Think UNIX

by Jon Lasser

Unix has a reputation for being cryptic and difficult to learn, but it doesn't need to be that way. Think Unix takes an analogous approach to that of a grammar book. Rather than teaching individual words or phrases like most books, Think Unix teaches the set of logical structures to be learned. Myriad examples help you learn individual commands, and practice problems at the end of difficult sections help you learn the practical side of Unix. Strong attention is paid to learning how to read "man pages," the standard documentation on all Unix systems, including Linux. While most books simply tell you that man pages exist and spend some time teaching how to use the man command, none spend any significant amount of space teaching how to use the content of the man pages. Even if you are lost at the Unix command prompt, you can learn subsystems that are specific to the Unix flavor.

300 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2000

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, simple introduction to the Unix operating system, which is the parent of Linux, Mac OS and Android. While the book is over 10 years old, most of what is covered is still in the Unix core.