Linux Programming by Example

Book Preface

So, why does Linux Programming by Exampleexist_ The answer, simply put, is to fill a clear need. Linux began life as a hacker’s hobby. For its first three or four years, Linux’s user base was technically sophisticated, programming savvy, and familiar with UNIX. Given this user base, there was no need for an introductory Linux programming book because the assumption, perhaps rightly, was that Joe or Jane Linux user already knew how to program in a UNIX-like environment.

As Linux has grown in popularity, its user community has changed dramatically. The number of new users unfamiliar with software development in a UNIX milieu wanting to program on and for Linux has swelled. Unfortunately, there has been a distinct lack of information targeted toward beginning Linux programmers. There are, of course, books that teach you how to use individual tools and that cover individual topics, but Linux Programming by Example collects all the relevant material into a single book. By the time you have finished reading this book, you will have a solid grasp of Linux programming fundamentals, including tools, such as the compiler, gcc, make, basic Linux/UNIX programming idioms like processes, signals, system calls, file handling, common programming interfaces like ncurses, interprocess communication, and network programming.