By Shelley Powers, Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly, Mike Loukides
Third Edition
October 2002
Pages: 1154
ISBN 10: 0-596-00330-7 |
ISBN 13: 9780596003302
(Average of 6 Customer Reviews)
The latest edition of this best-selling favorite is loaded with vital information on Linux, Darwin, and BSD. Unix Power Tools 3rd Edition now offers more coverage of bash, zsh, and other new shells, along with discussions about modern utilities and applications. Several sections focus on security and Internet access. There is a new chapter on access to Unix from Windows, and expanded coverage of software installation and packaging, as well as basic information on Perl and Python.
Full Description
Cover | Table of Contents | Colophon
Featured customer reviews
Not for everyone but something for everyone, May 19 2008
I just *bought* a copy of the second edition to this book. I say *bought* because I paid $0.50 for the darn thing, along with a copy of 'understanding the linux kernel'. Total--one dollr!
The great thing about this book is that it is well written, the binding is excellent, so a user can get years of use out of it until the next editon comes out and the structure and outline is great--done in a *link* style, where you can jump around from one article to another, thanks to the authors including the subsections at the top of each page. Most authors don't think about the ORGANIZATION of the information they present but these guys have. You can jump around easily when a subject is mentioned in an article that may be related but not explained in the current article your reading--you don't have to read straight through and, in fact, the authors discourage this.
My only real problem is that not enough time is spent explaining how the programs 'think'--I think this is the true basis for becoming a power user. Some programs are explained, like the shell and the find command but most are not. Again, I have the 2nd edition and maybe they've changed this, I don't know. Otherwise a very good great book!
Great Book, but where are the example files?, March 17 2007
This is a great book, even for Unix beginners. You should have some programming background, but the examples are clear and concise. There are a lot of practical examples that can be used straight out of the book. The only complaint I have is that it refers constantly to a companion CD that doesn't come with the book, and refers to a website for file examples, "www.oreilly.com/catalog/upt3" that should actually be "http://examples.oreilly.com/upt3/". I'd still prefer to see examples on the CD, but this is an essential reference for anyone working with Unix.
Not for beginners, February 25 2005
I'm not a fan of this book. It is poorly constructed, disappointingly brief even on subjects that are "extensively" covered (such as awk, sed, perl, vi), doesn't contain a good list of Unix commands, and in general isn't worth the two slots it is taking up on my safari bookshelf. If you are already fairly knowledgable on a topic and are just looking for a hack, maybe this would work for you, but if you actually need some information about how a utility works, what it does, and how to use it in a general sense, there is no information in this book at all.
Unix Power Tools, 3rd Edition Review, February 26 2004
This is one of the best book i've ever read about Unix...
This is the definitive handbook you must have when you work under any version of Un*x.
The introduction made of certain tools is more complete than some other dedicated book.
Unix Power Tools, 3rd Edition Review, December 08 2003
This one rocks.
Unix Power Tools, 3rd Edition Review, October 19 2003
Being a ten year user and a five year Unix / Linux admin, all I can say, tthis is a must have for a Unix admin and user.
Media reviews
"The is an intensely practical book about using UNIX at the command line and covers many tools that understand regular expressions."
--Dr. Chris Brown, "Linux Format," November 2003
"This really is an essential book for all Linux/Unix users. Top marks. Linux Format Rating: 10 out of 10."
--Nick Veitch, "Linux Format," June 2003
"I cannot think of any other computer title that resembles 'Unix Power Tools"...One can open it anywhere and start reading; it is an almanac in the sense of 'an annual handbook containing information of general or special interest' ['Conc. Oxford Dic.']; it is like a news magazine because the items are short and sharp; and it does have the flavour of hypertext because it uses links to other articles and sources of further information...If you don't know Unix or related operating systems, and would like to get a feel for how tehy work and what they do, this is a great place to browse. If you use Unix or Linux it is the most comprehensive resource available."
--Major Keary, "PC Update," May 2003
