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Linux Programming by Example: The Fundamentals (Prentice Hall Open Source Software Development Series) Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR

Number Of Pages: 720

Publication Date: 2004-04-12

Sales Rank: 113125

ISBN / ASIN: 0131429647

EAN: 9780131429642

Binding: Paperback

Manufacturer: Prentice Hall PTR

Studio: Prentice Hall PTR

Average Rating: 4.5

Amazon.com: Anyone who's done programming work knows that you spend half your coding time looking for other people's solutions to the problems you're facing in your project. Particularly when you're dealing with times, dates, standard calculations, and other common problems, you find yourself saying, "Someone must have solved this before." And, indeed, someone usually has. Linux Programming by Example is a dense compendium of Linux software solutions--tools, algorithms, and procedures that solve data-processing challenges of the sort that crop up in all sorts of software projects. Though it does not address X11 user-interface programming or network communications much, this book does a great job of communicating recommended practices for command-line interfaces, filesystem manipulation, internationalization and localization, and inter-process communications. Taken together with The Art of Unix Programming, this book will help you solve difficult Linux programming problems quickly. Unlike a lot of code-oriented books, this one manages to keep its samples concise, and devote more space to discussions of why things are done than to the code that actually does them. This promotes understanding: You can always mess around with the code yourself on your own. Overall, Arnold Robbins does an excellent job of stripping away some of the hacker mystique to reveal the code behind the curtain. This book shows how to work Linux magic. --David Wall Topics covered: Linux programming in C, mostly at a level concerned with user input from the command line, file I/O, interprocess signalling, and memory management. Date: 2007-01-07 Rating: 4

Review:

Good Introduction This is a good introductory book for Linux OS related programming concepts including memory management, files, IPC, signals and debugging. It does explain the concepts quite well and the code illustrations are very helpful. Its debugging and internalization chapters are noteworthy. As mentioned by others, this book does not cover threads and sockets. It could be better to provide more complete coverage of the topics such as IPC and memory management. For example, the IPC chapter is limited to pipes and fifos (they are not even explained depth enough). In short, I strongly recommend it as an introductory book for the topics covered. Date: 2006-03-20 Rating: 5

Review:

Quality book, a keeper I learned about this book from its sister book, Linux Kernel Primer: A Top-Down Approach for x86 and PowerPC Architecture. While the kernel book is not a good one at all, this one is a true gem. The writing is clear, lucid, and the examples are from the real world and thoroughly explained. In contrast, the kernel book gives overly broad and general introduction to a subject and then dives into the source code with disconnected commenting; there is such a big gap between the intro and the source code that it's not readable at all.

The auther Arnold Robinns also wrote a few other great books, including Learning the vi Editor and Learning the Korn Shell. With the achievement of this book, he ranks near the great, late Richard Stevens in terms of writing quality. Date: 2005-01-25 Rating: 4

Review:

Great real world examples Linux Programming by Example: The Fundamentals is a great book that covers three main concepts in Linux programming: files, processes and debugging. In each part the author explains and gives several examples of functions, systems calls and APIs that will help the Linux programmer. He also includes several real world examples of how these concepts are implemented. Here are the some things that I found interesting: The Good: 1) This book really focuses on the use of standards and good program design. left from the beginning, the author goes out of his way to make the reader aware of standards from ISO and POSIX and how they apply to good programming and design. Along this line I also like that the author explains the benefits of - and promotes - the use of Gnu software. Being an avid Gnu user myself (as most Linux users are) I agree that Gnu software is generally better software.

2) I feel that knowledge is power, and the author goes along with this idea by showing how some things should *not* be done. He often points out several functions that are available but should be avoided. I appreciated this, and feel that it makes the reader an all-around better programmer. The author also frequently gives extra information and history which helps explain why things are the way they are. This was especially useful when explaining mount points and types of file system.

3) I liked the fact that the author uses real world examples to demonstrate the ideas being presented. I really appreciated the fact that he uses V7 code (older, smaller and less comlex code) to demonstrate his examples. This allowed me to be able to see how the features were implemented in simple code, without being overwhelmed by the modern equivalents. A great example is the V7 echo program - only 23 lines! The Bad: There weren't too many things that I didn't like about this book, but if my arm was twisted I would say the following: 1) This book is called *Linux* Programming but really it is about Unix programming. I know they are similar, and maybe I am splitting hairs here, but the title could really be *Unix* Programming. Most of this stuff is generic Unix programming, and the author points out the special exceptions not only for Linux but for other Unix variants as well - such as BSD.

2) Don't confuse the word "Fundamental" with "Beginning." This book really isn't for beginning Linux programmers, but rather it teaches basic (or fundamental) concepts that Linux programmers should know and use. The reader needs to be moderately familiar with the C programming language if he or she is to be edified. A great read, with some excellent examples of well written Linux programs. If you are interested in moving beyond basic Linux programming then you should definitely pick up a copy of this book! Date: 2005-01-06 Rating: 5

Review:

An invaluable resource This is an exceptionally fine book. Robbins has supplied the reader with a vast number of

programs and a lot of elucidation. This is a primer in

Linux programming, but also serves as a tract on UNIX

programming. The illustrations stem, for the most part,

from actual GNU and Linux code. This is an invaluable resource for those converting from

another system to Linux. Date: 2004-07-13 Rating: 5

Review:

A new classic I loved this book. It's earned an honored place on my bookshelf, and I'm going to recommend it to people who need information about Linux and UNIX development. Many computer books are practically obsolete before they ship: within a few months, "Learn Foomatic 4.3 in 21 Days" is in the bargain bin at the Dollar Tree. Some books have longer lives, and a few can remain useful for years. "Linux Programming by Example" (LPE) is in this last category; this book can stand alongside Steven's "Advanced UNIX Programming" as an essential tutorial and reference. LPE covers everything you'd expect (working with files, processes, signals, users) and some things you might not (internationalization). But it's this book's voice and unique perspective that make it truly a gem. LPE is written in a clear, friendly, authoritative style. As I read, I often felt that I had gained a new understanding of things I've known for years. The long and twisted history of UNIX has given rise to multiple competing APIs. Perhaps the greatest thing about this book is the way that Robbins cuts through these thickets, explaining your choices, pointing out the best alternatives, and explaining why they're the best. LPE's modern vantage point means it can cover V7, BSD, POSIX, and GNU APIs. The chapter on signals alone is worth the purchase price of the book for the way in which it clearly compares and contrasts the various signal APIs.