Life with UNIX: A Guide for Everyone [Paperback]

Don Libes (Author), Sandy Ressler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The difference between Unix system administrators and Unix gurus is that the gurus understand the system, while the administrators merely know how to use it. Life with Unix: A Guide for Everyone is a joy to read, and it will help you recognize Unix as more of a living entity and less of a mere operating system.

First, the book relates information about Unix's origins at Bell Labs and its subsequent free distribution among academic sites. The text provides an overview of the various vendors that shaped Unix (at least, those vendors that were a big deal in the late 1980s) and a guide to Unix documentation (mainly in the form of books and journals). Then, the authors approach Unix from three points of view: those of the user, the programmer, and the administrator. For each point of view, the authors point out useful commands and write extensively on the best ways to use them.

This book shows its age--it was written in 1989--in its chapters about Unix's "present" status and about networking. The information about Usenet is dated, and there's no mention of Solaris or the relative merits of Unix and Windows NT. Still, these shortcomings don't overshadow the book's strengths, which make Life with Unix: A Guide for Everyone a good side dish for any strong Unix reference. --David Wall

From the Publisher

Provides the complete history and philosophy of the UNIX system, as well as perspective on the market. New intro gives a broader understanding of today's trends and new technologies.

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (January 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0135366577
• ISBN-13: 978-0135366578
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,037,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Libes enlivens Unix, the world's premiere operating system, May 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Life with UNIX: A Guide for Everyone (Paperback)

An excellent counterpoint to _The Unix Hater's Handbook_, Libes in a straightforward, evenhanded way explores Unix history and its philosophy. As Unix continues to dominates serious computing, it's essential that one know more than ``nuts and bolts''. Libes fleshes out Unix in a most extraordinary way. It's among the ``must have'' books for the current or soon-to-be Unix guru.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for UNIX lovers, March 5, 1998

By 

drebes (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life with UNIX: A Guide for Everyone (Paperback)

This book covers not only UNIX history, but also the "UNIX way of computing". It's probably not a good starting book on Unix, but it's a must for anyone who has ever used (and liked) UNIX systems.

All UNIX flavors are mentioned. It could talk about linux, but the book was written before linux came to life.

It's centainly a classic!

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars life with unix humanizes the cryptic code, May 14, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Life with UNIX: A Guide for Everyone (Paperback)

biff is the dogs name that barked at the mailman; biff is the routine that alerts the operator to incoming email. it goes on and on. the various celebrities of the creation had their reasons and this book puts them out there. it helps me to know how and why and who and when.