Customer Reviews: Read 27 more reviews...
 Where is AIX, HP/UX, among other majors? November 3, 2006
This book is a fantastic starting point in life. Some how our public schools over look teaching the fundamental skills presented in this book. We learn how to play with toys on simple computers and never really learn what we are doing.
The real strength of this book is in the definitions. We get to see the purpose and flexibility of system calls and functions. Not just use them but understand them. UNIX functions as job control or signals are explained in detail. Let's take just one item "waitpid":
The waitpid function provides three features that aren't provided by the wait function.
You will have to red the book to find out what they are. However there are examples also. Now for people with real systems like AIX all you have to do is ad a "k" to the front of the call and you have the AIX kernel function call "kwaitpid"; voila you now have an understanding that can not be found clearly in a Red Book.
It does help some to have a preunderstanding of the system do you can use the book to fill in the education holes missed when necessary.
The index is worth its weight in gold as you can find functions headers and concepts all in alphabetical order. My favorite is the definitions.
As much as I am a fan of the internet it also pays to carry the information in the form of a book. And all this book has to do is save a couple of hours and it has paid for its self.
 Very, very cool! One of the kind! March 2, 2006
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is a very nice overview of contemporary conceptions of what is operating system would be and it discusses many facets of the issue. It does not overwhelm with technical details and does not press too much. I also followed an advise in someone's review and purchased "UNIX Essentials" DVD that is complete UNIX course recorded. These two nicely complement one another. You watch it and you read it. If you didn't catch it from the first try you watch it again and read it again. In two months I found myself confident to that extend that gave advises to our system administrator and he accepted them because there were subjects that he wasn't completely sure. What I can say, in three month I passed my first interview and got a job! Sure it is a way to start there much of more advanced reading that will take over you with a time however these two provide you with the BASIS!
I can't overstate how much I have learned from them. Don't be naive, though. You will have to learn and memorize many things. The fact of owning neither book nor DVD will not make you knowledgeable, but if you will work it trough, trust me, you will surprise many people around!
Can't wait for this June 30, 2005
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
The ultimate classic, UPDATED works! Can't wait to get started on this. The only thing with these books though, is that no matter how updated they are, the basics will still remain.. A lot of redundant material, but even still - always worth reiterating. Use it or lose it, people.
excellent and clear book May 4, 2001
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book not only is excellent, it is brilliant. It is clear and well thought out. It goes into great deal with very clear documentation for all the code, why and how. It also considers important issues like how long things take, and whether there are better ways. It is one of my most referenced books, in fact I had to buy a second copy, the first become so tatty!
Brilliant introduction and reference! February 14, 2001
This book might be one of the best books I ever bought. Its a brilliant mix of tutorial and reference. Anyone who is interested in systems programming on UNIX should own this book. It can be used as tutorial for beginners as well as reference for experts.
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