Harley Hahn's Guide to Unix and Linux

by Harley Hahn

Harley Hahn's Guide to Unix and Linux is a modern, comprehensive text for anyone who wants to learn how to use Unix or Linux. The book is suitable as a primary or secondary textbook for classroom use, as well as for readers who want to teach themselves. The text covers all the basic concepts and tools Unix/Linux users need to Unix vs Linux, GUIs, the command line interface, the online manual, syntax, the shell, standard I/O and redirection, pipes and filters, vi, the Unix file system, and job control. Hahn offers a thoroughly readable approach to teaching Unix & Linux by emphasizing core ideas and carefully explaining unfamiliar terminology. The book walks readers through Unix & Linux systems from the very beginning, assuming no prior knowledge and laying out material in a logical, straightforward manner. An experienced author, Hahn writes in a clear, engaging, and student-friendly style, resulting in a text that is both easy and entertaining to read. Motivating pedagogy, such as “What’s in a Name?” boxes and highlighted Hints provide readers with interesting background and helpful tips. For additional resources, readers can visit the author’s website at www.mhhe.com/harleyhahn

Genres: Reference, Computers

960 pages, Paperback

First published February 7, 2008

Reviews

[Gregory Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I had been using Unix for many years, I picked up quite a lot of new knowledge -- not only technical but cultural -- from this book. Besides being jam-packed with information, the book is easy to read and full of humor. It is the only computer science book I have enjoyed so much that I chose it for bed-time reading!

[Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harley Hahn seems like a friendly neighbor cool dude in the college, who will show you some cool tricks with Unix, make some lame ass jokes and laugh himself and write some poems about Unix.

But he is an accomplished writer. Technical books are seldom not dry. Even when the concepts are easy to learn, sometimes you get 'bored out' of the book. In that context, the book is an accomplishment despite the fact that it has 900+ pages. It is very, very easy to read and accessible. I really feel that if the author hadn't insisted on making the chapters standalone so that they can be read in any order, that decision alone might have cut some 15% of the pages. And I am being a little pedantic about the length because it takes too damn long to finish. I think maybe it took me 10 hours or so, that too when it is light on the concepts, technically.

My intention to read this book was to make up for not having any introductory course on Unix in my bachelors yet I have to use Linux on a daily basis. My purpose is definitely fulfilled.

I think positives are well captured by the rating. Negatives, I think Harley's repeated phrase of Unix for smart people gets a little old. He also fails to truly make you realize why Unix is elegant and beautiful. Just read the first chapter of The Art of Unix and you will realize what I am talking about. Also, a little bit more technical and formal deep dive would have been appreciated maybe as optional sections. Finally, the final or the final two chapters seem a little bit rushed, if I compare them to how well and comprehensive the earlier ones are. Oh, and they could have added some real life exercise like log scraping for errors wherever applicable to make it more interesting.

Overall, I really like the book and I would recommend this book unless I find another one which is as easy to read but with maybe 50% thickness. :)

[Ramesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Approaches Unix from a historical perspective while still covering the absolute basic, technical stuff about Unix/Linux. Start with this book if you wish to jump into Unix/Linux.

[Dominik · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely book for aspirational nerds!<3

[sattam A alotaibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

. هذا الكتاب مرجع ، وهو كتاب يصلح أن يكون مقررا للدارسين ، كل نهاية فصل أسئلة

الكتاب مفصل و مع ذلك ممتع جدا

-فيه إلماحات وتفاصيل تاريخية ماوجدتها في غيره -المؤلف معاصر لبدايات اليونكس
أعني الفصول الثلاثة اﻷولى: المقدمة التاريخية، بها يتميز الكتاب عن غيره
من أجمل الفصول التي استمتعت بها عن المحرر النصي Vi
شرحه شرح جيد ، ومن بعدها صرت أستخدمه بكثرة
والكتاب ماحتاج تقرأه من أوله - مع إنّي أنصحك بالعكس - إلا إذا كنت مهتم بمقدمة تاريخية لتطور يونكس و لينكس ، وفهم التاريخ يأسس لفهم اليونكس واللينكس بشكل أعمق

[Junior Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book for ANYONE who is looking to get into using the Unix/Linux operating systems. I've read this book cover to cover, and keep it by my computer as a reference. The book was required reading for my Unix class in college, and was a lot of fun to read. This is the book that got me back into computers and on the trail of my BS in Computer Science.