Chapter 1. UNIX for Developers

In this chapter

• The man Command

• Organization and Navigation

• The C Compiler

• Object Files

• Source Files

• The vi Editor

• The make Utility

• System Tools and Useful Commands

• Next Steps

The development of each phase of the Graphics Editor requires use of a unique skill set. As an application developer, you must become acquainted with many aspects of computer problem solving. Knowledge of the operating system, programming language, windowing environment, and project management is critical to excel in the trade. This chapter introduces the operating system, compiler, editor, and project files in sufficient depth to put you on the path of completing the Graphics Editor project.

Structured application development (writing computer programs using an applied methodology) begins with the operating system. At this level, you arrange, navigate, edit, and compile your source code. If your organizational skills are poor, you won't be able to locate the file you need to advance the functionality of your application. An inability to utilize the capabilities of an editor fully means you will be making changes (assuming you can find the file) one character at a time when you could be manipulating pages or regions. Worse, when the compiler tells you syntax error: line 1162, you have to press the down arrow key 1,162 times to fix the problem because you don't know the go-to command.

Looking into the Linux operating system, you see that many tools (commands) are available to you. Some are sharp and can do damage if used incorrectly; others are obscure and hard to understand, and not all of them are useful for programmers.

In the following sections we'll take a few of the more pertinent tools out of the box and look at them together. If you are already well acquainted with the Linux operating system, feel free to move ahead to the next section.