The new millennium has seen many changes in many areas of computing, from new forms of storage
with massive amounts of storage space, to systems that are far more powerful than the first computer
users could have ever imagined. Designed and initially created more than 30 years ago, the Unix operating
system has been part of the evolution of computers, so it's no accident that Unix is still one of the
most popular operating systems for mission-critical tasks.
Unix is the basis for some of the most-used operating systems today, from Apple's Mac OS X to Linux to
the more commonly known Unix versions, such as Sun's Solaris Unix and IBM's AIX. Today many of the
versions of Unix are available free to users and corporations, allowing for a larger use base than many
had imagined when Unix was first being developed. Unix is now seen as a user-friendly, very secure,
and robust operating system rather than the cold, command line–only operating system once thought to
be useful only to computer experts.
Beginning Unix covers all basic aspects of the Unix operating system. What is unique about this book is
that it covers not only the standard Unix systems, such as Sun's Solaris and IBM's AIX, but also Unix
derivatives, such as Apple's Mac OS X and the various Linuxes. Additionally, this book includes a
unique conversion section explaining how to convert Mac OS X–specific or Windows operating systems
commands that you may already know into their Unix equivalents, making the transition from other
operating systems much easier.
This book also includes a CD-ROM with the KNOPPIX operating system. This fully functional version of
Linux enables you to restart your computer into a Linux environment. KNOPPIX requires no technical
experience, and it will not damage or modify your current operating system. Using KNOPPIX is an easy
way for you to follow along with the book, learning Unix without the consequences of having to lose
any data or operating systems on your computer.
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