Print Book $69.95
Print Book £49.95
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.
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Book details
Third Edition: October 2002
ISBN: 0-596-00330-7
Pages: 1154
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 6 Reviews)
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
"'Unix Power Tools' by Powers, Peek, O'Reilly and Loukides really lives up to its reputation. They say don't judge a book by its cover, and maybe because they chose a nice power drill on the front cover, when in fact the Jaws of Life would have made a more appropriate tool. This book ROCKS! Mac Guild Grade: A."
--Judd Spitzer, Mac Guild, April 17, 2003
http://mac.excaliburworld.com/reviews/book009.html
"An extensive and comprehensive resource, 'Unix Power Tools' is filled from cover to cover with clear instructions, sample codes, and just about everything even the most novice beginning Unix programmer needs to get started--or that the advanced Unix programmer may need to look up."--"Bookwatch," March 2003
"'Unix Power Tools' remains one of the anchors in my Unix library and is highly recommend."--Mack Lundy, Williamsburg Macromedia User Group, May 19, 2003
http://fsweb.wm.edu/wmmug/reviews/output.cfm?id=184
"For the average Linux or Unix user this book will be a revelation. Things you never thought you could do will become easy. And everyone will learn something from this book, no matter how much you think you know."--Sam Ockman, CEO, Penguin Computing
"This book is not an introduction to Unix. It's not a tutorial about using Unix. It is more like a Unix encyclopedia; the ultimate bathroom book about Unix. With its many hundreds of tips, this is the book to buy once you are comfortable with the basics. You’ll learn about shell shortcuts, using grep and find, editing files, working with processes, shell scripting, and managing your system. While not everything is applicable to Mac OS X, the vast majority of what this book contains is still relevant....If you're the type of user who uses a Mac to surf the Web and send e-mail, this book is obviously not for you. But if you’re the type who used to use ResEdit under previous versions of Mac OS, this is the toolkit that will give you a wealth of useful tips and explanations. It's a bit expensive, but if you want to use the Unix underpinnings of Mac OS X, the time you save will more than pay for this excellent book. ATPM Rating: Excellent "
--Kirk McElhearn, atpm.com (About This Particular Macintosh), March 2003, El
"'Unix Power Tools,' an apt title not meant to be redundant (Unix is THE power-user's operating system, after all) has been the ShopSmith manual or the Unix Almanac since it first appeared in the early 1990s. The second edition appeared in 1999, and with the amazing, if not predicted, growth of Unix and expansion into many flavors; it's fitting that a 3rd edition should appear now....I was impressed with how thoroughly this book covers the multitude of topics contained within. Everything from mastering the various editors to learning to write shell scripts to detailed instructions for maintaining and backing up a network is included....Make space near your workstation now for this book. If you are a mobile laptop user, like myself, consider becoming a user of My Safari services at O'Reilly, which would allow you to have a book like this available online when it is not convenient to carry the extra weight with you. Bottom line: no serious Unix user and no serious newcomer intending to become proficient in Unix should be without this book! MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5."
--Jeffrey McPheeters, MyMac,com, Feb 2003
Reviews From Previous Edition
"'Unix Power Tools,' 2nd Edition is the perfect bathroom book for any Unix afficionado. It's likely you could find something new, interesting, and useful every time you were to open the book. As the introduction says, 'Unix Power Tools' is 'like an almanac, a news magazine, and a hypertext database rolled into one.' The book is a massive collection of short, interlinked articles covering a large spectrum of what Unix is all about. If you're looking to put that extra edge on what you can do with this venerable and powerful operating system, then get your hands around a copy and dive in. This is one thousand-page technical book that most likely won't end up as a doorstop or paperweight in your office."
--Hankssdc, PLUG, Oct 31, 2002
"Just about anyone who's comfortable with Linux or Unix basics would benefit from 'Unix Power Tools.'"
--Dee-Ann LeBlanc, LinuxPlanet, August 2002
"'Unix Power Tools' is a reference that belongs on the bookshelf of nearly everyone who works with Unix. In fact, it could very easily spend more time by the keyboard than on the shelf."
--Mack Lundy, Williamsburg Macromedia User Group, August 2002
"It will become a constant and invaluable reference"
--Tim Perkins, Write.net online
