Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!nosun!techbook!jamesd From: jamesd@techbook.UUCP (James Deibele) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Re: Needed: Good Unix book Keywords: UNIX intro Message-ID: <248@techbook.UUCP> Date: 20 Feb 90 02:26:22 GMT References: <2957@hcx1.SSD.CSD.HARRIS.COM> Reply-To: jamesd@techbook.UUCP (James Deibele) Organization: TECHbooks, Beaverton Oregon Lines: 48 In article <2957@hcx1.SSD.CSD.HARRIS.COM> brad@SSD.CSD.HARRIS.COM (Brad Appleton) writes: >It would be good to specify what particular aspects (if not all), and >which flavor of UNIX for which you are seeking texts. [...] What we recommend are the following books: Reasonably serious, motivated person who wants to get up to speed on UNIX ASAP: _A Practical Guide to the UNIX System, 2nd Edition_ by Mark Sobell. (Benjamin Cummings, 0-8053-0243-3, 1989, 700pp, $27.95). Covers both BSD 4.3 and System V Release 3 and is divided into two sections: first part covers basic UNIX information (vi, cat, ls, rudimentary shell programming, etc.) while second part is an alphabetical command reference. Good glossary and table of contents lets you find key commands when you're a novice (OK, sure, you know you "cat" files , but I bet you didn't when you first started). A thick book with no cutesy drawings and lots of text may intimidate someone who has to learn UNIX instead of wanting to use it. For the more easily intimidated, _UNIX Primer Plus_ by Mitchell Waite, Donald Martin, and Stephen Prata might be a better choice. (Howard W. Sams, 0-672- 22028-8, 1983, 400pp, $22.95). It's BSD-oriented and needs an update, but the fundamentals just haven't changed all that much. Clear outline of what which chapter intends to accomplish, review questions (with answers), and exercises to use at the terminal. Lots of white space and drawings, but that slows the pace down for neophytes. Good text for an intro class. For the petrified, or your completely non-technical relatives or boss, you would want to look at _Learning the UNIX Operating System_ by Grace Todino and John Strang. (O'Reilly & Associates, 0-937175-16-1, 1986-7, 75pp, $9.00) This is described on the back as telling you "just what you need to get started, and no more." It provides the basics of logging on, sending mail, and handling files. The list of things it doesn't provide is longer than the list of features, but it's sufficient to teach the basics in a couple of evenings or over a weekend to just about anyone. One last recommendation: _Learning the vi Editor_ by Linda Lamb. (O'Reilly & Associates, 0-937175-17-X, 1988, 150pp, $15). This is book to learn more about vi. The latest shipment has a different binding than previous ones: instead of being stapled, the book is spiral-bound with a perfect (square) cover, so the book fits neatly into a bookcase, but lays flat while being used. Highly recommened for its clear explanations of how to use vi, especially global replacement. -- jamesd@techbook.UUCP ...!tektronix!nosun!techbook!jamesd - 8N1 +1 503 644-8135 TECHbooks: The Computer Book Specialists - Voice: +1 503 646-8257 12600 SW 1st - Beaverton, OR - 97005 - MCI Mail: TECHBOOKS Free freight on electronic orders