Modern Operating Systems (2nd Edition) (GOAL Series) (Hardcover)

by Andrew S. Tanenbaum (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
For software development professionals and computer science students, Modern Operating Systems gives a solid conceptual overview of operating system design, including detailed case studies of Unix/Linux and Windows 2000.

What makes an operating system modern? According to author Andrew Tanenbaum, it is the awareness of high-demand computer applications--primarily in the areas of multimedia, parallel and distributed computing, and security. The development of faster and more advanced hardware has driven progress in software, including enhancements to the operating system. It is one thing to run an old operating system on current hardware, and another to effectively leverage current hardware to best serve modern software applications. If you don't believe it, install Windows 3.0 on a modern PC and try surfing the Internet or burning a CD.

Readers familiar with Tanenbaum's previous text, Operating Systems, know the author is a great proponent of simple design and hands-on experimentation. His earlier book came bundled with the source code for an operating system called Minux, a simple variant of Unix and the platform used by Linus Torvalds to develop Linux. Although this book does not come with any source code, he illustrates many of his points with code fragments (C, usually with Unix system calls).

The first half of Modern Operating Systems focuses on traditional operating systems concepts: processes, deadlocks, memory management, I/O, and file systems. There is nothing groundbreaking in these early chapters, but all topics are well covered, each including sections on current research and a set of student problems. It is enlightening to read Tanenbaum's explanations of the design decisions made by past operating systems gurus, including his view that additional research on the problem of deadlocks is impractical except for "keeping otherwise unemployed graph theorists off the streets."

It is the second half of the book that differentiates itself from older operating systems texts. Here, each chapter describes an element of what constitutes a modern operating system--awareness of multimedia applications, multiple processors, computer networks, and a high level of security. The chapter on multimedia functionality focuses on such features as handling massive files and providing video-on-demand. Included in the discussion on multiprocessor platforms are clustered computers and distributed computing. Finally, the importance of security is discussed--a lively enumeration of the scores of ways operating systems can be vulnerable to attack, from password security to computer viruses and Internet worms.

Included at the end of the book are case studies of two popular operating systems: Unix/Linux and Windows 2000. There is a bias toward the Unix/Linux approach, not surprising given the author's experience and academic bent, but this bias does not detract from Tanenbaum's analysis. Both operating systems are dissected, describing how each implements processes, file systems, memory management, and other operating system fundamentals.

Tanenbaum's mantra is simple, accessible operating system design. Given that modern operating systems have extensive features, he is forced to reconcile physical size with simplicity. Toward this end, he makes frequent references to the Frederick Brooks classic The Mythical Man-Month for wisdom on managing large, complex software development projects. He finds both Windows 2000 and Unix/Linux guilty of being too complicated--with a particular skewering of Windows 2000 and its "mammoth Win32 API." A primary culprit is the attempt to make operating systems more "user-friendly," which Tanenbaum views as an excuse for bloated code. The solution is to have smart people, the smallest possible team, and well-defined interactions between various operating systems components. Future operating system design will benefit if the advice in this book is taken to heart. --Pete Ostenson

Product Description
(Pearson Education) A reference offering practical and example-based information on constructing and understanding modern operating systems. Includes chapters on computer security, multimedia operating systems, multiple processor systems, single processor computer systems, and a score of other topics. Also features a companion Web site. DLC: Operating systems.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 976 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 2 edition (March 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130313580
• ISBN-13: 978-0130313584
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #146,344 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OS concepts, vocabulary, and details for professionals, August 19, 2002

By	Richard Bejtlich "TaoSecurity.com" (Metro Washington, DC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Tanenbaum's book is a thorough yet accessible introduction to the design and implementation of modern operating systems. This second edition explains the trade-offs developers must make and shows readers how OS' have matured since the 1960s. Knowledge of programming in C is helpful, especially if the reader wishes to complete the exercises following each chapter. I gave the book five stars for its content, delivery, and humor, all of which helped me learn a difficult subject in an enjoyable manner.

"Modern Operating Systems, 2nd Ed" (MOS:2E) is very well-written, which may surprise those who suffer while reading other hardcover college texts. The book introduces problems facing developers, then helps the reader understand both simple and complex ways to address these issues. Tanenbaum's style is lively and informative, like the cover of his books. He appears knowledgeable and opinionated -- especially concerning problems with the Windows OS -- but he can back up his assertions.

The best features of MOS:2E are found in chapters ten and eleven. Here Tanenbaum illuminates UNIX and Microsoft Windows 2000, respectively, building upon the material found in the previous nine chapters. He gives real reasons why Windows suffers security problems, such as internal complexity, code bloat, and design choices. UNIX is also critically evaluated, but stands up better to Tanenbaum's scrutiny.

I don't recommend computer novices read MOS:2E. One needs a certain amount of interest and motivation to digest this material, and Tanenbaum's explanations of some concepts did not seem sufficient. However, after having finished this 900 page tome, I feel more comfortable reading about design issues for the Linux kernel or the FreeBSD scheduler. If you're looking to learn the how and why of operating system design and implementation, I strongly recommend MOS:2E.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb book on Operating Systems, September 24, 2001

By	Ricardo Diz (Portugal) - See all my reviews

I think this book is a great book on OS. It's easy to read (don't forget Tanenbaum humor :)), it explains difficult issues using simple analogies and is certainly an up-to-date book on the field.

It has one chapter covering Unix (and Linux) and another one for Windows 2000, two of the more important Operating Systems well explained here.

The Chapter on processes and threads is great. It really clarifies the difference between processes and threads.

Although I found the book as easy to read as it can get, I must admit that I had litle bit of a hard time reading that Memory Chapter. I'd prefer it didn't had so many algoritms. I shorter chapter would probably be better, at least for me ;).

It also has a chapter on security, a must have nowdays. If you are a first-time learner on Operating Systems I think this is the one.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Interesting, but Radically Restructured, June 8, 2001

By	"microtherion" (Sim City, CA (Somewhere in the Bay Area)) - See all my reviews

The 2nd edition of this book is nearly as interesting and as much fun as the first edition, but it's a very different book. I liked the first edition for its case studies of edgy systems like Mach and Amoeba and was quite surprised to see them gone in this edition. Apparently, due to the expanding size of the overall material, Tanenbaum is only covering these in his Distributed Systems books anymore, and the case studies left in this book are UNIX and Windows 2000, OSes that I would classify as "contemporary" rather than "modern". Also, I was very disappointed not to find a single mention of MacOS X in the book.

Still, this is a superb book. It covers a wide range of material, and ties textbook material to the latest research papers in an area (for its literature survey value alone, this is a great starting point for any in-depth study of an OS topic). Tanenbaum also suffuses all of the material with humorous anecdotes and sly asides which make the book a delight to read cover to cover.