What do you think?
Rate this book
Unix for the Beginning Mage
Unix for the Beginning Mage is a short book that teaches the very basics to learning the Unix (and Unix-like Operating Systems such as BSD and Linux) command line by using spells and mages as metaphors. Everything from typing your first command to learning about Symbolic Links is covered.
104 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 2005
2 people are currently reading
12 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 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 19, 2018
Unix for the Beginning Mage gives a gentle and fun introduction to Unix commands especially for those intimidated by using the command line. The role playing conceit helps the reader gain confidence. While the target audience is clearly meant to be younger (tweens) the book reads like fun for the whole family and offers Pixar-like laughs along the way.
Although this 100 page work gives a quick introduction, it encourages the reader to experiment and interact along with the reading. The piece still left me wanting something more comprehensive. If I didn’t have to use Unix so much at work I would also feel wanting the work to show the reader how useful the commands can be in terms of making coding work easier and feeling like they can accomplish a project or task because while the “spells” & exercises are helpful on their own, they do not show in total how can they all be put together.
Unix for the Beginning Mage can probably be best enjoyed in a few hours of a single day and surpasses other introductions - in that respect it deserves recognition. However, the work still needs help taking a reader of any age to understanding how the commands can be strung into scripts. I recommend this read to anyone who really wants to take first steps to feeling at home in their Unix system.
Although this 100 page work gives a quick introduction, it encourages the reader to experiment and interact along with the reading. The piece still left me wanting something more comprehensive. If I didn’t have to use Unix so much at work I would also feel wanting the work to show the reader how useful the commands can be in terms of making coding work easier and feeling like they can accomplish a project or task because while the “spells” & exercises are helpful on their own, they do not show in total how can they all be put together.
Unix for the Beginning Mage can probably be best enjoyed in a few hours of a single day and surpasses other introductions - in that respect it deserves recognition. However, the work still needs help taking a reader of any age to understanding how the commands can be strung into scripts. I recommend this read to anyone who really wants to take first steps to feeling at home in their Unix system.
August 23, 2021
This is a great read for beginning (or even intermediate) users of Unix. It's comprehensive and also fun.
As a more intermediate user, I especially appreciated the clear labeling of chapters and subsections (for easy navigation to whatever I want to reference) and the frequent addition of bonus "Advanced Lessons". I have a pretty solid understanding of Unix basics, but there are plenty of gaps in my knowledge which naturally come with DIY learning. Usually it's pretty tough to learn something that you don't know you don't know, but the nice organization and Advanced Lessons made it much easier. I especially appreciated the bits on filesystem structure, disk partitions, individual and group permissions, and standard input/output.
I found some little typos or wording issues which could probably be resolved with a thorough revision of the text. It would also be nice to have more thorough Advanced Lessons throughout. Still, the content as written is solid, and I recommend this for folks who want to get started with the Unix command line.
As a more intermediate user, I especially appreciated the clear labeling of chapters and subsections (for easy navigation to whatever I want to reference) and the frequent addition of bonus "Advanced Lessons". I have a pretty solid understanding of Unix basics, but there are plenty of gaps in my knowledge which naturally come with DIY learning. Usually it's pretty tough to learn something that you don't know you don't know, but the nice organization and Advanced Lessons made it much easier. I especially appreciated the bits on filesystem structure, disk partitions, individual and group permissions, and standard input/output.
I found some little typos or wording issues which could probably be resolved with a thorough revision of the text. It would also be nice to have more thorough Advanced Lessons throughout. Still, the content as written is solid, and I recommend this for folks who want to get started with the Unix command line.
January 17, 2012
Great intro on the basics of unix
July 25, 2013
More *nix books need to be written for young wizards.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews