List of Top UNIX Books
UNIX is one of the first operating systems created using C programming language and is known for its simplicity and extensibility. UNIX has gained popularity today through its various iterations on Mac OS computers and Android mobile devices. Its reliance stems from ASCII text files, pipeline functionality, and organic evolution.
Key Features
- Add these UNIX tools, such as FTP usage, shells of a window system, bash shells, tsch shells, and many more, to your arsenal.
- Regulate package management programs with GNU/Linux system, start X with UNIX, know permissions, Inodes, and practice with standard I/O.
- Leverage Mac’s directories, perform operations on file directories, access remote servers, learn POSIX asynchronous I/O, and debug with various modes to finetune your shell communication commands.
Best Books to Learn UNIX Books
Whether you’re a Software Development professional, a UNIX Books enthusiast, or a student, these ten books on UNIX Books offer comprehensive insights into various aspects such as Programming in the UNIX Environment, Learning the UNIX Operating System, Unix in a Nutshell, The Unix Programming Environment, The Design of the UNIX Operating System, and more, providing a profound understanding of these subjects.
| # | Books | Author | Published | Rating |
| 1. | Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment | W. Stevens, Stephen Rago | 2017 | Amazon: 4.8 Goodreads: 4.3 |
| 2. | Learning the UNIX Operating System, Fifth Edition | Jerry Peek, Grace Todino-Gonguet, John Strang | 2001 | Amazon:4.3
Goodreads: 3.5 |
| 3. | Unix in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference – Covers GNU/Linux | Adam Boduch , Roy Derks | 2005 | Amazon: 4.5
Goodreads:3.9 |
| 4. | The Unix Programming Environment | Brian W. Kernighan, Rob Pike | 1984 | Amazon:4.8
Goodreads: 4.2 |
| 5. | The Design of the UNIX Operating System | Maurice Bach | 1999 | Amazon:4.7
Goodreads: 4.2 |
| 6. | Learning Unix for OS X | Dave Taylor | 2016 | Amazon: 4.3
Goodreads: 3.7 |
| 7. | UNIX For Dummies | John R. Levine, Margaret Levine Young |
2004 |
Amazon 4.5
Goodreads- 3.2 |
| 8. | UNIX: A History and a Memoir | Brian W Kernighan | 2019 | Amazon 4.7
Goodreads -4.4 |
| 9. | Learning the bash Shell: Unix Shell Programming | Cameron Newham | 2005 | Amazon 4.5 Goodreads- 3.8 |
| 10. | Unix Power Tools, Third Edition | Shelley Powers, Jerry Peek, Tim O’Reilly, Mike Loukides | 2002 | Amazon: 4.6 Goodreads: 4.1 |
Review the key points provided to gain insights into each UNIX Books, helping you determine which ones suit your needs.
1. Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment
Author- W. Stevens, Stephen Rago
Book Review
An effective roadmap for UNIX programmers wanting to set their station in the advanced realm of the same. It draws attention to the eventual pitfalls, is thorough in its explanations, and highlights the main methodologies precisely.
Key Takeaways from that book
- Handle POSIX asynchronous I/O, learn to spin locks, practice signal handling, lay the groundwork for terminal I/O, and many more.
- Understand barriers, POSIX semaphores, threads, sockets, and IPC, which are detrimental to the practice of UNIX OS.
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2. Learning the UNIX Operating System, Fifth Edition
Author- Jerry Peek, Grace Todino-Gonguet, John Strang
Book Review
A refreshing take on UNIX with a proper introduction to the command line environment, handy references for basic shell commands, and easy enough to get a good lead even when you have come from another environment.
Key Takeaways from that book
- Hone a good command over using FTP, operating on Pine for mail, and surfing the web like a pro with apt tips and techniques sprinkled throughout the book.
- Learn the innards of UNIX versions and interfaces, get started in shells of a window system, start X with UNIX sessions, and more.
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3. Unix in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference – Covers GNU/Linux
Author- Arnold Robbins
Book Review
Infuse your UNIX code with the required references across a variety of options to select what you need best for a particular situation. A well-thumbed book with much-needed bash scripting, UNIX operating systems, utilities, and information on shell scripting.
Key Takeaways from that book
- Perform operations with Solaris 10, bash shell, and tsch shell, monitor package management programs with GNU/Linux system, and operate on GNU Emacs version 21.
- Familiarize yourself with the concurrent version system and GDB debugger, browse through alphabetical reference of commands, and learn the technicalities behind Bsh, Korn, and C-shell.
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4. The Unix Programming Environment
Author- Brian W. Kernighan, Rob Pike
Book Review
Be mesmerized by the timeless beauty of UNIX with this book that has aged like fine wine. Revisit the adage of the UNIX programming environment and, with your newly acquired knowledge, assess how UNIX works beneath the surface.
Key Takeaways from that book
- Get to know the basics of file systems, permissions, and Inodes, and optimize shell usage with bundle and looping features.
- Program with standard I/O, leverage UNIX system calls with low-level I/O, and prepare documents with eqn and tbl preprocessors.
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5. The Design of the UNIX Operating System
Author- Maurice Bach
Book Review
Deep dive into a realm where the core of UNIX is explained in great detail, after which the subsequent additional information on the topic becomes easy-peasy lemon squeezy. This book converts UNIX Kernel into chewable bite-sized information pieces for increased grasping of root UNIX deliverables.
Key Takeaways from that book
- See the cool amalgamation of how disk blocks are read and link structures, and view UNIX’s carefully laid out history.
- Master processes, memory management, and memory mapping algorithms and master the working of Linux/UNIX internals with appropriate graphical layouts.
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6. Learning Unix for OS X
Author- Dave Taylor
Book Review
Power up your MAC OS skillset with this book’s selection of UNIX commands that play out the most useful features. Deep dive into the bash shell/terminal for Mac users with complete breadthwise understanding along with implementable functions under the surface of OS X.
Key Takeaways from that book
- Curate changes to Mac’s directories, practice commands to find, locate, and tweak information contained in files, and craft the super commands that work based on your specifics.
- Start and run multi-processes on UNIX programs, retrieve remote servers and monitor filesystems of the same, and get a hands-on approach for optimizing X11 applications.
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7. UNIX For Dummies
Author- John R. Levine, Margaret Levine Young
Book Review
This is a quick introductory tool for beginners who are looking to get up and running in UNIX. It uses entertaining, humorous pauses to add flavor to the UNIX material. It contains sparse, brief information so as not to be too overwhelming for the budding aspirant while maintaining a challenging level for increased investment.
Key Takeaways from that book
- It includes steps for UNIX installation and managing files, software, utilities, and networks in an engaging and fun manner.
- Grab the bull by the horns through web surfing for UNIX users, networking principles, and jumping over potential errors in this crisp read.
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8. UNIX: A History and a Memoir
Author- Brian W Kernighan
Book Review
A book touching base on the intricate details of how UNIX came about and how different units of UNIX have come to fit together as well as evolve in the most interesting ways. This is an informative biographical read about the speculations of what UNIX is all about and how it came into existence.
Key Takeaways from that book
- The history of the creation of the major aspects of UNIX in the bell labs and knowledge of CTSS and Multics has its unique charm.
- Know more about Unix for patent applications, its programmer’s manual, details of file system, system calls, and more in this humble memoir.
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9. Learning the bash Shell: Unix Shell Programming (In a Nutshell (O’Reilly)) 3rd Edition
Author- Cameron Newham
Book Review
Bringing forth the author’s splendid work in bash shell distills the knowledge given and makes it digestible enough for quick implementation in your professional environment. Get to see keyword navigation commands, shell customization, and shell communication programs that condense file navigation.
Key Takeaways from that book
- This book contains fundamentals of shell usage, standard I/O procedures, implementation of directory structures, and command line editing.
- Learn to be an agile learner by customizing the shell environment, flow control structures, process handling, and debugging with trace and verbose modes.
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10. Unix Power Tools, Third Edition
Author- Shelley Powers, Jerry Peek, Tim O’Reilly, Mike Loukides
Book Review
A fantastic learning resource that takes into account the widespread versions of Unix like Linux, FreeBSD, MAC OS X, and Solaris. All in all a great comprehensive guide for honing your secret weapon to be unbeatable at UNIX tools that have not lost their practicality with time.
Key Takeaways from that book
- Overlays insights on bash, zsh, and other new shells whilst not losing out on fundamentals of Linux, Darwin, and BSD.
- Familiarize yourself with basic UNIX environment, UNIX networking, Unix systems, and finetune automatic setups for different terminals.
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