Linux Desk Reference (2nd Edition) [Paperback]

Scott Hawkins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130619892 | ISBN-13: 978-0130619891 | Publication Date: August 30, 2001 | Edition: 2

This handy 6"x9" Linux desk reference packs information about every command Linux users will need -- organized for maximum value and convenience. In this brand-new Second Edition, Scott Hawkins has refreshed entries throughout, and added four new chapters -- including all-new coverage of the tc shell, Emacs editor, and Apache Web server. Unlike some Linux references, Linux Desk Reference is organized by function, so new Linux users can find what they're looking for fast -- and a great "roadmap-style" alphabetical reference gets experts the information they need just as quickly. The book's coverage is exceptionally broad, ranging from files, processes, I/O, and user accounts through networking, security, and Windows connectivity. Every chapter begins with a brief discussion of relevant terms and concepts, followed by a brief summary of all relevant commands, a list of related files, and then a complete listing of the commands, complete with options and examples. This is the only Linux reference that contains real-world examples for every command; in many cases, it even provides diagrams and sample output.For all Linux users who need a quality, complete Linux reference -- including beginners, power users, developers, and sysadmins.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Desk references--if they are worth their desk space--have to be immediately appealing for some quirky reason or other. The appeal of Scott Hawkins's ingenious new reference, Linux Desk Reference, is that it sorts basic Unix commands by task.

Flipping through Hawkins's book is like browsing a thesaurus. How many ways can you compare files? diff comes right to mind, but did you know about comm, cmp, diff3, or sdiff for merging diff'ed files? The know-how-return-on-time-investment for browsing the Linux Desk Reference is one of the highest in the Linux library ... for up to five-minute periods.

Not without humor, Hawkins begins his array with a list of man-like utilities. So what are they? Try to guess: apropos, whatis, whereis, info (of emacs fame), and locate, and their associated functions. The lines blur between true POSIX-compliant Unix functions, shell capabilities, and individual applications. You wouldn't have info if you didn't have emacs, which you probably wouldn't have if you didn't have Linux, or you didn't install it yourself. For users of non-open-source versions of Unix (Solaris, Irix, HPUX, etc.), the name-the-synonym game is still playable, but the fun ends sooner.

Ultimately, the meat of Linux Desk Reference is a grammar-less compendium of command-line flags, annotated with notes, warnings, and an occasional example. Root-only executables or actions are flagged as such in the margins. Entries are typically briefer than the man pages output, and the clustering of common commands reflects the "See Also" cross-reference section of a man page. This strategy of organization highlights the relationships between commonly used utilities.

The bash shell has its own chapter (but not tcsh), and Unix daemons have their day. TCP/IP is here, so is general DOS connectivity, mail utilities, NFS's many fragile pieces, and X11 tools. Hawkins's intentions were encyclopedic, and he has succeeded handsomely. The table of contents is like a school yearbook, filled with familiar and forgotten functions.

The book's aesthetic design is mysterious--function names in the primary headers appear in a small font, causing them to be lost against the backdrop of the visually stimulating reference text. The book also contains too many horizontal lines that break the eye's line at nonintuitive junctures. Otherwise, the Linux Desk Reference earns its patch of pine, right between Strunk & White and Roget's. --Peter Leopold --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

Introduction

I hope you get a lot of use out of this book. Since I first got started in Unix in 1986, I've spent a ton of cash buying reference books. I've always been a bibliophile, and computer books have the advantage of being tax deductible, so I've amassed quite a collection. It always annoys me when I get home and the glitzy, well-packaged 400 page document-o-rama I just shelled out $50 for turns out to contain only 5 pages of actual information or, worse, to be full of information but so poorly organized that it's more trouble than it's worth to find what I need. I've got a shelf full of them, which I will sell cheap.

What I've tried to do here is incorporate the best features from my collection. I know what I likeÑa good index, thorough technical coverage, relevant examples, and concise explanations (in English). Also, in the process of writing this book I've become almost supernaturally attuned to the subject of computer reference booksÑyou can whisper ÒLinux in a NutshellÓ from thirty feet away across a crowded room and my ears will perk up like a retriever on point. The number one complaint I hear about reference books is Ònot enough examples.Ó I'm not unsympathetic; thinking up, configuring, and testing all the examples for this book slowed the writing process down to a crawl. But, as my editor pointed out, I'm not doing this for my health. So you will find that for every command in this book there is an accompanying example.

To some extent, Linux commands tend to come in clusters. For example, there are a dozen or so that handle filesystems, another half dozen for fiddling with disks, a whole slew that do things with files. Sometimes the command clusters follow a naming convention, as in the case of the ÒremoteÓ commands (rlogin, rsh, ...); other times they do not. It occurred to me it wouldn't be entirely wrong to group the Linux commands into clusters (one for users, another for disks, etc.) and then treat the clusters as data structures. Technically, a data structure consists of two things:

a specification for how data will be stored

a specification of methods by which the data will be accessed

That's not a perfect description of how the chapters are arranged, but it isn't bad either. At the beginning of each chapter there is a high-level discussion of what purpose each Òdata structureÓ serves, how that service is accomplished, and the jargon that has sprung up around it. That provides background for the detailed description of commands which follows. Hopefully, this will provide enough information for newcomers to get started and perhaps be of some value for experienced users as well.

Of course, as you can tell from a quick glance through the contents, the main thrust of this book is information on actual user commands. I have collected what I believe to be a fairly thorough subset of the most useful Linux commands, together with their options and some suggestions for use. Information on configuration and use of the various subsystems (e.g. NIS, Samba, Networking) is also included, either explicitly or as part of the examples. How to Use This BookWhen You Know Exactly What You Need

For the advanced users who know exactly what command they are after and are looking only for examples or command line options, the book has two command indexes:

all commands are indexed in the back of the book, as are term definitions, procedures, and the rest of the content.

there is a second index in the front for executable programs only.When You Know What You Need But Not What It's Called

Did you ever find yourself digging around looking for a command that you know must exist, only you don't have any idea what it might be called? Back when I was in school I clearly remember fumbling around for an hour trying to figure out what command I'd use to lower the priority of a running process. There was nothing in the man pages under ÒpriorityÓ or ÒprocessÓ, but I knew it had to be out there somewhere.

This book is arranged by concept. If you want to find out how to do something with filesystems, flip to the chapter on filesystems. In each chapter, there's a brief discussion of relevant terms and concepts, followed by a one-line summary of all the relevant commands, a list of related files, and finally a complete listing of the commands with options and examples.When You're Just Getting Started

This book explains all of the basic concepts you need to understand in order to use your Linux system. If you're not familiar with particular terms, they are defined in the text and indexed in the back. There's also a glossary. For every command, there is at least one example. For the more popular or confusing commands, there are frequently two or more. Where I thought it would be helpful, I included diagrams and sample output. Conventions of This BookIntroductions

There's a certain amount of overhead involved in learning the Linux system. Some of the concepts can be counterintuitive at first glance, particularly if you're still in the process of switching over from one of the lesser operating systems. Each chapter in this book starts off with a few of pages of notes about the concepts, terms, and theory underlying the commands. Hopefully, this will help you get a feel for how the commands make up subsystems and how the subsystems make up Linux. Related Files

Most Unix commands take configuration or startup information from one or more files. The entries in this section are a listing of the files associated with the commands in each chapter.A Final Word

Any single book that purports to cover the entire Linux operating system is probably lying. There's so much going on that what you can fit between two covers is, of necessity, a reflection of the experiences and prejudices of its author. To the extent that I neglected I really do apologize. If it's any consolation, it wasn't from lack of effort. If you have comments, corrections, or suggestions for improvement, feel free to contact me.

As a post script, some of you may be wondering about the significance of the Minotaur on the cover of this book. Tradition has it that Daedalus, a mythological inventor and the spiritual ancestor of hackers everywhere, built a large and complex maze in Crete (the Labyrinth, capital L) at the behest of king Minos. The Minotaur was a bastard child of the Queen Pasiphae (Minos' wife) and some unusually attractive livestock. He had a man's body and the head of a bull which (understandably) made him a bit shy and grumpy. Territorial and ferocious, he lived in the center of the Labyrinth, which he ran with an iron fist. He guarded its secrets jealously, and was famous throughout the kingdom for biting the heads off ignorant newbies. When I was asked to suggest a creature for the cover of this guide to deciphering the intricacies of the Linux OS, there was really only one choice. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (August 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130619892
• ISBN-13: 978-0130619891
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #566,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good paper review, August 16, 2000

By 

Francois Begin (Calgary, Alberta) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linux Desk Reference (Open Source Technology Series) (Paperback)

The Linux Desk Reference is just what the name implies: a good reference book for Linux commands. The book is broken down in sections like Documentation, Files, Users, etc. and commands that relate to these tasks are grouped together.

The author does an excellent job in giving an overview at the beginning of each section. For example, in the Process section, the author discusses what processes are, where they can run (foreground vs background), their priority levels, etc. This overview, albeit short, puts the commands in context, making it easier for the reader to determine how they can be useful in day-to-day operations.

Each command is presented with a short description in plain English, followed by the various "switches" that can be added to enhance functionality or perform specific actions. In that sense, each entry is like a little MAN page, although it is easier to read, which is the main reason I purchased this book.

There are some examples of commands but I would have liked more of these, hence my 4 stars rating. Personally, I recommend this book for people who are starting to to feel comfortable with Linux but still do not know many of the available commands.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Hopes Fulfilled - and More, May 23, 2000

By 

JOHN H RICKETSON (San Pablo, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Linux Desk Reference (Open Source Technology Series) (Paperback)

First and most spectacular, the U.S. Mule had delivered the Linux Desk Reference that I have been eagerly awaiting, with high hopes - and low expectations. Opened it. WOW! It exceeds my wildest hopes. It is exactly what I have been looking for, wanted, and need. Even I, the newest of Linux Newbies, can understand it easily. It is written in ENGLISH. 545 extremely well organized and indexed pages, chock full and overflowing with information. Its quality and availability compare favorably with Commodore's Commodore Basic Manual of fond memory. The information includes definitions of terms and appropriate examples of their use. It includes a definition of the -R switch - but no warning! I now know what a grep is - and could even use one as needed! This is a really MUST HAVE book for any Linuxer, from the newest Newbie to the `way advanced Superuser who may not have memorized every last term with its switches, options, variants, and usages. Scott Hawkins saves us the trouble.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I needed!, January 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Linux Desk Reference (Open Source Technology Series) (Paperback)

This is the best Linux reference book I've used. Every single command is organized by task, so even if I don't know its name, but I know what I want to do, I can find it. Tons of examples make it easy to learn new commands and the author actually makes it interesting! Highly recommended over the run-of-the-mill Nutshell book.