Journal ir0b0t's Journal: Notes on Unix Power Tools 3d Ed.
This book by Shelley Powers, Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly and Mike Loukides is a well written balance of historically grounded concept articles and straight forward how-to information.
I'm using the book to assist me in my ongoing (started as a hobby) project of migrating my small law office to full open source code. Now that I no longer boot Windows on my office desktop, my need for and interest in command-line syntax has sharply increased.
This book not only teaches unix-style syntax but clarifies along the way the reasons for differences in syntax between BSD, System V or Linux style versions. That clarification puts the focus on the purpose and context of the command in question which makes the overall subject easier to understand and remember.
There are so very many, many books out there purporting to do the same for coders and non-coders alike, but this one is a standout success. It is well written enough that it reminds me of books on non-technical subjects like Steven Levy's Hackers, Petzold's Code or Freiberger and Swaine, Fire in the Valley.
I hope to find more code books written in this style of historical concept first with cookbook-style augmentation by practical examples second. Its usually the latter with none of the former.
It would be terrific to find one about the history of machine and control code level coding in personal computers over the past 20 years, particularly as related to the various unix philosophies and their differences against the backdrop of the growth of consumer-focused proprietary systems.
In the meantime, I will watch for what else the authors have done. I wish I could give them a prize.
Its too rare to find such gifted writers on subject matter as potentially inaccessible to lay readers as code. This book evokes the wonder, mystery, excitement and promise of the personal computer.
I'm using the book to assist me in my ongoing (started as a hobby) project of migrating my small law office to full open source code. Now that I no longer boot Windows on my office desktop, my need for and interest in command-line syntax has sharply increased.
This book not only teaches unix-style syntax but clarifies along the way the reasons for differences in syntax between BSD, System V or Linux style versions. That clarification puts the focus on the purpose and context of the command in question which makes the overall subject easier to understand and remember.
There are so very many, many books out there purporting to do the same for coders and non-coders alike, but this one is a standout success. It is well written enough that it reminds me of books on non-technical subjects like Steven Levy's Hackers, Petzold's Code or Freiberger and Swaine, Fire in the Valley.
I hope to find more code books written in this style of historical concept first with cookbook-style augmentation by practical examples second. Its usually the latter with none of the former.
It would be terrific to find one about the history of machine and control code level coding in personal computers over the past 20 years, particularly as related to the various unix philosophies and their differences against the backdrop of the growth of consumer-focused proprietary systems.
In the meantime, I will watch for what else the authors have done. I wish I could give them a prize.
Its too rare to find such gifted writers on subject matter as potentially inaccessible to lay readers as code. This book evokes the wonder, mystery, excitement and promise of the personal computer.
