Mac OS X Tiger for Unix Geeks

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 415 pages
• Published by: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
• Edition: 3rd Edition June 1, 2005
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0596009127
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0596009120
• Book Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 1.3 pounds

Book Description
If you're one of the many Unix developers drawn to Mac OS X for its Unix core, you'll find yourself in surprisingly unfamiliar territory. Unix and Mac OS X are kissing cousins, but there are enough pitfalls and minefields in going from one to another that even a Unix guru can stumble, and most guides to Mac OS X are written for Mac aficionados. For a Unix developer, approaching Tiger from the Mac side is a bit like learning Russian by reading the Russian side of a Russian-English dictionary. Fortunately, O'Reilly has been the Unix authority for over 25 years, and in Mac OS X Tiger for Unix Geeks, that depth of understanding shows. This is the book for Mac command-line fans. Completely revised and updated to cover Mac OS X Tiger, this new edition helps you quickly and painlessly get acclimated with Tiger's familiar-yet foreign-Unix environment. Topics include:

• Using the Terminal and understanding how it differs from an xterm
• Using Directory Services, Open Directory (LDAP), and NetInfo
• Compiling code with GCC 3
• Library linking and porting Unix software
• Creating and installing packages with Fink
• Using DarwinPorts
• Search through metadata with Spotlight's command-line utilities
• Building the Darwin kernel
• Running X Windows on top of Mac OS X, or better yet, run Mac OS X on a Windows machine with PearPC!

Mac OS X Tiger for Unix Geeks is the ideal survival guide for taming the Unix side of Tiger. If you're a Unix geek with an interest in Mac OS X, you'll find this clear, concise book invaluable.

About The Author
Brian Jepson is an O'Reilly editor, programmer, co-author of all editions of Mac OS X for Unix Geeks, and co-author with Dave Taylor on the Jaguar and Panther editions of Learning Unix for Mac OS X. He's also a volunteer system administrator and all-around geek for AS220, a non-profit arts center in Providence, Rhode Island. AS220 gives Rhode Island artists uncensored and unjuried forums for their work. These forums include galleries, performance space, and publications. Brian sees to it that technology, especially free software, supports that mission.Ernest E. Rothman is a Professor of Mathematics at Salve Regina University (SRU) in Newport, Rhode Island, where he is also Chair of the Mathematical Sciences Department. Ernie holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and held positions at the Cornell Theory Center in Ithaca, New York, before coming to SRU. His interests are in scientific computing, applied mathematics and computational science education, and the Unix underpinnings of Mac OS X. Ernie lives in South Kingston, Rhode Island with his wife Kim and two Newfoundland dogs Max and Joe. You can keep abreast of his latest activities at http://homepage.mac.com/samchops. Ernest Rothman is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Mathematical Sciences Department at Salve Regina University (SRU). Like Brian, Ernie has co-authored every edition of Mac OS X for Unix Geeks. Ernie holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Brown University and held positions at the Cornell Theory Center in Ithaca, New York, before coming to SRU. His academic interests are in scientific computing, computational science, and applied mathematics education. As a long-time Unix aficionado, Ernie has enjoyed tinkering with Mac OS X since the day it was first released. You can keep abreast of his latest activities at http://homepage.mac.com/samchops.

Reader Reviews
This isn't a book for beginners, but depending on what you are looking for it isn't totally advanced reading. Part I (Getting Around) is an assortment of ten chapters - Inside the Terminal, Searching and Metadata, Startup, etc. - that are really just deeper dives. Once you have gotten past the "where's the terminal?" stage they provide good, useful information for any user who expects to spend time on the command line. Or who simply wants to know how things work. But with Part II (Building Applications) the dive becomes much deeper, focusing on compiler requirements, libraries, frameworks, dynamic linking, and all the other minutia that a serious developer needs, especially one making the transition from the Unix world. If you are completely Mac based and are happy with Xcode you may find this is overkill. Later sections deal with Working with Packages, Serving and System Management, and some miscellaneous points. Rothman and Jepson's writing style is a bit dry, and in the deeper sections they will often make assumptions about how well versed you are in Unix. Even in the Unix world there aren't a lot of people who are linking and loading experts and a little more effort at explaining the terms would have been appreciated. Come to think of it that's a standards fault anywhere in the Unix world - people keep assuming that the reason you are reading a book is that you already know what's in it - so I shouldn't complain. Still, this is a good reference book. If I ever do want to create packages from the command line this will be my first stop. It belongs on the shelves of all Mac professionals, geeks or not. Comment | | (Report this)