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Mac OS X For Unix Geeks: Demistifying the Geekier Side of Mac OS X
If you're a developer or system administrator lured to Mac OS X because of its Unix roots, you'll quickly discover that performing Unix tasks on a Mac is different than what you're accustomed to. Mac OS X for Unix Geeks serves as a bridge between Apple's Darwin OS and the more traditional Unix systems. This clear, concise guide gives you a tour of Mac OS X's Unix shell in both Leopard and Tiger, and helps you find the facilities that replace or correspond to standard Unix utilities.
You'll learn how to perform common Unix tasks in Mac OS X, such as using Directory Services instead of the standard Unix /etc/passwd and /etc/group, and you'll be able to compile code, link to libraries, and port Unix software using either Leopard and Tiger. This book teaches you to:
Navigate the Terminal and understand how it differs from an xterm Use Open Directory (LDAP) and NetInfo as well as Directory Services Compile your code with GCC 4 Port Unix programs to Mac OS X with Fink Use MacPorts to install free/open source software Search through metadata with Spotlight's command-line utilities Build the Darwin kernel And there's much more. Mac OS X for Unix Geeks is the ideal survival guide to tame the Unix side of Leopard and Tiger. If you're a Unix geek with an interest in Mac OS X, you'll soon find that this book is invaluable.
You'll learn how to perform common Unix tasks in Mac OS X, such as using Directory Services instead of the standard Unix /etc/passwd and /etc/group, and you'll be able to compile code, link to libraries, and port Unix software using either Leopard and Tiger. This book teaches you to:
Navigate the Terminal and understand how it differs from an xterm Use Open Directory (LDAP) and NetInfo as well as Directory Services Compile your code with GCC 4 Port Unix programs to Mac OS X with Fink Use MacPorts to install free/open source software Search through metadata with Spotlight's command-line utilities Build the Darwin kernel And there's much more. Mac OS X for Unix Geeks is the ideal survival guide to tame the Unix side of Leopard and Tiger. If you're a Unix geek with an interest in Mac OS X, you'll soon find that this book is invaluable.
- GenresTechnology
426 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 17, 2023
A very inconsistent book. It varies wildly between chapters what kind of technical background the book assumes, and for the most part it ends up explaining things well below the level of any "Unix geek".
In one chapter it explains how to use filenames with spaces in a terminal, and how to use sudo. This is elementary level Unix knowledge that belongs more in a book for Unix beginners, rather than an introduction to a different Unix-like system for people with Unix knowledge. Then in another it goes in-depth with porting C applications, and the differences between object formats on OS X (Mach-O) versus other Unixes (mostly ELF).
Some parts of the book are by now wildly out of date, which is to be expected, but many of the Mac-specific Unix quirks are still accurate, but it requires you to go through the book explaining basic Unix usage in order to find them.
If you're a long time Unix user that wants to learn about the specifics of macOS, this simply isn't the book for you. If you're a novice Unix user, this might be helpful.
In one chapter it explains how to use filenames with spaces in a terminal, and how to use sudo. This is elementary level Unix knowledge that belongs more in a book for Unix beginners, rather than an introduction to a different Unix-like system for people with Unix knowledge. Then in another it goes in-depth with porting C applications, and the differences between object formats on OS X (Mach-O) versus other Unixes (mostly ELF).
Some parts of the book are by now wildly out of date, which is to be expected, but many of the Mac-specific Unix quirks are still accurate, but it requires you to go through the book explaining basic Unix usage in order to find them.
If you're a long time Unix user that wants to learn about the specifics of macOS, this simply isn't the book for you. If you're a novice Unix user, this might be helpful.
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July 19, 2020elibrary
October 12, 2013
It's a complete guide for new mac users who works with Linux everyday. I quickly become mac experts although I'm really new to Mac OS.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews