Book Reviews |
Mac for Linux Geeks
"Mac for Linux Geeks" is something of a mixed bag. The aim of this book is to show Linux users - in particular, experienced hackers who use Linux on a daily basis - the benefits of moving to Mac OS X. I personally use OS X, and have used Macs whenever possible since the mid-90s, going through an LC 475, Performa 6200/75, iBook 2001, and Core 2 iMac. Getting off to an absorbing start, the author offers a potted history of OS X and the development of the Macintosh. Having set my expectations very high, the second chapter ("Dual-Booting and Virtualization") was perhaps destined to be a disappointment. Anyone wanting to set up a dual-boot system would be well advised to get up-to-date instructions from the Apple website; and the target audience, "hard-core Linux users", are not likely to be in particular need of a short guide to dual-booting or installing Ubuntu in a virtual machine. The remaining content alternates between relevant topics that are covered in just enough detail to whet your appetite - "Routine Mac OS X System Administration", "Backup, Security, and Automation", "Mac OS X and Code" (although this chapter's coverage of AppleScript is, criminally, virtually non-existent), and "Hybridizing Your System" - and space-fillers like "Using the Many Apple and Linux Tools" and "Building Out the Linux Environment". Where the author is allowed to simply write, he does so engagingly and with a clear passion for his subject. It is a pity that a couple of chapters seem to have been included as fillers, with copious screenshots and short descriptions of commonly-used software. If two of the chapters were merged ("Mac OS X and Code" and a trimmed-down "Building Out the Linux Environment"), two were dropped ("Dual-Booting and Virtualization" and "Using the Many Apple and Linux Tools") and a decent primer on AppleScript included, this would be a must-have for anyone with a foot in both the Linux and Mac OS X camps. Brad Macpherson |
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