APIs & Operating Environments Books

MCDST Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-271): Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft® Windows® XP Operating System, Second Edition (Pro-Certification)

Walter Glenn, Tony Northrup

Amazon Price: $37.79 List Price: $59.99 By: Microsoft Press - Model: 9780735622272 Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $33.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Certification Central -> Publisher -> Microsoft Press
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Certification Central -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Operating Systems Theory

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Now fully updated for Windows XP Service Pack 2, this all-in-one training kit provides in-depth preparation, practice, and review for one of two required exams for the Microsoft Desktop Support Technician Certification (MCDST). Covering Exam 70-271, this kit packs the tools and features exam candidates want most—including in-depth, self-paced training based on final exam content; rigorous, objective-by-objective review; exam tips from an expert, exam-certified author; and a robust testing suite. It also provides real-world scenarios, case studies, and troubleshooting labs for the skills and expertise you can apply to the job.

Focusing on building your ability to resolve end-user incident requests by configuring and troubleshooting the Windows XP operating system in the corporate or home environment, this official study guide covers system installation, managing access to resources, configuring and troubleshooting hardware devices and drivers, configuring and troubleshooting the desktop and user environments, and troubleshooting network protocols and services.

Ace your exam preparation by working at your own pace through the lessons, hands-on exercises, and practice tests. The flexible, best-of-class test engine on CD-ROM features 425 practice questions. Choose timed or untimed testing mode, generate random tests or focus on discrete objectives or chapters, and get detailed explanations for right and wrong answers—including pointers back to the book for further study. You also get a 120-day evaluation version of Windows XP software and other resources on the CD, making this kit an exceptional value and a great

Essential Linux Device Drivers (Prentice Hall Open Source Software Development Series)

Sreekrishnan Venkateswaran

Amazon Price: $35.99 List Price: $44.99 By: Prentice Hall PTR Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $33.96

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Device Drivers
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Software Design, Testing & Engineering -> Software Development
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> Linux -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

“Probably the most wide ranging and complete Linux device driver book I’ve read.”

--Alan Cox, Linux Guru and Key Kernel Developer

“Very comprehensive and detailed, covering almost every single Linux device driver type.”

--Theodore Ts’o, First Linux Kernel Developer in North America and Chief Platform Strategist of the Linux Foundation

The Most Practical Guide to Writing Linux Device Drivers

Linux now offers an exceptionally robust environment for driver development: with today’s kernels, what once required years of development time can be accomplished in days. In this practical, example-driven book, one of the world’s most experienced Linux driver developers systematically demonstrates how to develop reliable Linux drivers for virtually any device. Essential Linux Device Drivers is for any programmer with a working knowledge of operating systems and C, including programmers who have never written drivers before. Sreekrishnan Venkateswaran focuses on the essentials, bringing together all the concepts and techniques you need, while avoiding topics that only matter in highly specialized situations. Venkateswaran begins by reviewing the Linux 2.6 kernel capabilities that are most relevant to driver developers. He introduces simple device classes; then turns to serial buses such as I2C and SPI; external buses such as PCMCIA, PCI, and USB; video, audio, block, network, and wireless device drivers; user-space drivers; and drivers for embedded Linux–one of today’s fastest growing areas of Linux development. For each, Venkateswaran explains the technology, inspects relevant kernel source files, and walks through developing a complete example.

• Addresses drivers discussed in no other book, including drivers for I2C, video, sound, PCMCIA, and different types of flash memory

• Demystifies essential kernel services and facilities, including kernel threads and helper interfaces

• Teaches polling, asynchronous notification, and I/O control

• Introduces the Inter-Integrated Circuit Protocol for embedded Linux drivers

• Covers multimedia device drivers using the Linux-Video subsystem and Linux-Audio framework

• Shows how Linux implements support for wireless technologies such as Bluetooth, Infrared, WiFi, and cellular networking

• Describes the entire driver development lifecycle, through debugging and maintenance

• Includes reference appendixes covering Linux assembly, BIOS calls, and Seq files

Operating System Concepts

Abraham Silberschatz, Peter Baer Galvin, Greg Gagne

Amazon Price: $100.45 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $88.81

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Computer Science
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Operating Systems Theory
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Keep pace with the fast-developing world of operating systems

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

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

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

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

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

Regular Expression Pocket Reference: Regular Expressions for Perl, Ruby, PHP, Python, C, Java and .NET (Pocket Reference (O'Reilly))

Tony Stubblebine

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $6.89

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Java -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Java -> Reference
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Unicode

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This handy little book offers programmers a complete overview of the syntax and semantics of regular expressions that are at the heart of every text-processing application. Ideal as a quick reference, Regular Expression Pocket Reference covers the regular expression APIs for Perl 5.8, Ruby (including some upcoming 1.9 features), Java, PHP, .NET and C#, Python, vi, JavaScript, and the PCRE regular expression libraries.

This concise and easy-to-use reference puts a very powerful tool for manipulating text and data right at your fingertips. Composed of a mixture of symbols and text, regular expressions can be an outlet for creativity, for brilliant programming, and for the elegant solution. Regular Expression Pocket Reference offers an introduction to regular expressions, pattern matching, metacharacters, modes and constructs, and then provides separate sections for each of the language APIs, with complete regex listings including:

• Supported metacharacters for each language API
• Regular expression classes and interfaces for Ruby, Java, .NET, and C#
• Regular expression operators for Perl 5.8
• Regular expression module objects and functions for Python
• Pattern-matching functions for PHP and the vi editor
• Pattern-matching methods and objects for JavaScript
• Unicode Support for each of the languages

With plenty of examples and other resources, Regular Expression Pocket Reference summarizes the complex rules for performing this critical text-processing function, and presents this often-confusing topic in a friendly and well-organized format. This guide makes an ideal on-the-job companion.

Serial Port Complete: COM Ports, USB Virtual COM Ports, and Ports for Embedded Systems (Complete Guides series)

Jan Axelson

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lakeview Research Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $24.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Microprocessors & System Design -> Computer Design
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> Microprocessors & System Design -> Embedded Systems
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Hardware -> PCs

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

Jan Has It Covered! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

If you work with or need to work with RS-232, USB or RS-485, this book is a must-have reference. The subject matter of this book is heavy on the embedded side of serial communications as Jan covers .NET serial programming and explains how to completely configure a serial port on a microcontroller. Jan then goes on to tell you how to bring up an RS-485 network. Leaving no stone unturned, Jan explains how to design and deploy an embedded RS-232 network.

In addition to the discussion of traditional serial data formats and serial hardware implementations, Jan includes tips on how to use the special-function FTDI USB/Serial IC. She even explains why wires pick up noise and how to choose the right wire for the application.

Jan's new book is a one-stop serial communications reference which includes serial connector pinouts, data format illustrations, example soource code and a multitude of schematic representations. If you need to know how to successfully deploy serial links, you need to have this book on your desk.

Editorial Review:

PC COM ports, USB virtual COM ports, and ports in embedded systems are all addressed in this updated guide to programming, interfacing, and using serial ports. Topics include using .NET’s SerialPort class for COM-port communications on PCs; upgrading existing RS-232 designs to USB or wireless networks; and creating serial networks of embedded systems and PCs. Example circuits and code provide a quick start to projects. Installation and maintenance staff will also find tips for ensuring reliable operation and problem tracking.

Modern Operating Systems (3rd Edition) (GOAL Series)

Andrew S. Tanenbaum

Amazon Price: $97.60 List Price: $122.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $73.58

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Operating Systems Theory
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

For software development professionals and computer science students, Modern Operating Systems gives a solid conceptual overview of operating system design, including detailed case studies of Unix/Linux and Windows 2000.

What makes an operating system modern? According to author Andrew Tanenbaum, it is the awareness of high-demand computer applications--primarily in the areas of multimedia, parallel and distributed computing, and security. The development of faster and more advanced hardware has driven progress in software, including enhancements to the operating system. It is one thing to run an old operating system on current hardware, and another to effectively leverage current hardware to best serve modern software applications. If you don't believe it, install Windows 3.0 on a modern PC and try surfing the Internet or burning a CD.

Readers familiar with Tanenbaum's previous text, Operating Systems, know the author is a great proponent of simple design and hands-on experimentation. His earlier book came bundled with the source code for an operating system called Minux, a simple variant of Unix and the platform used by Linus Torvalds to develop Linux. Although this book does not come with any source code, he illustrates many of his points with code fragments (C, usually with Unix system calls).

The first half of Modern Operating Systems focuses on traditional operating systems concepts: processes, deadlocks, memory management, I/O, and file systems. There is nothing groundbreaking in these early chapters, but all topics are well covered, each including sections on current research and a set of student problems. It is enlightening to read Tanenbaum's explanations of the design decisions made by past operating systems gurus, including his view that additional research on the problem of deadlocks is impractical except for "keeping otherwise unemployed graph theorists off the streets."

It is the second half of the book that differentiates itself from older operating systems texts. Here, each chapter describes an element of what constitutes a modern operating system--awareness of multimedia applications, multiple processors, computer networks, and a high level of security. The chapter on multimedia functionality focuses on such features as handling massive files and providing video-on-demand. Included in the discussion on multiprocessor platforms are clustered computers and distributed computing. Finally, the importance of security is discussed--a lively enumeration of the scores of ways operating systems can be vulnerable to attack, from password security to computer viruses and Internet worms.

Included at the end of the book are case studies of two popular operating systems: Unix/Linux and Windows 2000. There is a bias toward the Unix/Linux approach, not surprising given the author's experience and academic bent, but this bias does not detract from Tanenbaum's analysis. Both operating systems are dissected, describing how each implements processes, file systems, memory management, and other operating system fundamentals.

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

Unix Network Programming, Volume 1: The Sockets Networking API (3rd Edition) (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)

W. Richard Stevens, Bill Fenner, Andrew M. Rudoff

Amazon Price: $63.99 List Price: $79.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Addison-Wesley Professional Amazon Marketplace: 45 new & used starting at $45.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> Unix -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Unix

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

4½ stars -- minor gripes 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The book contains everything that I want to know about the Unix Sockets API. The book is well structured, and the explanations are generally good. I would give it 4½ stars if it was possible.

I do have a few minor gripes though. The text can be a bit dull compared to other books. I bought "Programming with POSIX(R) Threads" by David R. Butenhof at the same time, and this book is much more entertaining while still factual and correct.

I dislike that all the examples in the book uses a special header defined in the Appendix. That makes it impossible to use snippets of code from the examples to make your own applications.

A piece of art 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is excellent. I had previously bought "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment" by the same author and I loved it so now that I have to do network programming in Linux I got a copy of UNP. The book is well organized and has a lot more information than I expected (Raw sockets, Packet capture, IPv6 etc). Everything is explained clearly and with a lot of examples. It's a shame that the author passed away because I would buy any other book he wrote. Buy this book, it's expensive but It's so professional that is a "must have" for anyone that's going to be programming network applications in UNIX systems.

Thank you, Richard Stevens. Rest in Peace.

Linux Device Drivers, 3rd Edition

Jonathan Corbet, Alessandro Rubini, Greg Kroah-Hartman

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 37 new & used starting at $17.18

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Networking -> Networks, Protocols & APIs -> LAN
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Networking -> Network Administration
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> Unix -> Administration

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 45 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Updated to cover version 2.4.x of the Linux kernel, the second edition of Linux Device Drivers remains the best general-purpose, paper-bound guide for programmers wishing to make hardware devices work under the world's most popular open-source operating system. The authors take care to show how to write drivers that are portable--that is, that compile and run under all popular Linux platforms. That, along with the fact that they're careful to explain and illustrate concepts, makes this book very well suited to any programmer familiar with C but not with the hardware-software interface. It's worth noting that the emphasis in the title is on "device drivers" as much as "Linux." This book will make sense to you if you've never written a driver for any platform before. It helps if you have some Linux or Unix background, but even that is secondary as a prerequisite to C skill.

For a programming text--and one concerned with low-level instructions and data structures, at that--this book is remarkably rich in prose. You'll typically want to read this book straight through, more or less skipping the code samples, before sketching out your plan for the driver you need to write. Then, go back and pay closer attention to the sections on specific details you need to implement, like custom task queues. For coding-time details about specific system calls and programming techniques, count on the index to point you to the right passages. --David Wall

Topics covered: Techniques for writing hardware device drivers that run under Linux kernels 2.0.x through 2.2.x. Sections show how to manage memory, time, interrupts, ports, and other details of the hardware-software interface.

Microsoft Windows Registry Guide, Second Edition (Pro One Offs)

Jerry Honeycutt

Amazon Price: $29.69 List Price: $44.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Microsoft Press Amazon Marketplace: 39 new & used starting at $6.23

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Microsoft Windows Registry
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Microsoft -> Operating Systems -> Windows - General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Get the in-depth information you need to modify—and seamlessly manage—the Windows registry. Written for IT professionals and power users, this vital resource reveals little-known registry techniques, tricks, tips, and secrets to make your job easier. Understand the inner workings of the Windows operating system—and use the registry to get Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP to run the way you want, on a single desktop or across the network. You’ll learn how to pinpoint registry settings and script registry changes, deal with registry permissions, use Windows Installer, and map Tweak UI settings. Also, find best practices for how to back up, restore, and maintain registry settings with confidence. The CD includes 100+ registry files for customizing operating system appearance and behavior, and the complete eBook. You’ll learn how to:

- Apply best practices to back up, restore, manage, and modify the registry

- Customize group and system policies to manage multiple PCs and users remotely

- Track down registry settings and script changes

- Optimize server services, including network connections and authentication

- Deploy user profiles and Microsoft Office program settings

- Configure security services, including Windows Firewall, templates, and service pack features

- Troubleshoot the registry—resolving common problems and corruption issues

Advanced Programming in the UNIX(R) Environment (2nd Edition) (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)

W. Richard Stevens, Stephen A. Rago

Amazon Price: $63.99 List Price: $79.99 By: Addison-Wesley Professional Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $47.31

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> Unix -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Operating Systems -> General
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> APIs & Operating Environments -> Unix

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 76 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Where is AIX, HP/UX, among other majors? 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This book is a fantastic starting point in life. Some how our public schools over look teaching the fundamental skills presented in this book. We learn how to play with toys on simple computers and never really learn what we are doing.

The real strength of this book is in the definitions. We get to see the purpose and flexibility of system calls and functions. Not just use them but understand them. UNIX functions as job control or signals are explained in detail. Let's take just one item "waitpid":

The waitpid function provides three features that aren't provided by the wait function.

You will have to red the book to find out what they are. However there are examples also. Now for people with real systems like AIX all you have to do is ad a "k" to the front of the call and you have the AIX kernel function call "kwaitpid"; voila you now have an understanding that can not be found clearly in a Red Book.

It does help some to have a preunderstanding of the system do you can use the book to fill in the education holes missed when necessary.

The index is worth its weight in gold as you can find functions headers and concepts all in alphabetical order. My favorite is the definitions.

As much as I am a fan of the internet it also pays to carry the information in the form of a book. And all this book has to do is save a couple of hours and it has paid for its self.

Mastering UNIX Shell Scripting

Editorial Review:

Bestselling UNIX author Rich Stevens offers application and system programmers his professional, experienced-based guidance on using the system call interface with C. Since good examples are the key to a book like this, a simple shell program is developed in the first chapter and then expanded throughout the book to demonstrate the principles.