Introduction to Unix

Approximately 10 years ago, I was the instructor in an accelerated program in computer science. One of the blocks covered UNIX and this was the text that had been selected for that section. Since I had not been a part of the process of determining what texts to use, I was a bit apprehensive when it was time to cover UNIX. There was no need to be concerned, while this book lacks a great deal of depth; it is fine for an overview. The chapters are: *) Introduction to the UNIX operating system. *) Getting started with UNIX *) Understanding the UNIX file system *) Working with files and directories *) Understanding permissions and other system information *) Using the vi and emacs editors *) Electronic mail *) Shells and shell scripts *) C programming in a UNIX environment *) UNIX networking *) UNIX system administration *) Working with UNIX and the Internet A set of simple exercises is given at the end of the chapters, although no solutions are included. The lack of depth meant that I had to supplement a few things, but overall I found this book a suitable text for a course in the fundamentals of using UNIX.

This book is an excellent introduction to UNIX. I am using it in my class on Operating Systems. The material is well organized and follows a logic which lacks in other books. The section on Shell scripts is especially interesting since the reader can compare the code thay write for the same problem. My students find the book easy to read and easy to comprehend. I recommend to any teacher who wants an easy introduction to UNIX.

Meghabghab has a made this book easy to read. It explains the concepts of Unix in clear terms. It expounds the basic concepts that must be in every Unix book. It introduces shells and how to use them in a Unix environment. Also it has a chapter on C programming language and how to run C on a Unix machine. It helps not only average users but also system administrators to masterfully control a Unix machine. In every chapter important commands that are pertinent to the topic at hand are explained in a releavnt example. Meghabghab has scored big in an introductory book on Unix which is a must for any serious reader on Unix.