Learn to use Unix, OS X, or Linux quickly and easily!

In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, Sams Teach Yourself Unix in 24 Hours helps you get up and running with Unix and Unix-based operating systems such as Mac OS X and Linux.

Designed for beginners with no previous experience using Unix, this book's straightforward, step-by-step approach makes it easy to learn.

Each lesson clearly explains essential Unix tools and techniques from the ground up, helping you to become productive as quickly and efficiently as possible.

• Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common Unix tasks.
• Practical, hands-on examples show you how to apply what you learn.
• Quizzes and exercises help you test your knowledge and stretch your skills.
• Notes and tips point out shortcuts and solutions

Learn how to...

• Pick the command shell that's best for you
• Organize the Unix file system (and why)
• Manage file and directory ownership and permissions
• Maximize your productivity with power filters and pipes
• Use the vi and emacs editors
• Create your own commands and shell scripts
• Connect to remote systems using SSH and SFTP
• Troubleshoot common problems
• List files and manage disk usage
• Get started with Unix shell programming
• Set up printing in a Unix environment
• Archive and back up files
• Search for information and files
• Use Perl as an alternative Unix programming language
• Set up, tweak, and make use of the GNOME graphical environment

Contents at a Glance

HOUR 1: What Is This Unix Stuff?

HOUR 2: Getting onto the System and Using the Command Line

HOUR 3: Moving About the File System

HOUR 4: Listing Files and Managing Disk Usage

HOUR 5: Ownership and Permissions

HOUR 6: Creating, Moving, Renaming, and Deleting Files and Directories

HOUR 7: Looking into Files

HOUR 8: Filters, Pipes, and Wildcards!

HOUR 9: Slicing and Dicing Command-Pipe Data

HOUR 10: An Introduction to the vi Editor

HOUR 11: Advanced vi Tricks, Tools, and Techniquess

HOUR 12: An Overview of the emacs Editor

HOUR 13: Introduction to Command Shells

HOUR 14: Advanced Shell Interaction

HOUR 15: Job Control

HOUR 16: Shell Programming Overview

HOUR 17: Advanced Shell Programming

HOUR 18: Printing in the Unix Environment

HOUR 19: Archives and Backups

HOUR 20: Using Email to Communicate

HOUR 21: Connecting to Remote Systems Using SSH and SFTP

HOUR 22: Searching for Information and Files

HOUR 23: Perl Programming in Unix

HOUR 24: GNOME and the GUI Environment

Appendix A: Common Unix Questions and Answers

Dave Taylor is president of Intuitive Systems, LLC, a consulting firm focused on online communications and marketing strategies. Founder of four Internet startups, he has been involved with Unix and the Internet since 1980, having created the popular Elm Mail System and Embot mail autoresponder. A prolific author, he has been published more than 1,000 times, and his most recent books include the best-selling Wicked Cool Shell Scripts and Learning Unix for Mac OS X.

A popular columnist for Linux Journal, he also writes a tech Q&A column for the Boulder Colorado Daily Camera newspaper. Previously, he was a research scientist at HP Palo Alto Laboratories. He has contributed software to the 4.4 release of Berkeley Unix (BSD), and his programs are found in all versions of Linux and other popular Unix variants.

Dave has a bachelor's degree in computer science (University of California at San Diego), a master's degree in educational computing (Purdue University), and an MBA (University of Baltimore), and he is a top-rated public speaker who frequently offers workshops on online marketing, blogging, and various technical topics. His official home page on the Web is http://www.DaveTaylorOnline.com, and his email address is d1taylor@gmail.com.

Dave also maintains three weblogs online, Ask Dave Taylor (at www.askdavetaylor.com), where he fields questions from readers on a wide variety of topics; GoFatherhood (at www.GoFatherhood.com), where he talks about the challenges and joys of parenting; and Dave On Film (www.DaveOnFilm.com), where he shares his reviews of the latest movies. You're invited to get involved at all three!

• HOUR 1: What Is This Unix Stuff?

• What Is Unix?

• A Brief History of Unix

• What's All This About Multiuser Systems?

• Cracking Open the Shell

• Getting Help

• HOUR 2: Getting onto the System and Using the Command Line

• Beginning Your Session

• Seeing What's Going On Around You

• HOUR 3: Moving About the File System

• What a Hierarchical File System Is All About

• Directory Separator Characters

• The Difference Between Relative and Absolute Filenames

• HOUR 4: Listing Files and Managing Disk Usage

• The ls Command

• Special ls Command Flags

• Permissions Strings

• HOUR 5: Ownership and Permissions

• Working with File Permissions

• HOUR 6: Creating, Moving, Renaming, and Deleting Files and Directories

• Manipulating the Unix File System

• HOUR 7: Looking into Files

• Looking Inside Files

• Hour 8: Filters, Pipes, and Wildcards!

• Maximizing the Command Line

• Hour 9: Slicing and Dicing Command-Pipe Data

• The awk Programming System

• How to Use cut in Pipes

• Inline Editing

• Hour 10: An Introduction to the vi Editor

• Editing the Unix Way

• HOUR 11: Advanced vi Tricks, Tools, and Techniques

• Advanced Editing with vi

• Summary of vi Commands

• Hour 12: An Overview of the emacs Editor

• The Other Popular Editor: emacs

• Hour 13: Introduction to Command Shells

• The (Command) Shell Game

• Hour 14: Advanced Shell Interaction

• Which Shell Is Which?

• HOUR 15: Job Control

• Wrestling with Your Jobs

• HOUR 16: Shell Programming Overview

• Build