Mac OS X in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference

Mac OS X is a stunning technical achievement--a virtually crash-proof Unix core paired with the sleek Aqua interface, bringing style, usability, and stability to a new level. It has almost everything that Macintosh fans have been waiting for: protected memory, crash resistance, and the ability to run the 18,000 existing Mac programs and an unlimited supply of Unix and Open Source software. An instant success among longtime Apple users and developers, the new Mac operating system is becoming the system of choice among serious Unix users as well. There is plenty of territory to explore in Mac OS X, and O'Reilly's latest Nutshell book, Mac OS X in a Nutshell, offers all audiences--both longtime Mac users and converts--the most complete guide to this remarkable operating system.

In the tradition of O'Reilly's Nutshell series, this new title offers a thorough treatment of Mac OS X version 10.2, from its BSD Unix foundation to Aqua, the new user interface. The book's "Unix Command Reference" is the most complete and thorough coverage of Mac OS X Unix commands you can find anywhere. Each command and option in this section has been painstakingly tested and checked against Jaguar--even the manpages that ship with the system can't compete in accuracy. The reference incorporates the new command-line tools that come with Apple's Developer tools. It familiarizes readers with the Finder and the Dock, file management, system configuration, network administration issues, and more. Later chapters include bonus material for the Unix user, including advanced use of the Terminal and how to configure a DAMP (Darwin, Apache, MySQL, Perl/PHP) web publishing system. Other topics covered in the book include:

• Filesystem overview
• Running Java applications
• System and Network Administration
• Directory Services and NetInfo
• Scripting on Mac OS X
• Using CVS
• Unix Command Reference
• Installing and Running X Windows and BSD Unix applications

Mac OS X in a Nutshell follows the common-sense O'Reilly approach, cutting through the hype and giving readers practical details they can use every day. Serious users who want more from their system will find everything they need to know systematically documented in this book. It provides a wealth of knowledge for anyone who wants to make the most of Mac OS X.

Jason McIntosh lives and works in and around Boston. He has co-authored two O'Reilly books, Mac OS X in a Nutshell and Perl & XML, and writes occasional columns and weblog entries for the O'Reilly Network. His homepage is at http://www.jmac.org.

Chuck Toporek cut his teeth on a Mac II system when he got his first job in publishing in 1988, and has been using them ever since. Chuck is a senior editor in charge of the Mac OS X/Apple Developer Connection (ADC) series for O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. He is also the author/editor of the Mac OS X Panther Pocket Guide, co-author of Mac OS X in a Nutshell, and author of the upcoming title, Inside .Mac.

Chris Stone (cjstone@mac.com) is a Senior Systems Administrator (the Mac guy) at O'Reilly & Associates and coauthor of Mac OS X in a Nutshell. He's written several Mac OS X related articles for the O'Reilly MacDevCenter (www.macdevcenter.com), and contributed to Mac OS X: The Missing Manual from Pogue Press. Chris lives in Petaluma, California with his wife, Miho, and two sons, Andrew and Jonathan.