The stable, adaptable Unix underpinnings of Mac OS X surely have contributed to the operating system's fantastic success in the market. The trouble for the Mac loyal, though, is that nothing could be further removed from the friendly Mac user interface than the Unix shell environment. There's a learning curve to be surmounted by Mac users who want to get the most out of their new System, and that's where Learning Unix for Mac OS X Panther comes into the picture. It's an introductory Unix and shell-scripting text tailored to the specificities of Mac OS X, suitable for someone who's never worked with Unix before.

Because the capabilities of the Unix shell are vast, the authors devote many pages to showing how key commands (like ls and chmod) work in the most commonly encounter scenarios. More usefully (because Unix help screens explain the basics pretty well by themselves), they carefully explain a lot of recipes that solve problems everyone encounters--like the fact that Unix and many Mac applications encode the line breaks in text files differently. The authors' style consistently succeeds in communicating both facts about Unix and a sense of adventure about what you can do with it. This is a real treasure for anyone wanting to get the most out of the latest Mac OS. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to use the Unix operating system that underlies Mac OS X. Specifically, the authors show how to manage files, edit text with pico and vi, print text and graphics, and connect to the Internet. Special coverage shows how to explore the large assortment of open-source software suited to the Mac.

From Book News, Inc.
Introducing the basic concepts of Unix to Macintosh users, this slim guide explains how to work with the command line and file system, and some of the most useful utility commands. Instructions are provided for customizing the shell environment, remotely accessing a Mac from other computers, copying files between computers, and installing open source software with Fink. This edition covers the Panther version of Mac OS X.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Book Description
This compact book provides a user-friendly tour for the uninitiated of the Mac Unix base. You can safely explore Terminal and familiarize yourself with the command line, learning as you go about the hundreds of Unix programs that come with your Mac. You'll 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 latest Mac incarnation. Updated to cover Mac OS X Panther (Mac OS X 10.3), this book will keep you current with the latest features of your Mac. Learning Unix for Mac OS X Panther begins with a quick but in-depth introduction to Terminal and the command line interface. All the common commands are 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. Mac OS X Panther makes it possible for you to run Unix programs side-by-side with native Mac programs on your Mac desktop.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Renown for its friendliness, Mac OS X has delighted many a loyal Mac user with its combined ease of use and underlying strength. By no means simplistic, its intelligently designed operating system and user interface boast of sophistication and power, while still offering accessibility to even the most inexperienced computer users. But Mac OS X has gone one step further: it's turned unsuspecting Mac users into Unix users, too.

Perhaps you're already familiar with Unix, just not on the Mac. Or perhaps you opened your Utilities folder, spotted the Terminal icon and double-clicked on it just to see what it does. Suddenly faced with a command line interface, you may have asked, "What does this mean?" followed by the most pressing question, "Why on earth would I ever want to venture into this seemingly user-unfriendly territory?"

The new edition of Learning Unix for Mac OS X Panther answers these questions and more. This compact book provides a user-friendly tour of the Mac's Unix base for the uninitiated. You can safely explore Terminal and familiarize yourself with the command line, learning as you go about the hundreds of Unix programs that come with your Mac. You'll 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 latest Mac incarnation. Updated to cover Mac OS X Panther (Mac OS X 10.3), this book will keep you current with the latest features of your Mac.

Learning Unix for Mac OS X Panther begins with a quick but in-depth introduction to Terminal and the command line interface. 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. You'll learn how to:

Customize your shell environment Manage files and directories Successfully print from the Unix command line Edit and create files with the vi editor Perform remote logins Access Internet functions, and much more

Unix continues to thrive as an operating system because of its power, flexibility, and simplicity, and the vast community that supports it. Mac OS X Panther makes it possible for you to run Unix programs side-by-side with native Mac programs on your Mac desktop. Learning Unix for Mac OS X Panther puts the power of these programs at your fingertips.

SYNOPSIS

Introducing the basic concepts of Unix to Macintosh users, this slim guide explains how to work with the command line and file system, and some of the most useful utility commands. Instructions are provided for customizing the shell environment, remotely accessing a Mac from other computers, copying files between computers, and installing open source software with Fink. This edition covers the Panther version of Mac OS X. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

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