The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Unix books

Are there any books you would recommend to someone interested in improving their understanding of Unix? Even though I use it every day, I feel like my understanding is incomplete. I would like to read one or two books, preferably under 300 pages each, that would make me a lot smarter when it comes to Unix. And I figure reading about Unix at bedtime would help me fall asleep faster.

The Real PC
Friday, May 28, 2004

Advanced Programming in the Unix Environment, Stevens.

SG
Friday, May 28, 2004

I like "Linux System Administration - A User's Guide" by Marcel Gagne' (Addison Wesley).

It's not fat, and it's full of useful info. The downside is that Gagne's writing style is good enough that it might not help put you to sleep.

yet another anon
Friday, May 28, 2004

I always learned fun new things from Unix Power Tools.

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/upt2/index.html

m
Friday, May 28, 2004

Keep in mind that while I've used multiple languages on unixes, I'm nowhere near being an expert, just gotten in 'n out. So I hope someone will point out if my mentions are outdated.

- Kernighan/Mashey "Unix Programming Environment" paper. Since it's a paper, it's rather short.
- Ritchie/Thompson original paper might put things in perspective.
- Kernighan/Pike _The Unix Programming Environment_ book.
- Maurice/Bach _The Design..._ book goes into detail.
- Nemeth/Snyder/... unix sysadmin book might be useful.
- Unix Hater's Handbook, gratis online.

Tayssir John Gabbour
Friday, May 28, 2004

If you use it every day, but you're looking for more, I recommend O'Reilly's "Essential System Administration." Describes the evolutions of the different branches of Unixes, and how they differ. Each part of the book describes how to do something in the different ways peculiar to different Unix-alikes. It does have a sysadmin bent, of course, but you still might want to check it out.

Rich
Friday, May 28, 2004

I second the Unix Power Tools reccomendation. It has taught me more about unix than any other unix book I've bought, or any one site online.

Its not small, but its not designed to be read straight through. Its a collection of tips from newsgroups and email lists over the past 20+ years.

It won't teach you tons of sysadmin stuff, but it will make you a much more effective unix user, which will translate into a better sysadmin.

I cannot reccomend this book enough.

Andrew Hurst
Friday, May 28, 2004

I'll third Unix Power Tools. It makes learning Unix fun.

Herbert Sitz
Friday, May 28, 2004

I have some of the nicest linux and unix books under the sun!! :D If you read through any 15% of them you'll be able to create a cluster of computers capable of curing AIDS.

They are gathering dust. *sigh* However I probably will not sell them. Maybe for a future project that might accidentally change the world.

Li-fan Chen
Friday, May 28, 2004

Ask me for the list, it's long.

Li-fan Chen
Friday, May 28, 2004

> I feel like my understanding is incomplete

None of the books recommended so far gives you the "big picture", and (IMHO) you will never become proficient in UNIX (be it programming or system administration), until you have a good mental model of the whole.

The best book for the "high-level view" is "Operating Systems: Design and Implementation" by Andrew S. Tanenbaum.

His other books are very good as well, and "Structured Computer Organization" is worth a read no matter which OS you are using.

Employed Russian
Friday, May 28, 2004

I also like The Unix Philosophy which leans more towards the programming life, but sets a frame of reference for why unix is as it is.

m
Friday, May 28, 2004

"The Unix Haters Handbook"

http://research.microsoft.com/~daniel/uhh-download.html

;-)

Friday, May 28, 2004

Eric Raymond's 'The Art of UNIX Programming' Is a big-picture/philosophy book. Read it, grasshopper, and you'll be on the path to thinking the unix way.

bah humbug
Friday, May 28, 2004

trwtrt

john
Saturday, May 29, 2004

Linux Server Hacks
100 Industrial-Strength Tips and Tools
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/linuxsvrhack/

Michael Moser
Saturday, May 29, 2004

A personal favourite is "The UNIX Programming Environment" by Kernighan and Pike. Like UNIX itself, this compact book is either dated or timeless.

M. E.
Saturday, May 29, 2004

I second the Unix Programming Environment, by Kernigan and Pike.

Unix power tools is a good one, as others have mentioned it's a collection of tips for using commands. Ever tried to figure out the find command from the manual? It bites, but Power Tools tells you how to do what you want done.

The Stevens book is great, but only for system programmers. That would be me.

Think Unix by Jon Lasser is another great book on overall Unix stuff.

Snotnose
Saturday, May 29, 2004

Great free resources. In case of LINUX some guys are trying
to create something in the likes of MSDN.

Linux documentation project
http://en.tldp.org/

Developer works tutorials (need to register/fill out a form)
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/views/linux/tutorials.jsp

Developer works technical library (need to register/fill out a form)
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/technical/linux.html

Michael Moser
Sunday, May 30, 2004

Get "The Design and Implementation of the BSD Operating System". I haven't read the latest version, but it used to be pretty good in the old days.

Just me (Sir to you)
Monday, May 31, 2004