UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I have another question. I have access to the books listed below, however I know that not all of them are the lates and greatest and some are over 10 years old. So the question is are most of these books still a good idea to read. Or should I try and pick up the latest and greatest editions?

Vol1: Xlib Programming Manual for X11 (0937175277)
Vol2: Xlib Refrence Manual for X11 (0937175285)
Vol3: X window system Users Guide 'Motif edition' for OSF/Motif 1.2 (1565920155)
Vol4: X toolkit Intrinisics Programming Manual for X11 (093717534X)
Vol5: X toolkit Intrinisics Refrence Manual for X11 (0937175358)
Vol6B: Motif Reference Manual OSF/Motif 1.2 edition (1565920384)
Vol8: X window system Administrator's Guide for X11 & Release 5 (093717583)

When You Can't Find Your UNIX System Administrator (1565921046)
Managing projects with make (0937175900)
Usenet Handbook (1565921011)
Using & managing UUCP (1565921534)
Web Security & Commerce (1565922697)
Sendmail 2nd ed (1565922220)
Information architecture for the World Wide Web (1565922824)
Using Samba (1565924495)
C Language Algorithms for Digital Signal Processing (0131334069)
X Window system in a nutshell (1565920171)
Understanding DCE (1565920058)
DCE Security Programming (1565921348)
System Preformance and Tuning (0937175609)
Networking PCs with TCP/IP (1565921232)
TCP/IP Network administration 2nd ed (1565923227)
Termcap & Terminfo (0937175226)
Pratical Unix & Internet Security 2nd ed (1565921488)
Managing Internet & information services (1565920627)
Managing NFS & NIS (093717757)
Sed & Awk 2nd ed (1565922255)
Managing Mail lists (156592259X)
Web Performance & Tuning (1565923790)

while the latest and greatest will alomost always be better --- having something to read is better than nothing ... besides, reading the older books will give you a base reference for everything that were derived from the older commands ... and you'll get to appreciate the new information you learn in the more recent versions ...

also, the books you have are not that old and most of the information they have are still quiet useful ... most of the unix commands --- from my experience --- have not really changed much through the years ... and if you understand the concepts underlying each command, knowing the newer minute details will only make you better ...

RGRGRGR good to know thanks Just Ice


-Adam

What ito read depends on your goal. For example.... with the X books, read vol 3 if you want to use X; vol 8 to admin X; and the others to write X clients.

Usenet and uucp stuff is pretty obsolete at this point.

Pass on System Performance and Tuning. The 2nd edition is complete rewrite with a new author. The original was only ok when it came out...in 1990. The 2nd edition is 2002 and is very good.

Practical Unix Security is from 1991. Thumbing through my copy, I'm surprised at how good it still seems. It is co-written by Gene Spafford. Despite the date, read it. Hey, I'm looking at a first edition and I just noticed you have access to a 2nd edition. If Spaff is still the co-author, it's a must read.

The sendmail book is awesome. But do you need to read a 2 inch thick book on sendmail? This is the best book on your list, but it probably should be the last one you read.

TCP/IP Network Administration...I have a 1993 1st edition. It's not bad, but it's dated. Your 2nd edition might be pretty good.

Your Managing NFS and NIS must be a 1991 edition like mine. This is very dated. You can skip chapter 7 "Diskless Clients"....there's a phrase I haven't heard for a while. This is too dated.

Managing Internet Information Services...my copy is from 1994. LOL...gopher, veronica, jughead, wais... If you read this, do chapter 1,2,3,4 (intro) 17,18,19,20.1,20.2,21 (www) maybe 22,23,24 (mailing lists), and 27,28,29,30 (misc). The rest is too old.

I don't own the other books.

Thanks Perderabo, thats more info that I expected!

-Adam
<edit>
I looked on O'reilly's site and found out that gene spafford is a co-author to the book Pratical Unix & Internet Security 2nd ed. Just thought I'd let ya'll know.
</edit>

By any chance dose any one else out there have any advice on the relevence of these books? The only reason I ask is because I only have 3 years to read them before I leave this assingment.