Customer Reviews

Mac OS X Unleashed

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had the luxury of buying several books on OS X recently in an effort to find the right content to get me up to speed on the new OS. The two that turned out to be the most informative were Mac OS X, The Missing Manual and Mac OS X Unleashed. I place them in that order to represent their levels of complexity and coverage.

The Missing Manual is a great read on the OS and the new applications. It also includes a section at the end that covers the tcsh shell. But it is definitely directed at the general user.

The first ~400 pages of Mac OS X Unleashed covers the basics and then rapidly heads off into the details of the underlying Unix operating system at the heart of OS X. If you are determined to get to the details of what makes your new OS tick then this book should be on your list. From common shell commands to process management, shell scripting, and even porting Unix code. It's all here and well written.

One book I strongly recommend taking off your list is Mac OS X the Complete reference. the writing style is not up to these two volumes and the content is too light.

I come from the perspective of someone who wrote software for the Mac many years ago and had to leave the platform for career direction reasons. Mac OS X represents an opportunity for me to get back to a platform that combines what was good about the Mac with what is good about a modern operating system. From that perspective, I recommend this book highly.

If I had to choose just one, it would be Mac OS X Unleashed. But that is due to my background. Power users that are non programmers would likely be very happy with Pogue's book "The Missing Manual".

It's Christmas and I've just purchased Mac OS X Unleashed.

The thing weighs a ton (1,464 pages!) but is one of the best computer books I've bought. The guys who wrote it are obviously Unix heads but they are also very much in love with the Mac as well so it's got a good feel when reading it.

A long time Mac user I've just started to dig into the Unix side of things, attributes, permissions, owners, mounting volumes as directories, etc... it's actually quite interesting.

If you're going to delve into Mac OS X beyond clicking around in the GUI this is the book to invest in.

I'm currently formatting my "man" pages <rolling my eyes and laughing>

If this book only had a better index, I would give it 5 stars in a heartbeat. It pretty much contains everything you ever wanted to know about Mac OS X's Unix subsystem (with 1,500 pages probably more than you ever wanted to know!), but finding the information is sometimes a struggle. Remember, this book is seriously techie, don't go here if you're the occasional Mac user that wants to learn the Aqua interface -- get "Mac OS X The Missing Manual" for that. This is for people that want to get their hands dirty with Unix.

After buying a G4 Ti Powerbook, I found myself in a somewhat precarious situation. While I absolutely loved my beautiful laptop, it's rock solid and beautiful OS. I found that I needed some REAL documentation beyond the mere pamphlets that Apple included with it.

I've leafed through 10-15 other OS X titles and honestly, they just don't seem to be worth the [price]. They all seem to be rehashes of the same introductory OS X texts that have been done to death.

As an experienced Unix and PC user now newly migrated to the Mac/OS X ... I needed something way beyond the usual "Move the cursor to the File menu to..." introductory type stuff.

Mac OS X unleashed first gives a brief but very thorough intro to the OS X and Mac OS features and interfaces but then proceeds to go far beyond where the other books stop. Wanna know about UNIX commands and shell programming? Yup it's in here. Wanna know about how to configure your firewall, computer security issues and TCP/IP in general? Yup that's here too. Hooking up to a PC/Wintel/Unix network? There is great coverage here on how to get it working.

I can't think of any major and minor subject that this book doesn't touch on in more than sufficient detail. And the authors are kind enough to give you all sorts of web references/URL's to additional reading and software you can obtain on the Internet to really make your Mac/OS X fly.

If you're a seasoned computer user (Mac, PC, Linux, whatever) and you're moving up in the world to a Mac/OS X, this is the ONE book you need for your library. My only complaint is that it is about as bulky as your average phone book, then again, it does cover a remarkable amount of ground. If they had split it into 2-3 volumes bundled together, then it would've been the perfect OS X reference. As it stands now, it is pretty darned close.

P.S. I paid retail for this thing and it is worth every penny.
P.P.S. My PC is now officially a door stop running spam filters and that's all!

My new favorite book has 1,464 pages and I intend to read every bit of it... eventually. Its called Mac OS X Unleashed by John Ray and Will C. Ray. Never has there been a book this robust for the Mac. Hell, never has there been an Operating System this robust for the Mac either. That's how over a thousand pages of text can only be considered an introduction.

Simply put, the Mac is back. I am a web developer and a general Mac enthusiast and I work in a mostly corporate environment. I know all too well the sentiment of disregard the PC hegemony feels towards the Mac platform. Most think of Apple as a company that's constantly on the verge of distinction, an uttering almost as clichè as the evil empire status begotten Microsoft. But fortunately, years after the personal computer has entered into millions upon millions of homes, only the latter happens to be true. And this time, the Rebel Alliance might stand a fighting chance against the Emperor, er, I mean... Bill Gates.

The reason for this lies in the robust nature of
Mac OS X itself, the UNIX-based overhaul of what is arguably the easiest, most gorgeous, and, yes, most advanced computer environment ever conceived. The brothers Ray (no, I'm not sure that they're related) cover the basic groundwork of Mac OS X with great diligence, and spend appropriate time on the more advanced details as well. They touch on the basics, like working with the Dock, and move into the dark cavernous reaches of the sophisticated UNIX underpinning with a keen awareness, wisely sensing that this is new ground for most Mac users, even for self-proclaimed aficionados like me.

This book contains answers to nearly every question one might have about the new OS. Hearing David Pogue not too long ago on the Mac Show Live, a net-casted radio broadcast on all things Macintosh, claiming his new book to be the only one on the market to presently cover Mac OS 10.1, I have to wonder if he even knows this book exists. I saw both books at my local Borders bookstore recently. Mr. Pogue's Mac OS X: the Missing Manual does cover 10.1, and I'm certain with great accuracy, but Mac OS X Unleashed also covers it with screenshots of left handed Docks as proof, only it spans a much greater depth, exploring everything from configuring Apache to providing a Terminal command-line reference for the newly uninitiated from the land of GUI like me.

Of course, casual users will probably find David Pogue's book more in line with the kind of information they will most likely seek. After all, not everybody is a developer like me.

I'm certain that this book will be the most dog-eared of my computer manual collection within a few months. The breadth of information provided in it is just astounding and my urge to explore the new OS from the top-most layer of GUI goodness to the far reaches of a new command-line power has now become almost too impossible to contain.

Books like this, with their careful attention to details (the chapter tabbing is a wonderfully useful touch), are testament to the fact that the Mac is quickly becoming a viable competitor to Windows, and even Linux. The system hailing from Cupertino is stable, attractive, easy to use, and expandable to undreamt of capacities by wiser geeks than me out the yin-yang. I am in awe at the nearly Utopian effort Apple has put into making Mac OS X the most open and standards compliant Operating System available to everyday consumers. I don't think it's any risk at all to try and predict that the Mac is going to be a platform to watch in 2002. Its power is just too overwhelming. I can't wait for whatever announcements are made at the MacWorld Expo in San Francisco this coming January.

And with a book as in depth as Mac OS X Unleashed, the power can now only be, well, unleashed.

May the Force be with you.

This is a wonderful, amazing book for learning how to dig deep down into the guts of OS X. However, it does NOT cover Jaguar (aka OS X 10.2) and as of December 11, it is no longer the current edition. Be sure to purchase Mac OS X Unleashed (2nd Edition) instead! Either visit the following URL: , or else simply type in the ISBN/ASIN code 0672324652 into Amazon's search box.

"Mac OS X Unleashed" is a terrific book, emphasizing the powerful Unix underpinnings of Apple's new operating system. The book provides a thorough tour of OS X (up to date with 10.1), especially the arcane world of Unix networking administration, with chapters on important topics like NetInfo, installing a Samba server, and detecting and preventing hacker attacks.

The authors Ray bring decades of Unix system administration experience as well as a deep love of the Mac, and they have written an outstanding book bridging the two worlds, introducing Mac users to scores of useful Unix-based tools included in OS X or available on the Web. The book is broad and deep (and at more than 1400 pages, heavy) and is an essential reference to getting the most from Mac OS X. I highly recommend it for technically proficient Mac users.

Here is a brief summary of some of the Unix topics covered:

Unix file management basics
Command line software installation and troubleshooting
File system operations including permissions and groups
Process management including pipes
Command line applications (Lynx, telnet, FTP, rlogin, ssh, pine, emacs, lpr, etc.)
Environment and shell variables
Installing and using XFree86
The section on Network Administration has good fundamentals on AppleScript, Perl, PHP, MySQL, as well as intermediate and advanced level tips on how to work the the all-important NetInfo database.

Some of the best OS X info includes printer and font management, especially how to install and configure LPR printers, which can be something of a black art, or so I am told. Personally, I would not know an LPR printer if I tripped over one in the hallway.

The last sections are devoted to learning the Unix applications included in OS X: the Apache web server, Sendmail, WebDAV, PHP. There is also a smattering of info on CGI programming. While both Apache and Sendmail have thousand-page tomes devoted to them, Ray and Ray provide enough detail for the Mac-centric OS X user to get a feel for the power of the Apache web server and the Sendmail application. While anyone can turn on Apache in the System Preferences, Apple provides virtually NO guidance or instructions. Unleashed will at least provide you with a good grounding in Apache basics. Ray and Ray discuss proper care and feeding of FTP sites is provided as well.

I generally do not like book reviews to be mere recitations of the various subjects covered. But I felt it important to show how much valuable information is contained in this one book! But raw information is of no use if it is not intelligently presented. The authors' writing style is crisp and to the point, and the example provided are relevant to real-world Macintosh computing. Too-small screen shots are my only objection to the production values. If publishers could figure out how to use paper that weighs less without sacrificing durability, then I would be even happier. This book is ponderous enough that it is difficult to hold in your lap to read. I had to lay it flat on a table to manage it.

Beginners should NOT waste their time and money on Mac OS X Unleashed. Buy Mac OS X: The Missing Manual. instead. But for those who want to learn about Mac OS X-oriented Unix, warts and all, this book should be at the top of your list.

Just be careful to watch your posture when you pick it up.

MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Weeks
http://www.mymac.com/weeks/unleashed_8.26.02.shtml

This volume is targeted to the "intermediate-advanced users." It covers the new OS X version 10.1 (current as of January 2002) in both the GUI environment and the BSD/Unix environment. This is the first book (so far) that does this, and for me it is a complete success. Learn Unix! Learn how Unix is implemented on Apple's computers! Study all the configuration files! Learn the GUI. WOW!

The book is very well divided into chapters with easy-to-use tabs. Topics cover everything you might want to know or do, even network setup and administration.

This book is worth every penny it costs, many times over. You will be learning from this book for a long time.

Mac OS X Unleashed is not a pocket guide. It's more of a massive tome than anything else - at over 1500 pages, it's probably the heaviest technical book I own. (And that's including Deitel & Deitel's C: How to Program, which is weirdly weighty for its size.) Since Mac OS X Unleashed describes itself as "a complete guide and reference for Mac OS users", my biggest question when approaching the book was whether this is in fact the case. It seems like if you're going to shell out for an OS X book of this size and price, then it should ideally be the only OS X book you'll have to buy.

What I liked: there's no shortage of good things about Unleashed, but the best is probably that the authors assume, for the most part,that you already know how to use your computer. Although there are many good books out there for those new to Macs, this is not one of them and does not try to be. That means that if you've already achieved a basic working knowledge of Mac OS, there's still well over a thousand pages of information intended especially for you. However, I can understand that many people do want the basics in an OS X book. Still, I personally don't really see it as a problem. If there's one thing I've never needed a book for, it's the iApps. In fact, I've always found it irritating that other OS X books spend so much time on them. But that's me, and I'm not everyone.

There were several sections of the book that surprised me, including the chapter on web programming. It makes sense, though - the book is intended to "unleash" OS X, after all, and OS X does come with an Apache installation (even if System Preferences calls it Personal Web Sharing). Given that every OS X box has a webserver, it makes sense that many OS X users would want to know more about related topics. In fact, the chapters that focus on system and network administration comprise a pretty thorough introduction to the BSD side of OS X, and were fairly impressive. These were my favorite sections of the book, probably because they're topics rarely dealt with - or at least rarely dealt with well - in Mac books.

What I didn't like: the book suffers from some minor issues typical of most massive technical volumes - it's informative, but also dry, dense, and not terribly readable. Also, while I appreciate the depth and scope of the book, it's a little unwieldy. This isn't something you'll be reading in bed or on the subway. These problems are neither hugely important nor terribly surprising, but they're also not inevitable - reference texts can be thorough without being dull, it's just that this one happens to be both.

Probably the only other real complaint I have with the book is that at times it seems as though it can't decide who its audience is. As I mentioned above, one of the things I liked about Unleashed was that most of the book seems firmly aimed at the intermediate to experienced user. And yet if that's the case, then the chapters that cover things like Desktop Accessories (Calculator, Clock, Key Caps) seem out of place. It doesn't seem like the introductory material offered in the book would really be enough to serve as a tutorial for an absolute beginner (as evidenced by complaints like the one I quoted earlier), but at the same time it's difficult to figure out who else would need it. However, I'm not suggesting they skimped on advanced topics to squeeze in inappropriate Clock coverage - if there's one thing this book has, it's plenty of everything.

The bottom line: I believe that Unleashed does live up to its title, and does a good job in the process. It's not an introduction to OS X - it's about getting more out of your system after you've already learned the basics. It doesn't (usually) try to be a beginner's book, but a quick-learning novice would probably do fine with it, and any moderately experienced Mac user will probably find that it serves his or her purposes effectively and efficiently. If given the choice (and funding), I'd probably still go with a couple different books, but I think Unleashed has in fact reached its goal of being a complete guide to OS X. You could do just fine with only this book, and at its price it may be cheaper than buying a couple smaller books separately.