It's Christmas and I've just purchased Mac OS X Unleashed.

The thing weighs a ton (1,464 pages!) but is one of the best computer books I've bought. The guys who wrote it are obviously Unix heads but they are also very much in love with the Mac as well so it's got a good feel when reading it.

A long time Mac user I've just started to dig into the Unix side of things, attributes, permissions, owners, mounting volumes as directories, etc... it's actually quite interesting.

If you're going to delve into Mac OS X beyond clicking around in the GUI this is the book to invest in.

I'm currently formatting my "man" pages

Here is a brief summary of some of the Unix topics covered:

Unix file management basics
Command line software installation and troubleshooting
File system operations including permissions and groups
Process management including pipes
Command line applications (Lynx, telnet, FTP, rlogin, ssh, pine, emacs, lpr, etc.)
Environment and shell variables
Installing and using XFree86
The section on Network Administration has good fundamentals on AppleScript, Perl, PHP, MySQL, as well as intermediate and advanced level tips on how to work the the all-important NetInfo database.

Some of the best OS X info includes printer and font management, especially how to install and configure LPR printers, which can be something of a black art, or so I am told. Personally, I would not know an LPR printer if I tripped over one in the hallway.

The last sections are devoted to learning the Unix applications included in OS X: the Apache web server, Sendmail, WebDAV, PHP. There is also a smattering of info on CGI programming. While both Apache and Sendmail have thousand-page tomes devoted to them, Ray and Ray provide enough detail for the Mac-centric OS X user to get a feel for the power of the Apache web server and the Sendmail application. While anyone can turn on Apache in the System Preferences, Apple provides virtually NO guidance or instructions. Unleashed will at least provide you with a good grounding in Apache basics. Ray and Ray discuss proper care and feeding of FTP sites is provided as well.

I generally do not like book reviews to be mere recitations of the various subjects covered. But I felt it important to show how much valuable information is contained in this one book! But raw information is of no use if it is not intelligently presented. The authors' writing style is crisp and to the point, and the example provided are relevant to real-world Macintosh computing. Too-small screen shots are my only objection to the production values. If publishers could figure out how to use paper that weighs less without sacrificing durability, then I would be even happier. This book is ponderous enough that it is difficult to hold in your lap to read. I had to lay it flat on a table to manage it.

Beginners should NOT waste their time and money on Mac OS X Unleashed. Buy Mac OS X: The Missing Manual. instead. But for those who want to learn about Mac OS X-oriented Unix, warts and all, this book should be at the top of your list.

Just be careful to watch your posture when you pick it up.

MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5

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David Weeks
http://www.mymac.com/weeks/unleashed_8.26.02.shtml

"Mac OS X Unleashed" is a terrific book, emphasizing the powerful Unix underpinnings of Apple's new operating system. The book provides a thorough tour of OS X (up to date with 10.1), especially the arcane world of Unix networking administration, with chapters on important topics like NetInfo, installing a Samba server, and detecting and preventing hacker attacks.

The authors Ray bring decades of Unix system administration experience as well as a deep love of the Mac, and they have written an outstanding book bridging the two worlds, introducing Mac users to scores of useful Unix-based tools included in OS X or available on the Web. The book is broad and deep (and at more than 1400 pages, heavy) and is an essential reference to getting the most from Mac OS X. I highly recommend it for technically proficient Mac users.

The "first book written by a computer" won't win any awards for insight or style, but it certainly will make you smile.

Racter seems to have a predilection for lettuce, and for using a plethora of florid adjectives. Some of the jumps in logic (or are they disconnected ideas jammed together?) will have you scratching your head. His poetry is startling and full of gunshots of imagination. But don't blame him -- it's the way he was programmed.

Even so, Racter may make more sense than "Finnegans Wake"....

Computer-authored books and computer-composed music are in their infancy, but you can be sure there will be more (and better) to come.