Linux for Developers

Description

At the impressionable age of 14, William “Bo” Rothwell crossed paths with a TRS-80 Micro Computer System (affectionately known as a “Trash 80”). Soon after, the adults responsible for Bo made the mistake of leaving him alone with the TSR-80. He immediately dismantled it and held his first computer class, showing his friends what made this “computer thing” work. Since this experience, Bo’s passion for understanding how computers work and sharing this knowledge with others has resulted in a rewarding career in IT training. His experience includes Linux, Unix, and programming languages such as Perl, Python, Tcl, and BASH.

Rothwell is the founder and lead instructor of One Course Source, an IT training organization. He is author of LPIC-2 Certification Guide, contributing author of CompTIA Linux+/LPIC-1 Cert Guide, and technical editor of Red Hat RHCSA/RHCE 7 Cert Guide.

• Covers all the topics Microsoft developers need to succeed on the Linux platform
• Students will get comfortable with open source programming and Linux GUI and command line environments
• Explore leading Linux programming and scripting languages, including Python and C++
• Teaches practical expertise with Git version control

Leading IT trainer/author William (Bo) Rothwell first provides a clear and up-to-date introduction to the complex world of open source software, including its licensing arrangements and their associated tradeoffs. Next, Rothwell introduces essential skills for both Linux command line and GUI environments, emphasizing tools that developers need to create code in Linux, including text editors.

Building on this knowledge, he introduces the primary languages used by Linux developers, from scripting tools such as Bash, Python and Perl to traditional full-fledged programming languages such as Java, C++, and C. Finally, Rothwell presents a full section on the powerful Git version control system, teaching skills that developers can use both in Linux and in many other environments.

This guide’s modular coverage enables you to quickly access the information you need to meet current challenges. Appendices present one-page cheatsheets for each language, and for the Linux commands developers need most often.

• Covers all the topics Microsoft developers need to succeed on the Linux platform
• Get comfortable with open source programming and Linux GUI and command line environments
• Explore leading Linux programming and scripting languages, including Python and C++
• Gain practical expertise with Git version control

Preface     xii
PART I:  OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE     1
Chapter 1  Introduction to Open Source Software     3
Defining Source Code     3
    Closed Source     4
    Open Source     5
     “Free” Software     5
Choosing Open Source Licensing     7
    Options     8
    Key Terms     8
    Examples     8
    Useful Links     9
Summary     10

PART II:  LINUX ESSENTIALS     11
Chapter 2  Introduction to Linux     13
Accessing a Linux System     13
    Choosing the Right Distribution     14
    Logging In     15
Using the GUI     18
Basic Command-Line Execution     21
    Command-Line Structure     22
    Getting Help     22
Summary     28
Chapter 3  The Filesystem     29
Understanding the Filesystem     29
    Learning the Most Used Directories     30
    Naming Considerations     30
Navigating the Filesystem     31
Managing the Filesystem     33
    Managing Directories     36
    Managing Files     37
Summary     45
Chapter 4  Essential Commands     47
Command-Line Tools     47
    Viewing Files     48
    Finding Files     52
    Comparing Files     54
    Shell Features     55
    Permissions     57
Developer Tools     59
    File Compression Commands     59
    The grep Command     62
Summary     66
Chapter 5  Text Editors     67
The vi Editor     67
    Why Learn vi?     68
    What Is vim?     68
    Essential vi Commands     69
Additional Editors     79
    Emacs     79
    gedit and kwrite     81
    nano and joe     81
    lime and bluefish     82
Summary     82
Chapter 6  System Administration     83
Essential Tasks     83
    Gaining Access to the Root Account     84
    Displaying Disk Usage     86
Managing Software     88
    Listing and Finding Software     89
    Installing Software     90
User Accounts     91
    Adding User Accounts     91
    Modifying User Accounts     92
    Deleting User Accounts     93
    Understanding Groups     93
    Managing Groups     93
Summary     94

PART III:  LINUX PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES     95
Chapter 7  Overview of Linux Programming Languages     97
Scripting Languages     97
    BASH Shell Scripting     98
    Perl Scripting     99
    Python Scripting     100
    Additional Scripting Languages     101
Compiled Languages     107
    C Programming Basics     107
    C++ Programming Basics     108
    Java Programming Basics     108
IDEs     108
Summary     109
Chapter 8  BASH Shell Scripting     111
Basics of BASH Scripting     111
Conditional Expressions     113
    Integer Comparisons     115
    File Test Comparisons     115
Flow Control Statements     115
    The while loop     116
    The for Loop     116
    The case Statement     117
User Interaction     117
Additional Information     118
Summary     118
Chapter 9  Perl Scripting     119
Basics of Perl Scripting     119
    Executing Perl Code     120
    Additional Perl Documentation     121
    Variables and Values     122
Flow Control     124
Conditions     126
Additional Features     128
Summary     130
Chapter 10  Python Scripting     131
Basics of Python Scripting     131
    Executing Python Code     132
    Additional Documentation     133
    Variables and Values     133
Flow Control     136
Conditions     137
Additional Features     137
Summary     138
Chapter 11  C, C++, and Java     139
Understanding System Libraries     139
    Managing Shared Library Files     140
    Viewing Shared Library Files     142
Building Packages     142
    Building RPM Packages     142
    Building Debian Packages     145
Exploring Java Installation and Basics     145
Summary     146

PART IV:  USING GIT     147
Chapter 12  Git Essentials     149
Version Control Concepts     149
    The First Generation     149
    The Second Generation     149
    The Third Generation     151
Installing Git     154
Git Concepts and Features     155
    Git Stages     155
    Choosing Your Git Repository Host     156
    Configuring Git     157
Summary     160
Chapter 13  Manage Files with Git     161
Basic Configuration     161
git status     162
    Handling a Multiple Location Situation     165
    Telling Git to Ignore a File     166
Removing Files     168
Handling Branches     169
Pushing Branches     171
Summary     171
Chapter 14  Manage Differences in Files     173
Executing Diffs     173
    Dealing with White Space     175
    Comparing Branches     176
Merging Files     178
Summary     182
Chapter 15  Advanced Git Features     183
Managing Repositories     183
    Getting Content from the Remote Server     184
    Connecting via SSH     186
Patching     187
Summary     188
Index     189

Developers are increasingly being asked to create software for Linux platforms. Many developers are accustomed to creating software for Microsoft or other platforms, but don’t have experience with Linux environments or tools. While several books cover Linux software development, Linux for Developers is specifically designed to help these developers move to Linux.

Leading IT trainer/author William (Bo) Rothwell first provides a clear and up-to-date introduction to the complex world of open source software, including its licensing arrangements and their associated tradeoffs. Next, Rothwell introduces essential skills for both Linux command line and GUI environments, emphasizing tools that developers need to create code in Linux, including text editors.

Building on this knowledge, he introduces the primary languages used by Linux developers, from scripting tools such as Bash, Python and Perl to traditional full-fledged programming languages such as Java, C++, and C. Finally, Rothwell presents a full section on the powerful Git version control system, teaching skills that developers can use both in Linux and in many other environments.

This guide’s modular coverage enables you to quickly access the information you need to meet current challenges. Appendices present one-page cheatsheets for each language, and for the Linux commands developers need most often.

Additional information