Learning the Unix Operating System

by Peek, Jerry

• ISBN13: 9780596002619
• ISBN10: 0596002610
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-11-01
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

If you are new to Unix, this concise book will tell you just what you need to get started and no more. Unix was one of the first operating systems written in C, a high-level programming language, and its natural portability and low price made it a popular choice among universities. Initially, two main dialects of Unix existed: one produced by AT&T known as System V, and one developed at UC Berkeley and known as BSD. In recent years, many other dialects have been created, including the highly popular Linux operating system and the new Mac OS X (a derivative of BSD).Learning the Unix Operating Systemis a handy book for someone just starting with Unix or Linux, and it's an ideal primer for Mac and PC users of the Internet who need to know a little about Unix on the systems they visit. The fifth edition is the most effective introduction to Unix in print, covering Internet usage for email, file transfers, web browsing, and many major and minor updates to help the reader navigate the ever-expanding capabilities of the operating system: In response to the popularity of Linux, the book now focuses on the popular bash shell preferred by most Linux users. Since the release of the fourth edition, the Internet and its many functions has become part of most computer user's lives. A new chapter explains how to use ftp, pine for mail, and offers useful knowledge on how to surf the web. Today everyone is concerned about security. With this in mind, the author has included tips throughout the text on security basics, especially in the Internet and networking sections.The book includes a completely updated quick reference card to make it easier for the reader to access the key functions of the command line.

Author Biography

is a long time user of the Unix operating system. He has acted as a Unix consultant, courseware developer, and instructor. He is one of the originating authors of Unix Power Tools and the author of Learning the Unix Operating System by O'Reilly.

John Strang now finds himself "a consumer--rather than a producer of Nutshells." He is currently a diagnostic radiologist (MD) at Stanford University. He is married to a pediatrician, Susie, and they have two children, Katie and Alex. John enjoys hiking, bicycling, and dabbling in other sciences. He plans to use his experience as an author at ORA to write his own book on radiology.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Getting Started	1	(16)
Working in the Unix Environment	1	(10)
Syntax of Unix Command Lines	11	(3)
Types of Commands	14	(1)
The Unresponsive Terminal	14	(3)
Using Window Systems	17	(25)
Introduction to Windowing	18	(1)
Starting X	19	(2)
Running Programs	21	(5)
Working with a Mouse	26	(3)
Working with Windows	29	(6)
Other Window Manager Features	35	(2)
Unresponsive Windows	37	(2)
Other X Window Programs	39	(1)
Quitting	40	(2)
Using Your Unix Account	42	(24)
The Unix Filesystem	42	(12)
Looking Inside Files with less	54	(2)
Protecting and Sharing Files	56	(5)
Graphical Filesystem Browsers	61	(1)
Completing File and Directory Names	62	(1)
Changing Your Password	62	(1)
Customizing Your Account	63	(3)
File Management	66	(21)
File and Directory Names	66	(1)
File and Directory Wildcards	67	(2)
Creating and Editing Files	69	(5)
Managing Your Files	74	(7)
Printing Files	81	(6)
Redirecting I/O	87	(10)
Standard Input and Standard Output	87	(5)
Pipes and Filters	92	(5)
Using the Internet and Other Networks	97	(33)
Remote Logins	97	(3)
Windows from Other Computers	100	(1)
Lynx, a Text-based Web Browser	101	(3)
Transferring Files	104	(4)
Electronic Mail	108	(10)
Usenet News	118	(5)
Interactive Chat	123	(7)
Multitasking	130	(6)
Running a Command in the Background	131	(1)
Checking on a Process	132	(2)
Cancelling a Process	134	(2)
Where to Go from Here	136	(7)
Documentation	136	(3)
Shell Aliases and Functions	139	(1)
Programming	139	(1)
Using Unix on Non-Unix Systems	140	(3)
Glossary	143	(6)
Index	149