GNU/Linux Application Programming

GNU/Linux is the Swiss army knife of operating systems. You'll find it in the smallest devices (such as an Apple iPod) to the largest most powerful supercomputers (like IBM's Blue Gene). You'll also find GNU/Linux running on the most diverse architectures, from the older x86 processors to the latest cell processor that powers the PlayStation 3 console. GNU/Linux Application Programming, Second Edition gets you up and running developing applications on the GNU/Linux operating system, whether you're interested in creating applications for an iPod or a Blue Gene. This completely updated edition covers all the necessary tools and techniques with many examples illustrating the use of GNU/Linux APIs. Split into fi ve distinct parts, the book covers GNU tools, topics in application development, shells and scripting, debugging and hardening, and introductory topics, including the fundamentals of virtualization. See why thousands of programmers have chosen GNU/Linux Application Programming to teach them how to develop applications on the GNU/Linux operating system!

Applications are wide and varied in GNU/Linux, and include not only pure applications, but also tools and utilities for the GNU/ Linux environment. GNU/Linux Application Programming takes a holistic approach to teaching developers GNU/Linux programming using APIs, tools, communication, and scripting. Covering a wide range of topics related to GNU/Linux application programming, the book is split into five parts: The GNU/Linux Operating System; GNU Tools; Processes; Communication; and Coordination; Shells and Scripting; and Debugging. Application and tool developers are introduced to the most useful aspects of the GNU/Linux operating system, including tools (compilation, automated build and package creation), standard libraries, communication and synchronization APIs, process and thread models, shell scripting and extension languages, and debugging. After working through the text, programmers will have a solid foundation for developing applications in the GNU/Linux environment.

KEY FEATURES:

• Focuses on GNU/Linux, not only the Linux APIs, but also the GNU tools and libraries that make Linux programming possible
• Features a detailed discussion of scripting and integration with the GNU/ Linux environment in a variety of scripting languages
• Provides detailed examples of both common GNU/Linux API usage as well as more complex scenarios through a series of small applications, such as a date-based recursive file search and archive/unarchive utility, a variety of string processing utilities, and a simple directory archive script
• Covers the tools used in application development (compilers and build utilities), the necessary libraries (Socket, files), intra and inter process communication (message queues, semaphores, pipes, shared memory), as well as shells and integration with extension languages
• Covers debugging aspects of GNU/Linux including unit testing frameworks, the GNU Debugger, source checking tools and other GNU/Linux debugging methods

M. Tim Jones is an embedded software architect and the author of numerous books, including AI Application Programming, Second Edition (Charles River Media), BSD Sockets Programming from a Multilanguage Perspective (Charles River Media), Artifi cial Intelligence: A Systems Approach, and many articles on a variety of technical subjects. His engineering background ranges from the development of kernels for geosynchronous spacecraft to embedded systems architecture and networking protocols development. Tim is a consultant engineer for Emulex Corp. in Longmont, Colorado.