The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Learning UNIX - for the bookshelf Major Keary |
The new Macintosh operating system (OS X) is built on UNIX; even though ordinary users don't need to know anything about UNIX, it is there and the dual system (traditional Mac GUI, and UNIX) is attracting developers from the Windows side. The UNIX command line is a powerful and flexible environment, but users don't have to learn "everything". They can pick up just enough command line knowledge to perform particular housekeeping functions or run one of the many applications that are tucked away in UNIX/Linux.
Learning UNIX for Mac OS X Panther is intended for Mac OS X users, but it is also a good introduction to UNIX/Linux for anyone who has an interest in learning how the command line works. There is another O'Reilly title, Learning the UNIX Operating System (ISBN 0-596-00261-0), that is designed for users of any platform, but this one is well suited to users who have lived in a graphical-user-interface world.
The authors say they want to make the reader comfortable in the UNIX environment. They don't go into a lot of technical detail or delve into complex matters such as system administration; what they focus on is the common commands and their "most useful features". This primer shows the reader useful - and interesting - things that can be done from the command line without danger.
This is an excellent introduction that will provide a sound foundation before aspiring power users move on to more advanced texts. A copy has been placed in the library; have a look at it for yourself.
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Taylor and Jepson: Learning Unix for Mac OS X Panther ISBN 0-596-00617-9 Published by O'Reilly, 168 pp., RRP $39.95 incl. GST |
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Reprinted from the May 2004 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
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