Customer comments on this selection.
 Outstanding introduction to Unix systems programming
I bought this book as a quick introduction to the world of UNIX/Linux systems programming. Having had extensive prior experience with the C programming language and application development on other platforms (DOS, OS/2, AS/400), I read the book without actually trying out the sample code or programming exercises. My goal was to get a solid feel for the basic concepts of Unix systems programming as quickly as possible, in order to move on to more advanced Linux topics (assembly programming, kernel and device driver development, implementation of the Linux TCP/IP stack) covered in other books. I found this book to be exceptionally clear and well written and ideally suited for the purpose.
The book requires intermediate knowledge of C and some basic computing skills, but otherwise makes very few assumptions about the reader. Concepts are introduced gradually, and the exceptionally clear diagrams, analogies, case studies and sample programs make each chapter a pleasure to digest and learn from. In order to avoid overwhelming the reader, advanced details are moved out of the main flow of the text, and into the exercises at the end of each chapter.
Each chapter is structured in a similar manner. A small programming project is introduced as the goal of each chapter. Each is appropriately chosen so that the systems programming concepts that are to be the subject of the chapter are key to the solution. The author then guides the reader along the path by asking and answering the questions "What does it do?", "How does it work?", and "How can I write my own version?". The author has a knack for anticipating the types of questions that are likely to be in the reader's mind at the appropriate moments, and helps the reader along with helpful pointers and analogies. This approach is very effective, and while not as detailed and complete as that of W. Richard Stevens (Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment), it is certainly more readable and easier to digest.
Overall, an exceptional introduction to Unix/Linux systems programming and highly recommended.
question in example code, still 5 stars
I have read more than half of the book. I like the material the book covers and the way of teaching by exemples.
Most other books focus on the features of the Unix system.
However I have minor questions:
1. There are typographical errors in exemple code.
2. I do not like function tty_mode(int how) in chapter 6.
it seems trivial and unnecessry and the static variable inside
the function seems questionable style.
I wonder why these obvious things happened in such a good book.
An excellent course through Unix and Linux with copious code and examples.
Unix has had the luxury of being one of the most documented operating systems in history. Many books have been dedicated to documenting the internals of Unix and Unix-like systems and some have risen to the ranks of classic texts regarded by all as necessary to understanding the inner workings of Unix. Understanding Unix®/Linux Programming would be in excellent company with these books. The book contains a copious amount of code and clear, diagramed explanations describing the processes transpiring in the machine.
Understanding Unix®/Linux Programming is designed to be used in an operating systems course with programmers fluent in C. Fortunately, though, the book can be used outside of the classroom if the reader does not mind an occasional open-ended questions with no included answers. The book may seem light on pages (530 including index), but the author should get an award for jamming so much useful explanation and helpful (and complete) code. The format of each chapter is familiar to most textbooks, with an introduction to the task at hand, explanations and examples, a summary, a list of explorations to further understand the topics presented, and a set of programming exercises. The exercises are creative and directly relate to the presented code. They're also (dare I say it?) fun. I'm not saying they'll replace crossword puzzles, but they do present creative or obvious challenges to the reader. (Like handling when a user types 'exit' from a shell, or blinking the text in an ncurses application).
The book includes topics on file I/O, device I/O, timers, process management, stream and datagram sockets, POSIX threads, file systems, the terminal driver, signals pipes, network programming and semaphores. A typical chapter will introduce an operating system concept (file systems and directories, for instance) and will briefly describe the current Unix command for working with that concept (pwd for determining the present working directory, or ls for listing the contents of a directory, and so forth). The author then proceeds to give a detailed description of what the operating system does to run the command. In the chapter on processes and programs, the author describes what processes are and how to use the ps command. Next the author describes how to fork child processes, and wait for them. This leads to the 'prompting shell', which is a simple, yet functional shell environment. Now some books would leave this exercise after creating a semi-functional shell, but the author presses on and in the next chapter creates 'small-shell' which is an interactive shell with a minimal scripting langauge and variable support. All of this in the span of 71 pages, with plenty of examples, full code listings, diagrams, and problem sets.
Understanding Unix®/Linux Programming takes advantage of the inquisitive nature of coders by presenting commands and command squences we all take for granted, and turning them into "how do they work" learning experiences. Anyone who has ever stopped to think why certain things work the way they do in Unix (or work at all) will find this book immensely helpful in sating that curiousity. Students who are assigned this textbook for a class should thank their teacher for choosing a genuinely useful text from which to read. I can't help but be jealous of students who will use this book for their classes. That jealousy is short-lived though, as anyone who wants an excellent resource for learning Unix programming will benefit from picking up this book. Kudos to the author for crafting not only an exceptionally easy to read and thourough book, but for taking the complex machinations of Unix and making them simple and accessible for all coders.
Easy to understand
It goes right to the point and it's easy too understand. One of the very few books out there that really shows what system programming is all about. Great samples too.
Beautiful Mind...
This book is beautifully written. I just got it today and read the first chapter. I bought it for a class I am taking in Unix Systems Programming. I was relieved when Molay's book arrived in the mail today. I was relieved that the book exceeded my expectations. If you can't afford Harvard, don't worry--the course is all here.
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