Mac OS X UNIX Books - Page 2

Mac OS X Unix 101 Byte-Sized Projects

Adrian Mayo

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A taste of 'geekdom' 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

There's a not-so-fine line between knowing your instrument, which serves a specific purpose or purposes, & being a geek. This book walks the line. There's so much more we, as Mac-users, can gain from understanding UNIX, but, of course, there's a limit to how much time & effort can be invested into gaining this insight.

I look at it this way: the time, frustration & money I save just by being able to competently maintain, get around limitations of the OSX interface & repair my system is more than enough compensation. This is the easiest to follow & understand of many UNIX books I've read, or attempted to read. If you have a little patience, this book will bestow rewards.

Editorial Review:

Unix is no longer someone else's OS. With Mac OS X built on top of it, Unix is becoming a household name, and more and more Mac users are ready to take it on. This book is for them!

Based on a popular series of Unix tips, this book promises to deliver what most other Unix guides fail to: comprehensive tutorials and instruction on specific Unix subjects, commands, and projects, not just a handy reference guide. Arranged into 101 mini tutorials in 11 key technology areas, this book provides all the tricks, techniques, and training that you need to understand how the system works and start using it immediately. You will quickly learn the basics to working with the Unix command line as well as work on specific tutorials/exercises, including: browsing and searching the directory file-system; viewing, searching, and processing file content; using text editors; shell scripting; cool commands; and more.

Essential Mac OS X Panther Server Administration

Michael Bartosh, Ryan Faas

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the command line to Apple's graphical tools, this book uses a thorough, fundamental approach that leads readers to mastery of every aspect of the server. Full of much-needed insight, clear explanations, troubleshooting tips, and security information in every chapter, the book shows system administrators how to utilize the software's capabilities and features for their individual needs. Some of the topics covered in detail include:

• Installation
• Deployment
• Server management
• Directory services
• Web application services
• System interaction
• Data gathering
• Stress planning

This comprehensive guide also takes the time to carefully highlight and analyze the differences between Mac OS X and the other server platforms. Whether you're a seasoned Unix or Windows administrator or a long-time Mac professional, Essential Mac OS X Panther Server Administration provides you with the depth you're seeking to maximize the potential of your Mac OS X Panther Server.

Running Mac OS X Tiger: A No-Compromise Power User's Guide to the Mac (Animal Guide)

Jason Deraleau, James Duncan Davidson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Running Mac OS X Tiger is the ideal resource for power users and system administrators like you who want to tweak Tiger, the new release of Mac OS X, to run faster, better, or just differently.

If you areready to dig deep into your Mac, this book expertly guides you to the core of Mac OS X. It helps you understand the inner workings of the operating system so you can know how to get the most out of it. And it gives you countless ideas--and step-by-step instruction--for customizing and revving up Tiger to your specific needs and your liking.

Completely revised and updated for Mac OS X Tiger, Running Mac OS X Tiger covers all the new features and functionality of Tiger. You can count on authors Jason Deraleau and James Duncan Davidson to give what you need--and not bother with what you don't. They don't spend time on Finder tips and keyboard shortcuts; they focus on showing you what makes a Mac tick and, more importantly, how you can make it tick just the way you want it to.

Easy to follow and intuitively organized, Running Mac OS X Tiger is divided into three parts: "Getting Started" introduces Mac OS X and explains how it's put together and why it works; "Administration Essentials" gives you the tools you need to examine how your system is running and adjust all the knobs behind its operation; and "Networking and Network Services" covers the ways Mac OS X interfaces with the world around it, including wireless and spontaneous networking. Developer Tools for Mac OS X, including Xcode, are discussed throughout the book as appropriate.

For the growing number of intermediate to advanced users who are ready and eager to customize Mac OS X, Running Mac OS X Tiger delivers everything you need to become master of your Mac.

Mac OS X for Unix Geeks

Brian Jepson, Ernest E. Rothman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

It's about time: Mac OS X for Unix Geeks arrives on the scene none too soon for UNIX aficionados who, having heard that the latest editions of Mac OS are based on a UNIX variant, want to see how the platform compares to more venerable versions of the eminently configurable operating system. This book highlights some key differences between the Darwin environment and more conventional UNIXs, enabling people with UNIX experience to take advantage of it as they learn the Mac OS X way of doing things at the command line.

This skinny volume neither aims to teach its readers UNIX nor introduce them to the Mac, but rather to show how Apple has implemented UNIX. It's a fast read that assumes--as the title implies--rather a lot of UNIX knowledge. With that requirement satisfied and this book in hand, you're likely to discover aspects of Aqua more quickly than you otherwise would have.

The authors spend lots of time explaining how administrative tasks--such as managing groups, users, and passwords--are handled in the Mac OS environment. They document netinfo fully, and call attention to its limitations (like its inability to create home directories for users) by explaining how to do the job on the command line. They also cover C programming in the Darwin universe at greater length than any other book does, providing explicit instructions for such important tasks as creating header files and linking static libraries. A guide to the command line (they call the reference section--groan--"The Missing Manpages") provides good value at this book's conclusion. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to get around in Darwin, the UNIX implementation built into Mac OS X. Sections deal with basic maneuvering at the command line, LDAP services, C programming, and graphical user interfaces under Aqua. There's a short section on building the kernel itself, but it's limited in scope.

Learning Unix for Mac OS X, 2nd Edition

Dave Taylor, Brian Jepson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This compact book provides a user-friendly tour of your Mac's Unix base. As you explore Terminal and familiarize yourself with the command line, you'll also learn about the hundreds of Unix programs that come with your Mac and begin to understand the power and flexibility of Unix. And if Unix isn't new to you, you'll discover how it translates into this new Mac incarnation. Updated to cover Jaguar (Mac OS X, 10.2), this book will keep you current with the latest features of your Mac. Learning Unix for Mac OS X, Second Edition begins with a quick but in-depth introduction to Terminal and the command line interface. After learning about launching and configuring the Terminal application, you'll find out how to manage, create, edit, and transfer files. You'll find all the common commands simply explained with accompanying examples, exercises, and opportunities for experimentation. There are even problem checklists to help you along the way if you get stuck. The book has been reviewed by Apple for technological accuracy and brandishes the Apple Development Connection (ADC) logo.

Mac OS X Tiger in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

Andy Lester, Chris Stone, Chuck Toporek, Jason McIntosh

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Following the common-sense O'Reilly style, Mac OS X Tiger in a Nutshell cuts through the chaff and gives you practical details you can use every day. Everything you need to know about the Unix side of Mac OS X has been systematically documented in this book.

Mac OS X Tiger in a Nutshell offers a complete overview of Mac OS X Tiger (Version 10.4), focusing on the BSD Unix layer. This book familiarizes you with over 300 of Tiger's Unix commands, the Terminal application, file management, system and network administration issues, and more.

Completely revised for Mac OS X Tiger, this book offers:

• The most complete and thorough coverage of Mac OS X's Unix commands you'll find anywhere (even in the system)
• An overview of basic system and network administration features, including coverage of NetInfo and Directory Services
• An introduction to using Mac OS X's Unix command-line interface, the Terminal application
• An overview of Mac OS X's Unix text editors, including vi and Emacs
• Information on shell syntax variables for Tiger's default Unix shell, bash

Each command and option in this book's Unix Command Reference has been painstakingly tested and checked against Tiger; even the manpages that ship with Mac OS X can't compete in accuracy. Mac OS X Tiger in a Nutshell is the most comprehensive quick reference on the market and is a must for any serious Mac user.

Programming Mac OS X: A Guide for Unix Developers

Kevin O'Malley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Broad, not deep 3 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book is a case in point for accurate titles. The book is exactly what it says it is, a wide overview of all of the different ways for 'Programming Mac OS X'. It starts with a brief history of the operating system, then talks about the operating system basics. It then covers at a high level building applications with Java, Objective-C, Carbon, Applescript and Perl. This includes sections on the tools to use to develop in these languages, and in some basic introductions to get you started on that platform.

In Manning style the graphics are effective, and the code samples are not overused and are well commented. Chapters three and four, which cover Project Builder and the standard compilers, stand out as the heart of the book. Chapter seven, on Applescript, is particularly appreciated because of the lack of documentation or books on this subject.

The book fills a unique roll. It covers all of the different programming possibilities at a level that gives you perspective of the entire playing field. If you want to drill down into say, Java programming, you will need to buy another book. But if you are unfamiliar with OS X and you are looking to program for it, you should take a look at this book to get a feel for the possibilities.

Editorial Review:

A guide for UNIX developers who want accurate information on getting up to speed with Mac OS X and its software development environment, this book provides programmers all the information they need to understand and use the operating system, its development tools, and key technologies such as Darwin, Cocoa, and AppleScript. Users are introduced to the UNIX-based foundations of Mac OS X and shown how they fit into Mac OS X architecture. Also provided is coverage of both GUI and command-line software development tools, realistic programming examples that developers will encounter, and a discussion of Macintosh-style software development.

Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks

Brian Jepson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

With its rep for being the sort of machine that won't intimidate even the most inexperienced users, what's the appeal of the Mac® for hard-core geeks? The Mac has always been an efficient tool, pleasant to use and customize, and eminently hackable. But now with Mac OS® X's BSD core, many a Unix® developer has found it irresistible. The latest version of Mac OS X, called Panther, makes it even easier for users to delve into the underlying Unix operating system. In fact, you can port Linux® and Unix applications and run them side-by-side with your native Aqua® apps right on the Mac desktop. Still, even experienced Unix users may find themselves in surprisingly unfamiliar territory as they set out to explore Mac OS X. Even if you know Macs through and through, Mac OS X Panther is unlike earlier Macs, and it's radically different from the Unix you've used before. Enter Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks by Brian Jepson and Ernest E. Rothman, two Unix geeks who found themselves in the same place you are. The new edition of this book is your guide to figuring out the BSD Unix system and Panther-specific components that you may find challenging. This concise book will ease you into the Unix innards of Mac OS X Panther, covering such topics as:

• A quick overview of the Terminal application, including Terminal alternatives like iTerm and GLterm
• Understanding Open Directory (LDAP) and NetInfo
• Issues related to using the GNU C Compiler (GCC)
• Library linking and porting Unix software
• An overview of Mac OS X Panther's filesystem and startup processes
• Creating and installing packages using Fink and Darwin Ports
• Building the Darwin kernel
• Using the Apple® X11 distribution for running X Windows® applications on top of Mac OS X

The book wraps up with a quick manpage-style reference to the "Missing Manual Pages" --commands that come with Mac OS X Panther, although there are no manpages. If you find yourself disoriented by the new Mac environment, Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks will get you acclimated quickly to the foreign new areas of a familiar Unix landscape.

50 Fast Mac OS X Techniques

Joe Kissell

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Best technical book in many years 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This is really a rare book. Not stupid-funny, and so knowledgeable and pedagogic. I had bought my new iMac, the first since my Mac+ nearly 20 years ago. It looked like a modern Mac, and worked as such. Then I got Joe Kissel's book! And discovered all the stuff underneath. The holy grail of UNIX. And how smart the engineers at Apple still are! I was amazed by how many intelligent goodies they have put into the box. And really enjoyed the profound know-how of Joe Kissell, and his many step-by-step guided tours into the heart of the iMac. I learnt to install a firewall- and that I already had a firewall in my box. I was taught GIMP, and file sharing, and all about the iApp's. Backing up, booting and so on. Apache-in-the-box too. Thank you VERY much, Joe!

Editorial Review:

• Includes 50 fast and easy effects for streamlining and customizing Mac OS X that any user can achieve almost instantly.
• Each technique is fully illustrated.
• All techniques are explained with a proven step-by-step format.
• Each professional-level technique takes no more than five minutes to accomplish.

UNIX for Mac OS X: Visual QuickPro Guide (Visual Quickpro Guide)

Matisse Enzer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Almost perfect 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I came to Mac OS X with almost 10 years of experience with mainly GUI operating systems; this book above all the others I looked at provided just the right all-round introduction to Unix on OS X. I cannot explain how a *Visual* QuickPro guide was so good at providing information about arguably the least visually rich aspect of the new Mac OS. It seems like an absurdly inappropriate format but somehow, it works perfectly - Mr Enzer gets things just right. There's no fluff and no overly chatty silliness to make the book an enormous doorstop. Nor is it ever tough going or unreadable - it's always well spaced, with excellent tips and notes sections and carefully paced.

It's probably about time that it was updated for Panther, which was released almost 7 months ago as I write this but the author has already provided the relevant information for bash users (a clean Panther installation uses bash by default) as well as csh and tcsh. (Don't worry if you don't know what these are - all becomes clear in the book.) Yes, there's a good Unix section for beginners in Mac OS X Panther Unleashed, too (Willam & John Ray) but this one easily tops it and provides much more useful information, good as the other book is on Mac OS X in general. There are other books that talk to Unix geeks about the Mac - this one is the best I've come across at doing the opposite.

I'm withholding one star only because so many errors made their way past the proof-reading stage. (Easily fixed - go to the Peachpit Press site and save a copy of the online Errors & Corrections page for this book.)

If you are new to Unix or have the most basic of skills and you use OS X, this will give you exactly the grounding you need using just the right kind of language. It's beautifully done. Just don't forget to visit the Errors & Corrections page at Peachpit.

Editorial Review:

With Mac OS X, Apple has completely rebuilt the Macintosh operating system from the ground up--and yes, it's Unix that's running this new Mac OS. Mac users can now use the terminal command line to write a Perl script, automate batch commands, run an Apache server, use sendmail, and grep to their heart's delight. And alternately, many experienced Unix programmers are thrilled to be able to write shell scripts on the Mac platform. Unix for Mac OS X: Visual QuickPro Guide shows readers how to configure their Unix environment, navigate permissions, directories and files, run handy Unix utilities, configure and run the Apache Web server, and much more. In addition, readers will learn how to protect their files with Unix's security tools, and how to fix their Macs when things go wrong.