Linux Desk Reference (Open Source Technology Series) (Paperback)

by Scott Hawkins (Author)

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

Product Description
Explains all the basic concepts you need to understand in order to use the Linux system. Provides practical examples for every command, plus hundreds of invaluable tips and warnings. Softcover.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 545 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR; 1 edition (November 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130163910
• ISBN-13: 978-0130163912
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,940,985 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

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

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.

13 of 15 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

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 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.