UNIX Systems Programming: Communication, Concurrency, and Threads by Kay A. Robbins and Steven Robbins

• UNIX processes, files, and special files

• Signals and timers

• POSIX threads, semaphores, and IPC

• TCP, UDP, multicast, and the Web

• Features projects on Internet radio, server performance, timers, web caching, and shells

Learn how to design and implement reliable UNIX software whether you are using Linux, Solaris, Mac OS X, or another POSIX-based system.

This completely updated classic (originally titled Practical UNIX Programming) demonstrates how to design complex software to get the most from the UNIX operating system. UNIX Systems Programming provides a clear and easy-to-understand introduction to the essentials of UNIX programming. Starting with short code snippets that illustrate how to use system calls, Robbins and Robbins move quickly to hands-on projects that help readers expand their skill levels.

This practical guide thoroughly explores communication, concurrency,and multithreading. Known for its comprehensive and lucid explanationsof complicated topics such as signals and concurrency, the bookfeatures practical examples, exercises, reusable code, and simplifiedlibraries for use in network communication applications.

A self-contained reference that relies on the latest UNIX standards,UNIX Systems Programming provides thorough coverage of files, signals,semaphores, POSIX threads, and client-server communication. Thisedition features all-new chapters on the Web, UDP, and serverperformance. The sample material has been tested extensively in theclassroom.

PRENTICE HALL

Professional Technical Reference

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

www.phptr.com

ISBN: 0-13-042411-0

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 25 Ratings

Comprehensive - 2007-07-03
Reviewer Rating:
This book contains the answers to almost any question concerning communication, concurrency and threads. All of the included code works fine, but is often ugly. At least the ugly code is available online if you are too lazy to write your own, or type it yourself.
3 stars because this book follows the typical computer book pattern. It's too big. Huge examples and discussion for rarely used features, when a table enumerating specifics would be better. There is alot of fluff, but at least the material is there.

practical it is - 2006-06-12
Reviewer Rating:
This is the type of book that doesn't leave you with more questions than it answers. It doesn't just discuss the concepts and then you're on your own for coding. It gives you enough code and explanation so that you can implement mutex locks, semaphores, threads, etc. It doesn't force you to go search online for code samples. I refer to this book often, and not just when writing code for Unix.

It's a lot more than just concurrency - it's the best introduction to C i've seen. - 2009-07-21
Reviewer Rating:
This is an awesome book. You'll have to be patient when going through it. And you'll learn a lot if you follow along with the examples and make everything work. It took me probably 6 hours just to get through chapter 2 - not because I can't read, but because I'm paying attention to every little detail, and making sure I learn what's going on.

The other thing that came as a big surprise, was that this is the best introduction to C i've come across. I've read quite a few books on C. Generally, I get through these other books on C - I get the syntax and pointers, and headers, etc. What I can never get through in these other C books, is that they use Math for all the examples. Which bores me, and sometimes frustrates me - because what I want to do with systems programming is not math - that's just me.

Of all the C books I've read, this one, and "C - A Reference Manual 5th Edition" are the best C books.

One pitfall in the book, is that with most of the examples, the conditionals to check pointers, and some other conditionals are somewhat amateur looking (that's just me). For example, in chapter 2, the "listlib.c" file has tons of conditionals like this:

list_t **newptrs;
if(headptr == NULL)
{
errno = EINVAL;
return -1;
}

That started to confuse me, why not just write:

list_t **newptrs;
if(!headptr)
{
errno = EINVAL;
return -1;
}

Which is ok. So there are many times where it seems the author is either purposefully writing conditionals to be verbose for readers, or doesn't know how to simplify with "not" flips.

Another example:

if(ptr != NULL)

can be simplified to:
if(ptr)

Other than those small things, this book is great.

Relatively thorough reference. - 2008-12-29
Reviewer Rating:
This is an invaluable reference to keep close at hand if you are a programmer supporting UNIX. The only thing I didn't find in this text is how to change your process name on-the-fly. Everything else I've looked for was there, and in most cases, described in detail.

If you do systems programming on UNIX then you should have this book.

Worth my yearly salary! - 2006-09-30
Reviewer Rating:
I read it in one of the book store in three hours. I bought it a month later. It saved me several times. One of the best books I have ever had.

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