Mac OS X Unleashed

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
With the release of Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar), there's more under the hood of Mac OS X than ever before. And much of it's utterly new to longtime Mac users -- especially those who are migrating to Mac OS X for the first time.

Fear not. Get Mac OS X Unleashed, Second Edition. This incredibly thorough reference covers Mac OS X both as the latest, greatest, coolest Mac OS ever and as the industrial-strength UNIX system it really is.

You might think it'd be hard to find an author who could look at the Mac OS X so well from all these angles. You're right: It took two. John Ray oversees network operations at Ohio State and knows more about UNIX-style networking than just about anyone. Dr. William Ray is a mathematician turned computer scientist turned biophysicist with 18 years of Mac experience and 15 years of UNIX experience.

Long before Apple turned its eyes to BSD and Mach, Will Ray was developing and running an extraordinary Mac- and UNIX-based computational biology/graphics laboratory and training center at OSU -- and teaching hundreds of students and faculty to make the most of Macs and UNIX together. With authors like these, you can predict that this won't be any garden-variety Mac book -- and it isn't.

Sure, all the day-to-day stuff is here, all fully updated for Mac OS X 10.2. For example, the authors offer a detailed look at the Mac OS X interface from the standpoint of the power user. For example, you'll learn more about List View, Icon View, and Column View than you ever thought possible. You've probably noticed that Column View lets you preview the contents of a file -- even PDFs and QuickTime. But did you know you can listen to an MP3 from Column View without even opening an MP3 player?

Similarly, you've probably noticed the predefined one-step navigation shortcuts provided in the Go menu for one-step navigation -- but have you tried manually entering the name of the directory you're browsing to? Just use OS X's UNIX-y shortcuts (e.g., ~/ takes you to your home directory).

The Rays teach you how to use Apple's Internet tools and i-applications, from iTunes to the powerful new Sherlock 3 (which can find anything on earth except matching socks). There's detailed new coverage of iChat, the "Aquaticized" instant messaging client that links you to 20 million AOL Instant Messenger users.

There's also a full chapter on running Classic from Mac OS X. Here, the Rays cover everything from minor goodies (how to paste slick OS X icons onto those ugly old Classic icons) to more important stuff (new to 10.2: you can give each Classic user her own application preferences) to really important stuff (workarounds when your printer will only work in Classic, or OS X, but not in both).

The emphasis, though, is on the sheer power of Mac OS X. There's BSD 4.4–derived UNIX down there, and the Rays dive in headfirst. Learn the right shell commands and you can automate operations on multiple files at once, script graphics file conversions...you name it. The Rays even show you BSD-based workarounds for coping with the less-than-seamless integration of the Classic environment and native applications.

The more you begin exploring OS X's UNIX underpinnings, the more you'll appreciate this book. The Rays offer a complete primer on UNIX shells and scripting, then make you comfortable with OS X's key command-line applications and application suites. You'll learn how to install UNIX software from the command line and troubleshoot your UNIX software installs.

There's also thorough coverage of server/network administration, including a detailed chapter on file and resource sharing with NetInfo; coverage of user management and machine clustering; and of providing mail, FTP, and other services.

Mac OS X Unleashed, Second Edition is packed with info you've never seen in a Mac OS book before -- for example, coverage of the open-source MySQL database, hosting web sites with Apache, and -- for better or worse -- a comprehensive command reference! Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2000 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks For Dummies®, Second Edition.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Mac OS X Unleashed is a complete guide and reference for Mac OS users. The power of OS X is largely in its underlying BSD implementation. For an average Mac user, experiencing a command line for the first time can be an unpleasant experience. This book will take the approach of demonstrating familiar actions and tools, and then provide the equivalent information within the BSD environment. For advanced users, this book will cover system administration ranging from advanced configuration of FTP servers, SSH tunneling, to installing secure E-mail and Web servers. The progression of the text is designed to move from simple "using" topics through advanced configuration - making it easier for beginners and experienced users to find what they're looking for.

In short, Mac OS books have never had to deal with issues beyond the Macintosh GUI. This book will bridge the gap between the user interface and the BSD subsystem in a way that is accessible to users who are unfamiliar with UNIX and other multi-user systems.

ACCREDITATION

John Ray is an award-winning developer and security consultant with more than 16 years of programming and administration experience. He has worked on projects for the FCC, the National Regulatory Research Institute, The Ohio State University, Xerox, and the State of Florida, as well as serving as IT Director for Blue Cosmos Design, Inc. John has written or contributed to more than 10 titles currently in print, including Special Edition Using TCP/IP, Sams Teach Yourself Dreamweaver UltraDev 4 in 21 Days, and Maximum Linux Security. He bought his first Macintosh in 1984, and remains a strong proponent for the computer and operating system that revolutionized the industry.

Dr. Will Ray is a mathematician turned computer scientist turned biophysicist who has gravitated to the field of bioinformatics for its interesting synergy of logic, hard science, and human-computer-interface issues. A long-time Macintosh and Unix enthusiast, Will has owned Macs since 1985, and has worked with Unix since 1987. Prior to switching his professional focus to the biological sciences, Will spent 5 years as a Unix programmer developing experimental interfaces to online database systems. Shortly after migrating to biophysics, Will developed a Macintosh- and Unix-based computational biology/graphics laboratory and training center for The Ohio State University's College of Biological Sciences. At the facility, which he managed for five years, Will introduced hundreds of students and faculty to Unix, and provided training and assistance in the development of productive computing skills on the paired Macintosh and Unix platforms.