I was wondering through the Unix maze, untill this small title cleared everything up. A little delight to have. If only I had known it existed, I would not have had my butt kicked from title to title, on craps, who called themselves Unix learning guides.

I've been using various shell commands I picked up here and there over the past couple years. I decided it was time to buckle down and gain a deeper understanding of the what and the why. After spending a couple of hours with this book, I have the basics solidly under my belt. The writing is clear, concise, and entertaining. I only wish I would have started here instead of picking it up piecemeal (and painfully) via various websites.

I don't know if an experienced user would find it as compelling, but for a newbie, it's a godsend.

UNIX,(3rd Edition) by Deborah & Eric Ray is the best book I've come across for learning the fundamentals of this operating system and for using a Linix distribution for the first time. This book is accessible to beginners and experienced users alike. Its format and examples lend themselves to self-study and encourage experimentation. I used it as my companion reference for learning the Linix MEPIS distribution and it worked perfectly. I highly recommend it for every user of the UNIX OS who wants a handy and easy-to-follow guide.

I have been looking for good Unix book for beginer. I am in computer industry for 10 years, mostly in web applications. My unix knowledge is minimal (first 5 chapters of this book). Recently I decided to improve my skills to get ready for shell scripts. I found this book in my local library.

Book was organized very well, simple and visual approach ensures you like a teacher. Straight to the point and simple. I highly recommand this book to beginers and intermediate levels. If you planning to jump into shell script, first refresh your basics from this book.