This book explains that there are several myths about UNIX, one being that UNIX is well-documented. Another is that UNIX is documented.

The authors are well-respected experts in their field - just check on the links and see all they have written. They have a marvelous tongue-in-cheek way of explaining the various foibles they have encountered along the way in dealing with UNIX. There are numerous funny accounts from other users fed up with UNIX as well.

Please keep in mind that this was published in 1994, so some of the information may seem a bit outdated to UNIX newbies. And the Anti-Microsoft-at-Any-Price Linux zealots will possibly hate this book, feeling that it's heretical propaganda. Sometimes they just need to learn to lighten up - this book was written to be funny, in a dark humor fashion that only a true geek could appreciate.

If it wasn't made to be humorous, then why would the authors glue a real barf bag inside the cover?

You might be lucky and find a copy online here or in a second-hand bookstore, but they are rare to end up on anyone's shelf for long. If you do find one, grab it and enjoy it. I'm on my second copy - the first was "borrowed" by a UNIX zealot who "forgot" to return it. And no, you can't have mine - it's not for sale.

You have to love UNIX and all it's idiosyncrasies to really appreciate this book. Here's real proof that computer geeks have a real sense of humor, far more than might be expected.

This reviewer cannot help but close with the following quotation, which is not in the book:

"Many say that DOS is the dark side [from Star Wars], butactually
UNIX is more like the dark side: It's less likely to find the one way
to destroy your incredibly powerful machine, and more likely to
make upper management choke."
~ Lore Sjöberg, noted Internet humorist

... Read more

Product Description

This book explains in a clear and coherent manner how Unix works, how to understand existing Unix programs, and how to design and create new Unix programs. The book is organized by subsystem, each presented in visual terms and explained using vivid metaphors. It breaks the information into manageable parts that can be presented, explained, and mastered. By using case studies and an extremely reader-friendly manner to illustrate complex ideas and concepts, the book covers the basics of systems programming, users, files and manuals, how to read a directory, using 1S, writing PWD, studying STTY, writing a video game, studying SH, environment and shell variables, I/O redirection and pipes, servers and sockets, writing a web server, license servers, and concurrent functions. For Unix system administrators and programmers, network programmers, and others who have used other operating systems and need to learn Unix programming to expand their skill sets.

Customer Reviews (15)

Very Informative
I find this book to be very informative and complete. You could read this book and understand unix system programming, you may not even need to take a course. It is very thorough with lots of programming exercises per chapter.

Outstanding introduction to Unix systems programming
I bought this book as a quick introduction to the world of UNIX/Linux systems programming. Having had extensive prior experience with the C programming language and application development on other platforms (DOS, OS/2, AS/400), I read the book without actually trying out the sample code or programming exercises.My goal was to get a solid feel for the basic concepts of Unix systems programming as quickly as possible, in order to move on to more advanced Linux topics (assembly programming, kernel and device driver development, implementation of the Linux TCP/IP stack) covered in other books. I found this book to be exceptionally clear and well written and ideally suited for the purpose.

The book requires intermediate knowledge of C and some basic computing skills, but otherwise makes very few assumptions about the reader.Concepts are introduced gradually, and the exceptionally clear diagrams, analogies, case studies and sample programs make each chapter a pleasure to digest and learn from.In order to avoid overwhelming the reader, advanced details are moved out of the main flow of the text, and into the exercises at the end of each chapter.

Each chapter is structured in a similar manner.A small programming project is introduced as the goal of each chapter.Each is appropriately chosen so that the systems programming concepts that are to be the subject of the chapter are key to the solution.The author then guides the reader along the path by asking and answering the questions "What does it do?", "How does it work?", and "How can I write my own version?".The author has a knack for anticipating the types of questions that are likely to be in the reader's mind at the appropriate moments, and helps the reader along with helpful pointers and analogies.This approach is very effective, and while not as detailed and complete as that of W. Richard Stevens (Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment), it is certainly more readable and easier to digest.

Overall, an exceptional introduction to Unix/Linux systems programming and highly recommended.

question in example code, still 5 stars
I have read more than half of the book. I like the material the book covers and the way of teaching by exemples.
Most other books focus on the features of the Unix system.

However I have minor questions:
1. There are typographical errors in exemple code.
2. I do not like function tty_mode(int how) in chapter 6.
it seems trivial and unnecessry and the static variable inside
the function seems questionable style.
I wonder why these obvious things happened in such a good book.

An excellent course through Unix and Linux with copious code and examples.
Unix has had the luxury of being one of the most documented operating systems in history. Many books have been dedicated to documenting the internals of Unix and Unix-like systems and some have risen to the ranks of classic texts regarded by all as necessary to understanding the inner workings of Unix. Understanding Unix®/Linux Programming would be in excellent company with these books. The book contains a copious amount of code and clear, diagramed explanations describing the processes transpiring in the machine.

Understanding Unix®/Linux Programming is designed to be used in an operating systems course with programmers fluent in C. Fortunately, though, the book can be used outside of the classroom if the reader does not mind an occasional open-ended questions with no included answers. The book may seem light on pages (530 including index), but the author should get an award for jamming so much useful explanation and helpful (and complete) code. The format of each chapter is familiar to most textbooks, with an introduction to the task at hand, explanations and examples, a summary, a list of explorations to further understand the topics presented, and a set of programming exercises. The exercises are creative and directly relate to the presented code.They're also (dare I say it?) fun. I'm not saying they'll replace crossword puzzles, but they do present creative or obvious challenges to the reader. (Like handling when a user types 'exit' from a shell, or blinking the text in an ncurses application).

The book includes topics on file I/O, device I/O, timers, process management, stream and datagram sockets, POSIX threads, file systems, the terminal driver, signals pipes, network programming and semaphores. A typical chapter will introduce an operating system concept (file systems and directories, for instance) and will briefly describe the current Unix command for working with that concept (pwd for determining the present working directory, or ls for listing the contents of a directory, and so forth). The author then proceeds to give a detailed description of what the operating system does to run the command. In the chapter on processes and programs, the author describes what processes are and how to use the ps command. Next the author describes how to fork child processes, and wait for them. This leads to the 'prompting shell', which is a simple, yet functional shell environment. Now some books would leave this exercise after creating a semi-functional shell, but the author presses on and in the next chapter creates 'small-shell' which is an interactive shell with a minimal scripting langauge and variable support. All of this in the span of 71 pages, with plenty of examples, full code listings, diagrams, and problem sets.

Understanding Unix®/Linux Programming takes advantage of the inquisitive nature of coders by presenting commands and command squences we all take for granted, and turning them into "how do they work" learning experiences. Anyone who has ever stopped to think why certain things work the way they do in Unix (or work at all) will find this book immensely helpful in sating that curiousity. Students who are assigned this textbook for a class should thank their teacher for choosing a genuinely useful text from which to read. I can't help but be jealous of students who will use this book for their classes. That jealousy is short-lived though, as anyone who wants an excellent resource for learning Unix programming will benefit from picking up this book. Kudos to the author for crafting not only an exceptionally easy to read and thourough book, but for taking the complex machinations of Unix and making them simple and accessible for all coders.

Easy to understand
It goes right to the point and it's easy too understand. One of the very few books out there that really shows what system programming is all about.Great samples too. ... Read more