In the rapid evolution of Mac OS X, there have been three major releases in three short years. Each new release has challenged power users to stay ahead of the learning curve-and Mac OS X Panther is by no means an exception. Apple's own documentation gives clues to parts of the puzzle, but until now, there hasn't been a comprehensive resource that charts the internals of the system. Running Mac OS X Panther is the book that Mac power users have been craving. Author James Duncan Davidson takes you deep inside Mac OS X's core and shows you how to make Panther purr like nothing else. This book isn't just for those who want to use Mac OS X, but for those who feel the need to customize, tweak, and dissect Mac OS X. The book covers such topics as: Setting up user accounts for humans and non-humans; Scheduling tasks and monitoring your system; Using HFS+ and the Journaled filesystem used by Panther; Tweaking preferences by hacking plist files or using the defaults command; Opening Directory and Directory Services, including NetInfo and LDAP; Handling printer configuration and printing; Managing networking and network services, including Rendezvous and wireless AirPort networks. The appendix includes juicy details about such things as installing Panther, plus a listing of resources for Mac users and power users alike. Written for readers who are inquisitive and confident enough to dig into their Macintosh system, Running Mac OS X Panther doesn't waste time talking about silly Finder tricks. This book dives right in and explains how Mac OS X works. If you're not a Mac guru when you start reading this book, you will be by the time you finish it. James Duncan Davidson found the Mac religion toward the end of his post at Sun Microsystems. He is a freelance author, speaker, and software consultant, focusing on Mac OS X, Cocoa, java, and XML.

Explains the basics of the Macintosh OS X Panther server, covering installation and administration, services for files, directories, IP, security, and the Internet, and management tools for clients and workstations.

With its rep for being the sort of machine that won't intimidate even the most inexperienced users, what's the appeal of the Mac® for hard-core geeks? The Mac has always been an efficient tool, pleasant to use and customize, and eminently hackable. But now with Mac OS® X's BSD core, many a Unix® developer has found it irresistible. The latest version of Mac OS X, called Panther, makes it even easier for users to delve into the underlying Unix operating system. In fact, you can port Linux® and Unix applications and run them side-by-side with your native Aqua® apps right on the Mac desktop. Still, even experienced Unix users may find themselves in surprisingly unfamiliar territory as they set out to explore Mac OS X. Even if you know Macs through and through, Mac OS X Panther is unlike earlier Macs, and it's radically different from the Unix you've used before. Enter Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks by Brian Jepson and Ernest E. Rothman, two Unix geeks who found themselves in the same place you are. The new edition of this book is your guide to figuring out the BSD Unix system and Panther-specific components that you may find challenging. This concise book will ease you into the Unix innards of Mac OS X Panther, covering such topics as: A quick overview of the Terminal application, including Terminal alternatives like iTerm and GLterm Understanding Open Directory (LDAP) and NetInfo Issues related to using the GNU C Compiler (GCC) Library linking and porting Unix software An overview of Mac OS X Panther's filesystem and startup processes Creating and installing packages using Fink and Darwin Ports Building the Darwin kernel Using the Apple® X11 distribution for running X Windows® applications on top of Mac OS X The book wraps up with a quick manpage-style reference to the "Missing Manual Pages" --commands that come with Mac OS X Panther, although there are no manpages. If you find yourself disoriented by the new Mac environment, Mac OS X Panther for Unix Geeks will get you acclimated quickly to the foreign new areas of a familiar Unix landscape.

Mac OS X is a wonderful combination of the power and flexibility of Unix with the ease of use that seems to come only from Apple. Between the tools baked right into the system, a veritable cornucopia of third-party applications, and a cottage industry of customizations, tweaks, and hacks, the Mac is a force to be reckoned with like never before. Mac OS X Panther Hacks celebrates the Macintosh's adventurous spirit, inviting the citizen engineer on a quest of deeper discovery -- both with the purpose of going further and simply enjoying the ride. Mac OS X Panther Hacks continues the tradition started with Mac OS X Hacks, sitting squarely at the peculiar confluence of deadly earnest optimization and creative (albeit sometimes wacky) tweaking you seem to find only on a Mac.

Now that your favorite operating system, Mac OS X, has Unix under the hood, it's the perfect time for you to uncover its capabilities. This new edition of Learning Unix for Mac OS X is designed to teach Unix basics to traditional Macintosh users. This book tells you what to do when you're faced with that empty command line. Book jacket.

The Panther release of Mac OS X continues the development of the Macintosh operating system. Mac OS X has become the dominant OS on the Macintosh platform and is currently the default OS on all new Macintosh computers. Mac OS X is a complex and powerful operating system for which no documentation is provided by Apple outside of the Apple Help system, which contains very limited information. "Special Edition Using Mac OS X Panther" provides the in-depth, wide ranging coverage that enables Mac users to get the most out of the operating system and included tools. This book explains how to get the most out of the core OS, including the Finder, desktop, and system customization. The book also shows readers how to use OS X's Internet applications for email, Web surfing, and .mac for publishing content on the Net. One of the book's major strengths is the extensive coverage of iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, and iMovie. QuickTime and QuickTime Pro are also covered. The book helps readers understand and configure the technologies to expand their systems.