Linux and UNIX

Linux and UNIX

Welcome to my Linux page. I have worked with both UNIX and Linux for many years.I love the “UNIX way” of doing certain things, and I like much of the philosophy behind UNIX (and Linux), for example how one make lots of small tools, which when they are combined can have fantastic results …

If you’re looking into which UNIX or Linux distribution you should choose, take a look at my article Which UNIX or Linux Distribution is The Best?


If you’re looking for arguments on why you should choose Linux/UNIX, you might want to take a look at: the Why Linux is Better site. If you think some other operating system is better, good for you! :) For most people it’s a question of habit and availability of support and applications. One could also argue that different operating systems is better suited for different tasks. I’ve heard many say that Linux is good for the server, but that they prefer Windows on their desktop. I myself think both UNIX and Linux is very nice for desktops as well. But there is certain applications that I like, which is only created for Mac OS X or M$ Windows. So to run those on Linux, you might need emulation of some sort (like KVM, Xen, VMWare for virtual machines, or Crossover/Wine for Windows API emulation). If you’re a gamer and spend a lot of time playing recent games, Windows (Wintendo) is still the most logical choice …


If you’re looking to get started with Linux/UNIX on the command line (where much of the real power is revealed), there’s a classic book from O’Reilly called Linux in a Nutshell. It used to be a rather thin book (back in 1st edition), but it’s grown over the years, and it is quite comprehensive by now. But still, some may think the Linux in a Nutshell book is not basic enough for beginners (depending on your level of previous command line experience).

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There is many UNIX beginner’s books out there, just make sure you find one that is updated recently (plus good reviews doesn’t hurt). Peachpit has a book called Unix and Linux: Visual QuickStart Guide. It’s looks to me, at first glance, to be a good book. The other books I’ve used to recommend, is starting to become outdated, so I’ll just mention these two. But there is also interesting free books/guides online, at The Linux Documentation Project. For example you find there the Bash Guide for Beginners and Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide. Just browse through the collection.