Unix utilities for Windows - book/manual

[rjbull]

I use a number of command-line Unix utilities in ports for Windows or DOS, but usually have to read the instructions each time.  And there's the rub; GNUish is a language that looks like English, but is a lot less intelligible.  Please, does anyone know of any good books or online manuals/tutorials?  I already have The AWK Programming Language by Aho, Kernighan and Weinberger, and the first edition of the Dale Docherty book on AWK and SED, but here I'm thinking of things like grep, csplit, cat, unique, paste, etc.  The slight differences in syntax for how you enter /regexps/ into the shell - how you quote them, etc. - get frustrating.

Thanks...

[tinjaw]

That's an excellent question. After reading your post I realized that I don't know of any books like that, but that I would like one as well. Such a book would be invaluable. 

[app103]

Could this possibly be what you are looking for?

UNIX Shells by Example (4th Edition)

http://www.bookpool.com/sm/013147572X

A slightly older version, but the reviews look good:

http://www.amazon.co...uigley/dp/013066538X

[mwb1100]

The best UNIX book for me (a very occasional user of UNIX commands) that I've come across is "UNIX for the Impatient, Second Edition" by Abrahams & Larson (http://www.amazon.co...01823764/ref=ed_oe_p).  I see that there are several different versions - including a "UNIX of the Hyper-Impatient" - I don't know how they compare, but I will note that you can get a used version of the 2nd edition for basically shipping cost ($4).

It's not so much a tutorial as a readable ref manual.  If you usually know what command you want to use and just want to know how to use it, this book works very well.

[rjbull]

Thanks, folks!

My first thought was to look at the O'Reilly site, as they seem a good source of good books on Unix, but couldn't quickly find what I wanted.  Most books are, obviously, aimed squarely at Unix users.  I'm still hoping for something for the occasional user of ports to the Windows environment.  The point that used copies are dirt-cheap is well-made, though, so one wouldn't lose much.