Unix for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger

This is the best primer on Unix for Mac OS X in print. While technically speaking slightly out of date (it doesn't cover Leopard), all the information in it is still valid and applicable to current models (and where there is a difference between Intel Macs and older PowerPC models, Enzer notes it and provides information and instructions for both), and very little apropos of X.5 makes much difference at the command line. Well-organized, Enzer progresses from the simple to the more complex, from the most common to the most specialized. The text is lucid and straightforward (free also of most of the inane, punning humor most computer primers suffer from), and topics are presented thoroughly and in depth, with frequent cross-reference to other sections for amplification and to other print and online resources for greater depth and specialized needs. I read it through, being a recent convert from Mac 9.2.2 (I must be among the last of the hold-outs, though my PowerBook Wallstreet still runs fine!). I now use this book as one of two primary desk references that rest beside my Macs, picking it up when I have a question or need to do something I am unclear on, or simply want to know more about a command, function, or application. It would be great if Enzer updated this book for Leopard, but it still stands up as a solid resource, and should continue to for some time (this is yet another glory of *nix: 15 year old documentation is still useful as the core logic and functionality doesn't change since it was so well designed at the outset, it is simply expanded and adapted to new needs, new environments). If you need to get grounded in Unix on your Mac, this is the book to start with, though you will find it goes well beyond 'dummies' type books (and is clearer and more direct than those as well) and most introductions to remain useful long after you have mastered the basics.

I've tried many times to find a book that clearly explains Unix in a friendly manner. I should have realized that the Apple ethos was the missing element in all the terse, disjointed treatments I found elsewhere. This book is a dream come true: a book about Unix that is as close to being enjoyable to read as the subject allows. It may not have everything there is to say about unix (I found a few things missing or covered too briefly for my tastes), but the book walks the reader through Unix so gently that I never once felt the blinding frustration that quickly overwhelms me during previous attempts. After this introduction other books (more comprehensive, less humane) can be read as references. Well done!

For those who are new to Unix, never fear, you won't find a better way to start. This book is very clearly written, easy to understand, and covers more than enough of the shell environment to give the user plenty to work with. Buy it! Get the most out of your Mac.

I loved the first edition of this book, but was thrilled when the updated version was released. (The original book was written before Mac OS X adopted the bash shell by default, so many of the examples were out of whack with later releases of the OS). I use this as my primary Unix reference at work - where we do not use Macs! It is a comprehensive and easy reference. I recommend this and O'Reilly's Learning Perl as the two best books (especially if you have a Mac at home) to build your professional Unix chops quickly.

I have a working understanding of UNIX and am a Mac user. In my experience, this book is ideally targeted for someone like me that wants to improve UNIX skills and prefers to do so on a Mac. Other texts I've consulted seem to jump too fast between really elementary subjects to needs of a system admin. The depth here is still rich, but the reader has time to digest the information before getting to more complex constructs.