[carterx]

I have been working with Apple computers for a few years now supporting both the hardware and software and I try to keep on top of everything as much as I can, but said to say, Terminal is something I have not used as much as I would like to.

I have some understanding of Terminal and I have used it but I would like to know it more.

Guess my question is, what's the best way to learn. Is there a really nice document out there that people like that sticks in their heads after reading it, or perhaps a how to video that perhaps shows the basics to then move on from there.

I'm eager to learn Terminal and try to use it in my daily tasks, but need to get on a good start with it.

**Edit

I'm sifting through these two pages to see what's good:
Unix Links
Gary Kerbaugh's Unix on OS X Picks

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[Tomchu]

"Terminal" is just an interface to the BSD subsystem. What you're really saying is that you want to learn the UNIX command line. :-P

Since Mac OS X has a FreeBSD-based userland, UNIX Basics is an excellent start.

[carterx]

Originally Posted by Tomchu 

"Terminal" is just an interface to the BSD subsystem. What you're really saying is that you want to learn the UNIX command line. :-P

Since Mac OS X has a FreeBSD-based userland, UNIX Basics is an excellent start.

Ya, was thinking of that. Read somewheres else to search FreeBSD
Had a look at the link and looks good. Will have to sit down and read through that.

Now here is the "I'm Stupid" question?

I really do want to leverage Terminal/Unix Commands for using OS X, but heres the question..... what should I be using Terminal for. For example, if needing to browse folders, make permission changes, create/remove, and general stuff can be done rather quick and easily from GUI. Again, I know Terminal is very important and can help in many ways, but I guess I'm just trying to see where the line to cross is when it comes to deciding to use Terminal or just use the GUI.

Thanks,

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[larrinski]

Unix tips for Beginners.

And OSXfaq.

[AKcrab]

Good example of the benefits of unix:
http://forums.macnn.com/90/mac-os-x/...nix-find-help/
Doing that by hand with the finder would have taken *hours*.

[besson3c]

Here are some things I do in the Terminal frequently:

- syncing and copying files between computers
- finding text in folders of text files (very useful for web development)
- managing code projects via Subversion
- finding large files to free up space
- finding files based on a pattern (such as the iPhoto library recovery thread)
- text processing/manipulation
- network and system diagnostics (top, uptime, ifconfig, dig, etc.)
- command line interfaces to software I use (e.g. MySQL, Cyrus, Subversion, gnupg, etc.)
- compiling software, installing Unix software I want to use
- managing processes (stopping, starting, killing, etc.)
- monitoring logs (e.g. tail -f | grep <string>)
- downloading files via BitTorrent and Usenet (works great with "screen")
- automating/scheduling stuff
- running software update, burning/mounting images, doing stuff there is a GUI equivalent for (sometimes it is simply faster to do it in a Terminal, especially if I'm already there)

[carterx]

Today or tomorrow I'm gonna head out and buy two books. One for Leopard as there are a number of them out as for the looks of Amazon though unsure if any have hit the shelves yet or not and the other being a Unix Command-line (for beginers/slight users) of OS X Terminal.

May not have any recommendations for OS X Leopard yet, but how about a book book for OS X/Unix Command Line?

The online documents are great but want something that I can sit back and just read with out the need of a computer.

Thanks,

[AKcrab]

Amazon.com: Complete Idiot's Guide to UNIX (The Complete Idiot's Guide): Books: Bill Wagner

Amazon.com: UNIX Complete: Books: Peter Dyson,Stan Kelly-Bootle,John Heilborn
This thread made me remember that I actually own this book.
Maybe I'll actually start to read it.

[carterx]

Well, stopped into a Chapters this eve and looked around and picked up "Unix for Mac OS X Tiger".
I figure that will give me the basics and perhaps an idea what I can do inside the OS with command line.

Will look to pickup another as work is paying for it and I will have a look at those books "AKcrab"

Thanks

[Krusty]

Here's another site I have bookmarked. Not a comprehensive guide by any means but its a d@mn nice quick reference with an example line and its OS X specific (Darwin specific). Great for those times when you know what you want to do and just need to see example syntax. I discovered the 'say' command on that site so I could f#ck with my GF and her son :-)

OS X commands

[carterx]

Originally Posted by Krusty 

Here's another site I have bookmarked. Not a comprehensive guide by any means but its a d@mn nice quick reference with an example line and its OS X specific (Darwin specific). Great for those times when you know what you want to do and just need to see example syntax. I discovered the 'say' command on that site so I could f#ck with my GF and her son :-)

OS X commands

maha, I forgot about that command. We messed around in class with the instructor when I did the OS X Server Essentials course. lol, I bet he regret showing us that.

Thanks for the link,
.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by AKcrab 

Good example of the benefits of unix:
http://forums.macnn.com/90/mac-os-x/...nix-find-help/
Doing that by hand with the finder would have taken *hours*.

Huh? A Spotlight search for kind:image is just a ⌘F away. That's seconds.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

Huh? A Spotlight search for kind:image is just a ⌘F away. That's seconds.

Can you do a Spotlight search for image files matching a specific pattern, and then act on each of these results found? While it looks like you can do Boolean searches in Leopard and group select the results, I don't think you could in Tiger.. Anybody?

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by carterx 

Today or tomorrow I'm gonna head out and buy two books. One for Leopard as there are a number of them out as for the looks of Amazon though unsure if any have hit the shelves yet or not and the other being a Unix Command-line (for beginers/slight users) of OS X Terminal.

May not have any recommendations for OS X Leopard yet, but how about a book book for OS X/Unix Command Line?

The online documents are great but want something that I can sit back and just read with out the need of a computer.

Thanks,

I suggest not narrowing your search to "OS X Terminal". There is nothing unusual about OS X's Terminal application, it is simply an application that provides you with access to OS X's BSD subsystem, it itself is not Unix or anything but a simple application.

Therefore, you could pick up any Unix book you liked, it doesn't have to be OS X specific. In fact, I would suggest picking up a Linux book - the stuff you learn will be far more useful in the IT world, if picking up work is of interest to you.

[TETENAL]

You don't need a fancy Boolean search to find all images in a folder. And of course you can act on the search results. Search would be pretty useless if you couldn't.

[carterx]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

I suggest not narrowing your search to "OS X Terminal". There is nothing unusual about OS X's Terminal application, it is simply an application that provides you with access to OS X's BSD subsystem, it itself is not Unix or anything but a simple application.

Therefore, you could pick up any Unix book you liked, it doesn't have to be OS X specific. In fact, I would suggest picking up a Linux book - the stuff you learn will be far more useful in the IT world, if picking up work is of interest to you.

Not looking for a job but looking to expand/venture into the command line. In my daily job I work with Apple products for our College where my primary support is my campus but at the same time help out with the rest of the colleges in the province.

I know Apple OS, SOftware, Hardware etc. pretty good, but I think knowing Unix/Linux would really help.

I have played with Linux many times, but never really keep them long. Guess most of the time is apps and not have the best understanding of compiling, use and so on but hopefully I can help change that.

Would there be an ideal book that would be good to look for that is for a beginner, but will help me with the Unix/OS X side.

I have the understanding of the differences between Unix & Linux, but is the command line with Linux the same as Unix/OS X.

Thanks,

.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

You don't need a fancy Boolean search to find all images in a folder. And of course you can act on the search results. Search would be pretty useless if you couldn't.

What if you wanted to find .jpg, .gif, or .png images? What if you wanted to find pictures newer than a certain date?

I'm not sure if the original poster had images of different file types in iPhoto (or whether Spotlight would have just found images of all file types), so perhaps a Spotlight search would have worked in this case. However, there are lots of uses for Boolean searches in narrowing down what is found, and I *think* that Tiger didn't support Boolean Spotlight searches.

[carterx]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

You don't need a fancy Boolean search to find all images in a folder. And of course you can act on the search results. Search would be pretty useless if you couldn't.

If I understand correctly it does sound right to use command line.

The pictures in the iphoto library are in many folders but all under sub folders labeled Original. Doing a search for could be done and you can then drag each folder or it's contents to a new location, or search for .jpg/jpeg and find them that way but then you have to see which images are under what areas as you do not want the thumb nails. Plus in case there were any videos they would be in these Original folders as well.

Once again, only if I'm understanding it correctly, doing it though command really will mean it's just that one step to find them and copy/move them in turn be a lot faster & easier.

.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by carterx 

Not looking for a job but looking to expand/venture into the command line. In my daily job I work with Apple products for our College where my primary support is my campus but at the same time help out with the rest of the colleges in the province.

I know Apple OS, SOftware, Hardware etc. pretty good, but I think knowing Unix/Linux would really help.

I have played with Linux many times, but never really keep them long. Guess most of the time is apps and not have the best understanding of compiling, use and so on but hopefully I can help change that.

Would there be an ideal book that would be good to look for that is for a beginner, but will help me with the Unix/OS X side.

I have the understanding of the differences between Unix & Linux, but is the command line with Linux the same as Unix/OS X.

Thanks,

.

My suggestion: don't just read a book and learn about stuff through a book, because you probably won't retain this information this way. Find a project, and use the book as a guide.

Check out some of the stuff they have students do in Unix certification courses (I can probably dig up the curriculum for ours that we offer), and go through the projects they do with a spare PC and try to accomplish the same setup with your PC. In other words, create yourself a project - a goal, preferably something you might actually use.

For example, install a Linux distro of your choice. Setup the firewall, get it backing up data using a scheme of your choice, setup and secure a web server, setup and secure an IMAP and SMTP server, etc. I could list tons of other tasks for you if you'd like...

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by carterx 

If I understand correctly it does sound right to use command line.

The pictures in the iphoto library are in many folders but all under sub folders labeled Original. Doing a search for could be done and you can then drag each folder or it's contents to a new location, or search for .jpg/jpeg and find them that way but then you have to see which images are under what areas as you do not want the thumb nails. Plus in case there were any videos they would be in these Original folders as well.

Once again, only if I'm understanding it correctly, doing it though command really will mean it's just that one step to find them and copy/move them in turn be a lot faster & easier.

.

True... I forgot about the whole "Original" folder scheme. The Spotlight search would need to discriminate between photos in and outside of these folders.