Complete Idiot's Guide to UNIX (The Complete Idiot's Guide) [Paperback]

Bill Wagner (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide | Publication Date: October 1, 1998

You know that UNIX is the standard operating system of the Internet, and you want--no, you need-- to get on board. You're no moron. It's something you can figure out. You would like a little lift, though. The Complete Idiot's Guide to UNIX is what you need to get up to speed quickly, and in good humor. This book gives you the straightforward scoop with the most real-world impact.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

You know that UNIX is the standard operating system of the Internet, and you want--no, you need-- to get on board. You're no moron. It's something you can figure out. You would like a little lift, though. The Complete Idiot's Guide to UNIX is what you need to get up to speed quickly, and in good humor. This book gives you the straightforward scoop with the most real-world impact.

About the Author

Bill Wagner is the co-author of Dynamic HTML Unleashed. He has also been a technical editor on several titles including Sams Teach Yourself CGI in a Week and Sams Teach Yourself Dynamic HTML in a week. He has wide-range programming experience in C/C++, PERL, csh, bash, VB, BASIC, JavaScript, Java, Tcl/Tk and extensive administration experience (NetWare 3.11-4.0, LANtastic, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT 3.51-4.0, AIX 4.1.x, SunOS 4.1.3, Solaris 2.5-6, and Linux: OpenLinux Base, OpenLinux Server, Red Hat, and Slackware).

Product Details

• Paperback: 412 pages
• Publisher: Alpha (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789718057
• ISBN-13: 978-0789718051
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By far the BEST intro to Unix!, February 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to UNIX (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Paperback)

Sun has a promotion where you can buy Solaris 7 (comes with Intel and Sparc CD-ROMS) for $9.95! I know nothing about Unix and figured why not learn on the best.. Installation was easy, but I was clueless on how to use the Solaris OS, so I needed a good book on teaching Unix from ground zero. Hence, this books is awesome!

This book does an awesome job at explaining the differences between AT&T Unix and BSD Unix, and how Solaris, HP-UX, etc. are a merger of the two. The commands you learn are all clearly explained with lots of text examples and pictures too. You learn file permissions, how to read a directory listing and know what the persmissions are for various users, you learn what TAR is and how to use it, you learn administrative functions like useradd, usermod, userdel, stuff that works on all Unix platforms! This book explains the different shell (Bourne, BASH, CSH, etc.) and differentiates any commands you may need to type.

Many people say that it takes years to be a master at Unix. Yes, I believe it takes time but with resources like this it speeds up the process of learning the basics and the flow of the book makes sense. Some people spend 6 months trying to understand X Windows. This book tells you all you need to know about X, CDE, OpenWindows, Motif, and more..

At one point (before owning this book) I was frustrated because I had this killer OS (Solaris) but didn't know how to use it. I bought another "intro" book that didn't explain things very well but I thought it was just me..and that my learning abilities seriously suffered on Unix. I almost threw in the towel. This book changed all of that. GET IT! IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT! And the price is right too... you can't lose! I know some people try and plug books just for the fun of it, but I SWEAR TO YOU that this book is awesome! Now I can read the 2 Official Sun Solaris books (Solaris Administration and Advanced Solaris Administration) and they will make a whole lot more sense!

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Intro to Unix, December 29, 1999

By 

lightspeed (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to UNIX (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Paperback)

This is a very well written book as an intro to Unix. I know just about nothing on Unix and wanted to learn what Unix is about. After finishing this book, I found myself understanding how and what Unix is. It uses simple language to explain the OS to you instead of technical terms of which leaves you scratching your head in sheer frustration. I found it very enjoyable reading about how Unix was born and the different flavors of Unix out there. It also teaches you the basic shell commands to get around the OS. After finishing this book and practicing what you've learned in the book, you're definitely able to move around a little bit better on Unix than before. It won't turn you into an expert by any means but it will give you a good foundation for you to head toward that direction. I am usually very skeptical about the Idiot or Dummy book series but this one is an exception to the rule. This is not one of those books which leaves you completely exhausted for you feel the task of learning Unix is going to be beyond you. It leaves you feeling that Unix isn't all that tough. The book does not go into details about any of the Unix flavors and what each is truly about, the security features or why one might be more suitable for certain tasks you might want to do.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for the beginner, January 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Complete Idiot's Guide to UNIX (The Complete Idiot's Guide) (Paperback)

This book was an excellent book for beginner's who want to use UNIX and know a little more about how it is used. It goes over editors, techniques, and the most used comands in UNIX even for the advanced programmer. But note, it is not a recommended book for intermediate or advanced programmers who want to learn more information about UNIX and how it works since it is very basic in content. excellent though, for the starter.