What do you think?
Rate this book
Linux and the Unix Philosophy: Operating Systems
Unlike so many books that focus on how to use Linux, Linux and the Unix Philosophy explores the "way of thinking that is Linux" and why Linux is a superior implementation of this highly capable operating system.This book is a revision and expansion of a computer science classic. Every chapter has been thoroughly updated with Linux coverage.Linux and the Unix Philosophy falls squarely between the "softer" texts on iterative software design and project management and the "how-to" technical texts. Thus far, no one has come out with a book that addresses this topic, either in the Unix space or the Linux space. Linux and the Unix Philosophy covers the same ground as the first edition, while it also presents bold new ideas about Linux and Open Source.· Concise list of philosophy tenets makes it a handy quick reference· Anecdotal examples personalize the book for the reader· Conversational style makes it easy and joyful to read
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2002
17 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 20, 2013
Would be better titled "Linux and the Unix Platitudes."
Most everything of value can be absorbed from the table of contents, which presents some insight into Linux architecture in a series of aphoristic slogans. Many of them are thought-provoking, though it should be noted they're also not original to the author, who provides a "commentary" of sorts, with a lot of hand waving. The book could be profitably reduced to a page of truisms, like "Learn by doing," "Done is better than perfect," "Small is beautiful," "Form follows function," and so forth.
I found its tone off-putting - it borders on berating the reader - and its perspective relatively unenlightening. Seriously, just read this instead:
http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch01s06...
Most everything of value can be absorbed from the table of contents, which presents some insight into Linux architecture in a series of aphoristic slogans. Many of them are thought-provoking, though it should be noted they're also not original to the author, who provides a "commentary" of sorts, with a lot of hand waving. The book could be profitably reduced to a page of truisms, like "Learn by doing," "Done is better than perfect," "Small is beautiful," "Form follows function," and so forth.
I found its tone off-putting - it borders on berating the reader - and its perspective relatively unenlightening. Seriously, just read this instead:
http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch01s06...
May 25, 2019
There is no such thing as Unix philosophy. It is plain conservatism. People who are scared of moving a single inch from the dead orthodoxy they have learned in high school.
There is no such thing as Linux. It is the same crowd fascinated by the modern toys cool people have. As long as Microsoft was the leading innovator, the Linux crowd copied the best they could the Microsoft tools, while at the same time hating Microsoft with every email. Than there was Apple. Every low hanging fruit was copied, most of the time, respecting what Gancarz calls the Unix philosophy: configure it with a text file having yet another syntax, where the smart kids were giving one window with two tabs of check marks and buttons.
There is no such thing as Linux. It is the same crowd fascinated by the modern toys cool people have. As long as Microsoft was the leading innovator, the Linux crowd copied the best they could the Microsoft tools, while at the same time hating Microsoft with every email. Than there was Apple. Every low hanging fruit was copied, most of the time, respecting what Gancarz calls the Unix philosophy: configure it with a text file having yet another syntax, where the smart kids were giving one window with two tabs of check marks and buttons.
February 5, 2023
I'm not sure what Microsoft did to this guy. The first half of the book was a nice explanation of some good software engineering principles (and some less good ones when subjected to the test of time and technology), especially as pertains to Unix/Linux, but then devolved into a operating systems war screed largely targeted at Windows. Most of what he attributes to terrible design by Microsoft is more reasonably different choices made for a very different user base than the Linux CLI junkies.
Want to read
October 13, 2019mentioned in UNIX and Linux System Administration Handbook (4th edition)
March 4, 2017
I was expecting this book would offer a good counterpoint to The UNIX Hater's Handbook: The Best of UNIX-Haters On-line Mailing Reveals Why UNIX Must Die!, but, boy, was I wrong. I know we have to keep historical context when reading older books, but books like this one infuriate me.
The book could be summarized in just a few pages, but the book keeps rambling on and on about the original Unix Philosophy tenets, without realizing that most of the decisions that drove Unix forward were taken in the 70's and _no longer_ serve any purpose. For example, the whole "use flat text to share data between programs" is such a retrograde idea, but here it is presented as one of the great features of Unix, and that is just one example. Or to those that think that the idea that programs should do one thing and do it well, how do you explain the recent success of systemd? Enough with the whining. Rob Pike said it all in 2004!
That said, Unix is still the best OS ™ and if you want to read a deeper introduction to what Unix is all about, I recommend The Art of UNIX Programming.
The book could be summarized in just a few pages, but the book keeps rambling on and on about the original Unix Philosophy tenets, without realizing that most of the decisions that drove Unix forward were taken in the 70's and _no longer_ serve any purpose. For example, the whole "use flat text to share data between programs" is such a retrograde idea, but here it is presented as one of the great features of Unix, and that is just one example. Or to those that think that the idea that programs should do one thing and do it well, how do you explain the recent success of systemd? Enough with the whining. Rob Pike said it all in 2004!
That said, Unix is still the best OS ™ and if you want to read a deeper introduction to what Unix is all about, I recommend The Art of UNIX Programming.
October 19, 2012
This book expresses the relationship of Linux to UNIX perfectly, and even manages to summarize UNIX and its importance to both computing and, well, the human brain. I mean, this can be life-changing stuff, if you read it right, because UNIX/Linux has an inherent logic, required to solve huge computational problems effectively, and once you start understanding that - then the way you attack real life problems starts to change significantly. It has very directly affected me and my productivity level, and Mike Gancarz expresses all of that very succinctly in this book.
March 21, 2011
Changes the way you program on Unix/Linux.
October 20, 2016
Such an addictive book, I enjoyed reading it and has learned so much about it. Even though, the book is old but all the values described are still valid until today. Highly recommended.
May 17, 2014
One of those books that easily goes way beyond just programming and a few guidelines of an OS.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews