From Amazon
This skinny volume neither aims to teach its readers UNIX nor introduce them to the Mac, but rather to show how Apple has implemented UNIX. It's a fast read that assumes--as the title implies--rather a lot of UNIX knowledge. With that requirement satisfied and this book in hand, you're likely to discover aspects of Aqua more quickly than you otherwise would have.
The authors spend lots of time explaining how administrative tasks--such as managing groups, users, and passwords--are handled in the Mac OS environment. They document netinfo fully, and call attention to its limitations (like its inability to create home directories for users) by explaining how to do the job on the command line. They also cover C programming in the Darwin universe at greater length than any other book does, providing explicit instructions for such important tasks as creating header files and linking static libraries. A guide to the command line (they call the reference section--groan--"The Missing Manpages") provides good value at this book's conclusion. --David Wall
Topics covered: How to get around in Darwin, the UNIX implementation built into Mac OS X. Sections deal with basic maneuvering at the command line, LDAP services, C programming, and graphical user interfaces under Aqua. There's a short section on building the kernel itself, but it's limited in scope. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Book Description
If you're a developer or system administrator lured to Mac OS X because of its Unix roots, you'll quickly discover that performing Unix tasks on a Mac is different than what you're accustomed to. Mac OS X for Unix Geeks serves as a bridge between Apple's Darwin OS and the more traditional Unix systems. This clear, concise guide gives you a tour of Mac OS X's Unix shell in both Leopard and Tiger, and helps you find the facilities that replace or correspond to standard Unix utilities.
You'll learn how to perform common Unix tasks in Mac OS X, such as using Directory Services instead of the standard Unix /etc/passwd and /etc/group, and you'll be able to compile code, link to libraries, and port Unix software using either Leopard and Tiger. This book teaches you to:
- Navigate the Terminal and understand how it differs from an xterm
- Use Open Directory (LDAP) and NetInfo as well as Directory Services
- Compile your code with GCC 4
- Port Unix programs to Mac OS X with Fink
- Use MacPorts to install free/open source software
- Search through metadata with Spotlight's command-line utilities
- Build the Darwin kernel
And there's much more. Mac OS X for Unix Geeks is the ideal survival guide to tame the Unix side of Leopard and Tiger. If you're a Unix geek with an interest in Mac OS X, you'll soon find that this book is invaluable.
About the Author
Ernest E. Rothman is a Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Salve Regina University (SRU) in Newport, Rhode Island. Ernie holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and a BS in Mathematics from Brooklyn College, CUNY. Before accepting a full-time faculty position at SRU in 1993, he held the positions of Research Associate and Scientific Software Analyst at the Cornell Theory Center at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. His professional interests are in scientific computing, applied mathematics and computational science education, and the Unix underpinnings of Mac OS X. Ernie lives in southern Rhode Island with his wife Kim and Newfoundland dog Joseph. You can keep abreast of his latest activities at http://homepage.mac.com/samchops.
Brian Jepson is a, programmer, author, and executive editor for MAKE's book series. He's also a volunteer system administrator and all-around geek for AS220, a non-profit arts center in Providence, Rhode Island. AS220 gives Rhode Island artists uncensored and unjuried forums for their work. These forums include galleries, performance space, and publications. Brian sees to it that technology, especially little blinky bits of technology, supports that mission.
Rich Rosen's career began at Bell Labs, where his work with relational databases, Unix, and the Internet prepared him well for the world of Web application development. He's been a Macintosh user for over twenty years, currently using a Mac Mini as his home server, an iMac as the centerpiece of his home recording studio, and a MacBook for live musical performance and writing. He is the co-author of Web Application Architecture: Principles, Protocols & Practices, a textbook on advanced Web application development. Rich currently works at Interactive Data Corporation writing software for the Fixed Income Systems group. He holds an M.S. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology, and he lives in New Jersey with his wife, Celia.
