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FAQ

New to Unix?

	Totally new to Unix?
	Why did Apple add all this hard-to-use command line stuff?
	What is the nature of the relationship between MacOS X, Darwin, and BSD?
	What do /bin, /usr, /var, etc represent?
	Where are some good starting points to "learn" Unix?

Totally new to Unix?

Then, to be honest and safe, you probably shouldn't read anything else on this site. After all, Apple engineers put a lot of hard work into creating the MacOS X Finder, Aqua environment, and Classic sandbox specifically so that you shouldn't have to see, touch, or ever be aware of Unix.

However, if you have the time, interest, and determination to learn, I can assure you that it's a fascinating and rewarding journey -- one without any end that I'm aware of.

That said, I'll just make two points, and then move on:

MacOS X is a great opportunity and environment in which to learn Unix, because you can see the same thing from two perspectives -- the GUI and the terminal. It's always easier to learn a new language and metaphor when you can visualize the entities and referants in a known language or environment.
However, there is much to be said for the "total immersion" path of acquiring a cheap ($350) eMachine and formatting it with FreeBSD or one of the umbiquitous Linux distributions (ie, Red Hat). That's kind of kicking the crutches out from under you before you learn to walk, but it's a proven effective technique :-)
Learning Unix is a long process, make no doubt about that. It takes a full year to begin to feel comfortable, three years before you're "not dangerous", and at least five years before you can label yourself "expert" (add another five for "guru").
Still, every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step...

Why did Apple add all this hard-to-use command line stuff?

You may wish to read Neil Stephenson's (author of Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon) legendary diatribe on that subject :-)

What is the nature of the relationship between MacOS X, Darwin, and BSD?

A full, complete, and accurate answer to that question would merit a master's thesis, and wouldn't help you much anyway. However, as a visual aid, I highly recommend that you make the effort of printing and taping together the 12 pages of ƒric LŽvŽnez's excellent (and current) timeline of Unix development. You'll find MacOS X and Darwin plainly visible on the last page, and from there you can backtrack down the development path to see how MacOS X received powerful injections of technology from other Unix development efforts (including a booster shot from FreeBSD 3.3 as recently as last year).

What do /bin, /usr, /var, etc represent?

See hier(7).

What are some good starting points to "learn" Unix? See our other sources of information page.


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