Product Description

Since 1996 this, the first edition of Beginning Linux Programming, has introduced tens of thousands of people to programming for Linux - the free UNIX-like PC OS that's taken the UNIX world by storm in recent years.

This book takes off where most Linux books stop, showing you how to make the most of the tools UNIX offers to program UNIX for real.

The first edition covers:
Programming in C, the main UNIX programming language
Client/Server and Network programming in the UNIX environment
HTML and using your Linux box as a CGI server
Rapid development tools: the shell and Tcl
X Windows and X programming with Tcl Tk and Java

A real-world CD database application is developed and extended throughout the book as new topics are covered, allowing you to see how the theory you've learnt can be applied in practice.

The book is unique in that it teaches UNIX programming in a simple and structured way, using Linux and its associated and freely available development tools as the main platform. Assuming familiarity with the UNIX environment and a basic knowledge of C, the book teaches you how to put together UNIX applications that make the most of your time, your OS and your machine's capabilities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1007177 in Books
• Published on: 1996-08-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 710 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
With its decidedly user-unfriendly command line interface, Linux can be a foreboding operating system for the beginner. Far from the simple point-and- click style of Windows this UNIX derivative can be confusing to the point of raw frustration for all but the most patient of new users. Good job those nice people at Wrox Press have taken the subject in hand then! In spite of the age of this volume (it was published back in 1996) Beginning Linux Programming has aged very well and if you forgive the mentions of beta versions of some old versions of software there's plenty in here to keep the average Linux newbie happy.

Over 700 pages authors Neil Matthew and Richard Stones broach a huge number of topics ranging from shell programming to the use of curses, communication using sockets and an introduction to the Tcl language in an informative and easy to digest fashion. The one thing this book doesn't do is teach the newbie how to install Linux--that task is left in the hands of sister volume Instant Unix, but if you've already got that far and are looking for pointers on where to go next, Beginning Linux Programming could be the answer to the lion's share of your problems.

From the Publisher
A fully revised and expanded Second Edition of Beginning Linux Programming is available. Search for the title, Beginning Linux Programming 2nd Edition or the ISBN: 1861002971

From the Back Cover
If you’ve installed Linux, or have access to a version of UNIX, you’ve probably got used to the environment and it’s configuration, but if you want to start programming, most Linux books leave you on your own. This book takes off where they stop, showing you how to make the most of the tools UNIX offers (which are included as standard with any distribution of Linux) and start programming UNIX for real.

We concentrate on C programming, looking at the GNU tools, and the UNIX C libraries, to teach you step by step how to write, build, and debug serious application code. Throughout the book, we’ll develop a fully featured CD Database application, allowing you to see the theory of each new topic applied to a real application. As well as handling basic file operations, input and output and dealing with the way UNIX handles data, we’ll introduce such advanced topics as inter–process communication, networking, and using CGI scripting to build a web interface – all the elements of client–server programming. We also introduce the GTK+ and show how to build rich graphical user interfaces for X with GNOME. Finally, there’s an introduction to device drivers, to give you a window into the way the Linux kernel itself works.

You’ll also learn shell scripting for BASH, and we’ll introduce two more powerful scripting languages – Tcl and Perl.

Who is this book for?

You’ll need to be comfortable with the basics of using Linux, with a good working knowledge of how to use and configure your system. You should also know some simple C. If you’re familiar with basic programming concepts, the working examples in the book will soon give you the confidence to explore Linux’s C libraries.

You’ll find the programming tools used in this book are included with virtually any Linux distribution, so this book is all you need to get started as a Linux programmer.

What does this book cover?

• The Perl Language
• Programmming for GNOME™
• POSIX® Threads
• Kernel® Programming
• Latest Linux Kernel, current tools and C libraries

Customer Reviews

You won't feel like a beginner after reading this.
I've been looking for the opportunity to rave about this book. It is by far the best UNIX/Linux book I've ever read. The part that got my attention is that while it covers several different programming topics, it isn't afraid to get down to the details. From the program management tools to the low-level system calls, every line is explained. The text is full of examples to illustrate the concepts presented which include sockets, database structures, and inter-process communication. Not exactly introductory topics, but the writers have made them as straightforward as your first "Hello World" program. From shell scripting to CGI, it's all here; and in the same visually appealing style that distinguish other books by Wrox Press. I anxiously await a follow-up to Beginning Linux Programming.

Disappointing
1) The chapters are in random order, 2) facts were plain wrong and out of date, 3) A big FAT book with little payoff for hours of reading. 3) examples overcomplicated, repetative, yet not diverse enough. 4) No CD with the examples on it.

example 1. Lets take the coverage of CVS. A basic example to get it (a) running locally, then (b) running on a server would suffice. Well (a) is present, but (b) is glib and plain incorrect - much time wasted as a result! - but got there in the end using help from a newsgroup.

example 2. The chapter on sockets is bad. After writing much overcomplicated code (not on a CD) what to you achieve? A machine that sends one character to itself!!. So its not useful. A simple UDP port viewer would be handy, but there are no UDP examples AT ALL. Funny, because it can be simple, I needed it, and its a beginners book.

In a book this fat a usefully organised appendix of examples on how to get things done fast would be handy - but no chance.

It seems to me the authors had historical knowledge, but working knowledge was just based on reading man pages rather than years of experience and refinement by repetition at the job.

Brilliant - even experienced programmers will love this.
As a computer science student, I know how to code big apps. I know all the algoritms - all the theory. But when I want to write an FTP server, a kernel module or trap hairy signals - I turn to this book. If one is just hacking a little bit with Linux (even Unix) - it's a must! Very highly recommendable.