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Professional Linux Programming

By Neil Matthew and Richard Stones, Brad Clements, Andrew Froggatt, David J. Goodger, Ivan Griffin, Jeff Licquia, Ronald van Loon, Harish Rawat, Udaya Ranawake, Marius Sundbakken, Deepak Thomas, Stephen J. Turnbull, David Woodhouse, Richard Stones, Christopher Browne

Media: Book (Paperback, 1200 pages)
ISBN: 1861003013
Publisher: Peer Information Inc.
Release Date: Sep 1, 2000

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Product Description

By tapping the strengths of the open-source movement, developers can write custom Linux software without spending a dime on licensing fees. Aimed at the experienced C/C++ programmer, Professional Linux Programming provides a wide-ranging and hands-on guide to the different pieces of the puzzle that are required to program successfully on this exciting new platform.

The book is framed as a case study for building a custom database program in Linux for a video rental store. After a tour of the requirements and a brief look at project management for creating this software, the various Linux packages that are needed to implement this system are described, along with sample code, most of which is written in C. Some packages, such as the CVS version-control package, come with most distributions of Linux; others will require downloading additional software over the Internet. In every case, you're provided with the actual command-line arguments that are needed to install, configure, and run each package.

Besides a great exploration of CVS for version control, this title offers excellent coverage of the free PostgreSQL and MySQL databases, which are two very popular choices for Linux databases. The book also does a good job of explaining UI design under both the GTK+/GNOME and KDE (two popular Linux desktops), and how to extend the reach of the sample database application by using Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) and CORBA. Of course, the finished application doesn't use every Linux API that's covered here, but the book does cast a wide net, and introduces features and tools that are available.

Two prominent chapters take you on a tour of the essentials of other programming languages. There's PHP for Web development and an appealing, enthusiastic introduction to Python (which probably will turn you into a Python convert). Later chapters provide practical tips for testing and debugging applications, including how to profile your code. The book closes with a useful guide to creating Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) packages for deploying applications, as well as an overview of your options for internationalization.

By covering so many APIs, languages, and tools effectively, Professional Linux Programming gives experienced C/C++ programmers all that they need to get started with Linux development. With its remarkably clear presentation style and abundance of practical tips, the book is an admirably useful blueprint for building custom software. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

Introduction to open-source software and Linux requirements
Use cases and sample C objects for sample video rental store
Version control and CVS (command-line options, revisions, branches, and multiuser version control)
Open-source freeware packages compared (mSQL, MySQL, and PostgreSQL)
Introduction to databases
Installing and using PostgreSQL
Tutorial on psql SQL
PostgreSQL C database APIs using libcq and embedded SQL calls with ECPG
Installing and using MySQL (command-line utilities and C database APIs)
Debugging with gdb
Introduction and tutorial to UI programming with glib
GTK+ and GNOME
Source trees and GNOME
UI design with Glade
Testing strategies (including regression testing, profiling, and memory bounds checking)
KDE/Qt UI programming
Introduction and quick tutorial to Python (keywords and basic syntax)
PHP for Web programming
Introduction to Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) and CORBA
XML basics (document structure, parsing, and libxml)
Strategies for documentation (including custom man pages)
Distributing Linux applications with Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) packages
Code patches

heavy reading

The biggest problem I have with this book is its weight. It's just too big and clunky to hold up to read. Splitting into two bindings would have been nice. But it does cover a lot and it needs to be large to do so.

Submitted 16 Apr 2002

Good reference

I bought the Beginners Guide to Linux Programming and I really liked that book. This book is a very good follow-up, but it doesn't give the reader more programming tips.
It covers many topics which makes this book a great reference for anyone who deals with Linux and even other flavors of Unix on a day to day basic. Buy this book if you are looking for a reference book on developing software on Linux that covers advanced topics.

Submitted 8 Sep 2001

Good reference for a wide range of Open Source technologies

This book is a follow-up to Beginning Linux Programming, but with a wider range of authors. The book is a series of chapters on various tools and applications, all of them Open Source, based mainly round things that application developers might use, though there is a single chapter on device drivers.

Most topics only get a single chapter, so there isn't as much depth as you would find in a dedicated book on each topic, but there is a very wide range of material all covered in enough depth to get the more experienced programmer started with a new topic. There are one or two weaker areas, but overall a good choice of material succinctly presented for the more experienced application developer. I've given it 5 stars as it was exactly what I was looking for - a single reference to help me create a Linux-based web database application, your mileage may vary. I recommend you at least consider it.

Submitted 2 Jan 2001

Excellent book for developing real-world linux solutions

This book is the sequel to the excellent' Beginning Linux Programming'. It isn't a book for kernel hackers, and it doesn't pretend to be. (There is a book being written by kernel developers called' Professional Linux Kernel Programming' - make sure that you order the correct one!). Instead, this heavyweight book is a very useful guide for those wishing to develop real world applications. It covers the tools used for developing serious web applications, such as the databases MySQL and PostgreSQL, and the excellent PHP language. When it comes to desktop and client server you are spoilt for choice - just about everything is covered. It is especially nice to see Python content - one of the areas missing from their first book as Python is very easy to learn and both powerful and flexible. If anything else was covered I'm not sure how the publishers would bind it! The level of detail is such that the reader will be able to achieve useful results based on the book alone, and any further detail is usually available as part of the documentation supplied when installing the software tools. Single subject books often just duplicate this, and quickly become dated. Where there are references to other books, it is nice to see that it is not just Wrox books which are recommended. The book is written in a style which is both readable and serves as a useful reference work, spending more time next to my computer than it does collecting dust on a shelf. I'd have no hesitation recommending this book to anyone wishing to develop Linux solutions for today and for the future - throw away those VB books now!

Submitted 30 Dec 2000

Not for the Kernel Hack

If you are looking for information on hacking the Linux Kernel then this book is not for you. Also it shows a total bias towards GTK/GNOME and PostgreSQL. There are places in the text which shows a complete lack of understanding of the subject under discussion. Information concerning MySQL is at best inaccurate and totally misleading. The treatment of KDE and Qt is very scant. Overall this book falls very short of expectations. It trys to be all things to men but ends up being nothing. Very disappointing indeed

Submitted 17 Dec 2000