In this update of the 1997 and 1987 editions, computer scientists Tannenbaum (Vrije U., Amsterdam) and Woodhull (Hampshire College, Amherst) aim to provide a better balance of theory and practice than other texts on operating systems (OS). Covering both the principles and paradigms of modern distributed systems, they trace the evolution of MINUX as a UNIX-compatible OS and explain its modular design to overcome many problems. The text includes exercises, readings, information on installing MINUX, and new source code. The accompanying CD-ROM contains the MINUX 3 OS.