Unix Systems Books

Ideal for OS 9.x Converts & New Mac Users alike.
My deepest gratitude to the Design Graphics Guide Series authors at Wiley Publishing for an exceptional guide to Mac OS X (Jaguar 10.2). Mac OSX Illustrated has the most user-friendly an organized Layout, Glossary & Index I have ever encountered for a computer publication. I have introduced it to many students, colleagues, and clients who have found it to be an indispensable part of their libraries.

Key Features:
Colour Coded chapters: Visible when book is closed
Chapter Reference on all relevant pages: Graphic Key
OS 9.x to OS 10.x then & now comparisons: Reference for those familiar with OS 9.x & earlier
Very clean full colour graphics: Suitable for visual thinkers.

Even though I've been a Macintosh user since 1995, when I got my new iMac I knew from the first time I plugged it in that I was entering a totally different territory. The lustrous Aqua interface, the fact that it now supports different user profiles, the organization of the System in general, iTunes, iMovie, iCal... I knew at once there was much to be discovered. I started to look around for a guide that would tell me about the new Mac OS X without boundaries, and when I came across "Mac OS X Illustrated", by the people of Australian "Design Graphics" magazine, I knew I had found it.

This is an awesome book. With realistic, full color drawings, superb print quality and minimalistic text, it achieves its purpose: to provide a wholesome tour of Apple's new system in a way deep enough for one to be comfortable with it, but at the same time basic enough so that users interested in learning more about a particular subject, can use the resources and suggestions given to get further answers. The book uses color not only for illustrative purposes but to catalogue its subjects in ways that makes them easier to find when we need a quick reference. Everything here is explained: Apple's new iApps, the new finder, the new online resources (such as iDisk), how to customize each profile, etc. The second part of the book introduces us to the Unix language, which is at the core of the new Mac OS X system, and it is altogether a whole new animal. This is one of the areas where further research is required, but the book does instruct us on the basic commands (including what not to do in order not to mess your system up).

Something I really liked about this guide is that it's not only restricted to Apple's new system software, but it also recommends third parties that are essential in every possible area for a Mac user, such as graphics, creation of documents and presentations, utilities, etc. So even in this area, one gets the benefit of expert advice on the type of software that will run better on Apple's new computers. An excellent tool to keep beside your new iMac or G4 at all times and refer to again and again.

This is an excellent resource for anyone who is looking to negotiate Fedora. The book is very direct, pragmatic, and well written. The author speaks clearly and has the material organized in a manner such that it can be applied directly and understood easily. I have been working on the CompTIA Linux+ exam, and this book has taken me 'to the next level' in terms of understanding what is going on and how to apply it. An absolute beginner to computers would be best to look for something more basic. A beginner to Linux may take a bit of time to absorb the material. I'm convinced there's something in here for anyone who is into the Linux OS.

This book is great! I covers alot of things I need to understand & know. I know basic linux commands & when work wanted to implement a fedora core 5 server I knew I had some work to do. There are many things that this book has shown me that I am able to do more than just find, grep, and ps commands that this book has taught me do actually use! A definate MUST buy for anyone useing core 5 applications (and you are not a master already)

Mary McCarthy has never gotten her due as a prose writer and this -- her best novel -- seems to have been overlooked. This is the story of a young man 's emancipation from his very much loved mother (with whom he has an almost romantic relationship based on her attractiveness and their shared sensibility). They construct an ideal life together in which they eschew all "modern" conveniences for the niceties of the past. She remarries and he is launched as an adult, going to Paris to school, where he attempts to apply his interpretation of Kant's moral imperative to the various experiences he has (including one very funny-painful episode in which he invites a urine-soaked clochard to share his quarters). It is a completely delightful book and can be reread with pleasure. She is a master story teller.

I was so incredibly inspired by someone that truly understands Kantian ethics, and how to apply them. Mary McCarthy was obviously very well educated and intelligent, this book was so good that I was wondering why she was not a part of the literature classes that I took in college. Her very endearing and intimate writing style has me in awe. I really want to send this book to my former philosophy professor and see what he thinks. If you like a good novel and philosophy both, read this book.

If you want to have a good overview of all the major mini/mainframe OSes, this is the book. The absence of NT and the inclusion of VM is questionable but this could be addressed by a 2nd edition. If you are looking for an in-depth discussion of the internals of each system this is not your book. But if you need to navigate multiple OSes in a multiplatform environment this is your best bet.

This is an excellent overview of various obsolete mainframe operating systems (not to mention Unix, which is not obsolete.) You know the systems I mean: the ones you access using those ugly old green and black screens in a dusty corner of your IT department's offices, the ones with the humongous databases hidden behind arcane text-based software. The potentially dry material is greatly moistened by DuCharme's witty yet understated writing style.

There are still a lot of those dinosaur mainframes still roaming the earth, Y2K notwithstanding, so this field guide is still useful, a full half-decade after it was published.

I am a newbie to computers, but I want to learn how they work. This book explains the details of how a PC works and much of what I should do when it doesn't. Mr. Gilster explains things in a no-nonsense, clear way that doesn't try to blow me away with all of the technical jargon. He obviously knows his stuff and how to explain it to someone like me. Great book for anyone who wants to move past the newbie level!

I do not consider myself a beginner to PCs, but I still found this to be a great book. The chapter on printers, a very under represented technology in books, makes it worth the price. It is really easy to read, but not so easy as to be talking down to you. This would be a good book to read if you are interested in how that box on your desk works or if, for once, you'd like to know what that techie at work is talking about. Good read!

This book is an excellent multimedia experience for someone to learn Java Programming at home. It can also be used as a supplement to a lecturer or a hardcover Java book. I highly recommend it as the best way to learn on your own. This is what online or multimedia teaching is all about!

I loved this product. Like nothing else I have seen on programming, it makes learning programming and java easy and interesting because it is so visual and dynamic. The CD is a resource that you can keep for life. i would recommend this to anyone wanting to learn how to program in java from a master of the discipline.

I collect unix books, close to 300. This is the best book for beginners in unix, it actually shows a beginner how to install (the only beginner book that does this) 2 flavors of unix, sun solaris and sco's unix. the chapters are short and to the point. errors are nearly non-existent. If you are serious about learning solaris, then start with this one and go straight to answer2book, the solaris documentation set that comes with the operating system. You can easily multi-boot solaris with all the windows flavors as well as ms-dos. Mark Sobell's book is also an excellent source.

Steve Moritsugu and DTR Business Systems' Practical UNIX is recommended for UNIX programmers who seek a reference book of solutions for common UNIX problems. From modifying and compressing files to determining how to extract fields and using networking capabilities, this expands upon the UNIX platform of knowledge.

Since I cut my teeth on Microsoft, this Linux CBT was exactly the
kind of training I was looking for. Although I've had some very minor
exposure to linux, I am absolutely a newbie. This CBT allowed me to
pop the cd into my WindowsXP machine and use videoclips, audioclips and
multimedia demonstrations to get a jumpstart on the Linux learning curve.
Right off the bat there are step-by-step instructions/demos for
the Red Hat 7.x install. Then you get a walk through of the various parts

of the GNOME and KDE desktop. The CBT book and course line seem to follow
along the RHCE exam guide but I haven't gotten that far.
There is a min. req. to use a Netscape browser but I used IE6
without a problem.
I was really impressed with how the author brought his real world
experience to the training. In the case of printing, the author feels
strongly in using the CUPS configuration even though this not out-of-the-box
Red Hat.
I could tell he is very concerned about security and wants to make
sure you are too. Passwords info, account management and good admin practices
are sprinkled through the training.
For newbies like me Linux can be intimidating. With this CBT you can
just re-run modules until you feel comfortable with a section.
I give this training very high marks for content, presentation and
ease of use. I'd recommend it to any new Linux user.

Since I cut my teeth on Microsoft, this Linux CBT was exactly the
kind of training I was looking for. Although I've had some very minor
exposure to linux, I am absolutely a newbie. This CBT allowed me to
pop the cd into my WindowsXP machine and use videoclips, audioclips and
multimedia demonstrations to get a jumpstart on the Linux learning curve.
Right off the bat there are step-by-step instructions/demos for
the Red Hat 7.x install. Then you get a walk through of the various parts

of the GNOME and KDE desktop. The CBT book and course line seem to follow
along the RHCE exam guide but I haven't gotten that far.
There is a min. req. to use a Netscape browser but I used IE6
without a problem.
I was really impressed with how the author brought his real world
experience to the training. In the case of printing, the author feels
strongly in using the CUPS configuration even though this not out-of-the-box
Red Hat.
I could tell he is very concerned about security and wants to make
sure you are too. Passwords info, account management and good admin practices
are sprinkled through the training.
For newbies like me Linux can be intimidating. With this CBT you can
just re-run modules until you feel comfortable with a section.
I give this training very high marks for content, presentation and
ease of use. I'd recommend it to any new Linux user.

For years, any system administrator running Linux who was worth his paycheck knew that Qmail was the defacto standard for running a mail server (heck, even Yahoo uses it!). Sendmail has always been ripe with security holes and headaches -- something Qmail has went to great lengths to correct. However, the problem has always been there was no easy reference guide to Qmail. You had to be either a Linux-geek, or know someone who was, to get it installed and working correctly!

Now, thanks to O'Reilly, even us non-geeks can get our Qmail systems up and running in no time. This book covers everything you need to know in an easy-to-follow format. From installation, to making the switch from sendmail, even how to tune and setup third-party components with Qmail to help control spam, scan for viruses and run your own mailing list server.

One of the great things about this book is it, for the most part, is not dependent on any particular flavor of Linux. The author does a good job of making it generic enough that you can follow along no matter what distribution you use.

Granted, you will need to know a bit about Linux to use read and fully understand this book. It is geared towards system admistrators and not the end-user of a Qmail system. However, you don't need to be a Linux Guru to understand it -- it has just enough detail to satisfy without overwhelming.

Overall, this is the handbook for Qmail that has been long overdue -- a one-stop technical manual that puts the final touch on Qmail.

Although sendmail is installed in more Internet mail servers than any other Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) it has come under scrutiny for being a large awkward program by today's standards. More and more new MTA servers are moving to a modular program like qmail that has a multitude of smaller programs for each function instead of one huge program that does everything. This allows for greater speed and flexibility. John R. Levine's new book "qmail: Managing Unix-Based Mail Systems" examines the qmail program in depth from installation to configuration to troubleshooting. While qmail is fairly straightforward and you can achieve great results on both small and very large systems, it is a very different way of thinking if you are moving from sendmail and are already familiar with it. The author recognizes this difficulty of changing the way you think and spends a good portion of the beginning of the book detailing qmail and how it works so you understand the "qmail frame of mind". I've never setup a sendmail server and so I did not have the obstacle to overcome but I have setup and configured the postfix MTA which is also a modular type program. With that background the book was a breeze to follow along and I was even able to download a copy and configure it correctly for my system. The coverage was excellent and the installation and configuration information provided all the information I needed to get it up and running. If you are thinking of building a qmail MTA you will find "qmail: Managing Unix-Based Mail Systems" absolutely indispensable and the only reference you need to get it done right the first time.

After reading through this book I found that I liked it not only for an exam guide but also as a source of quick answers to miscellaneous small questions. For example, I had a minor problem where I knew what the problem was and what had to be done, but could not remember the specific utility or specific steps needed. A quick turn to the appropriate section of the book and I had my answer. This is not a book that you would use to try to learn Linux and it does not profess to be such a book. On the other hand if you have a familiarity with Red Hat Linux and want a refresher, or a short summary of the most common administrative tasks this is an excellent book. If I were to take a good Linux book and write an outline so that I could just jump to the answers when I had questions this is the kind of book that I would end up with. "Red Hat Certified Engineer Exam Notes" is a highly recommended read for anyone wanting a summary of Red Hat Linux in a well-organized format.

A great cram book. Short and to the point. Highly recommend reading it just before going to course to get an overview.

If you dont plan on going to course, read it BEFORE starting your
studies from the bigger Study Guide for a good overview. (I recommend "RHCE Red Hat Certified Engineer Linux Study Guide, Third Edition" by Michael Jang) Published by McGraw-Hill.

Happy Studying!

Good luck with your exam.