Programming With GNU Software

Many of the most popular programming tools on UNIX are free. They offer a great deal of power within an operating system that can be customized and tuned in almost unlimited ways. This book and CD combination is a complete package for programmers who are new to UNIX or who would like to make better use of the system. The tools were put together by Cygnus Support, Inc., and Cyclic Software, companies that provide support for free software. Contents include GNU Emacs, gcc, C and C++ libraries, gdb, RCS, and make. The book provides an introduction to all these tools for a C programmer. Previous experience with UNIX is not required. The CD-ROM contains binaries for several popular UNIX systems, including Sun SPARC4 running SunOS 4.1.3, Sun SPARC4 running Solaris 2.4, HP 9000/700 running HPUX, IBM RS/6000 running AIX 3, SGI Iris/Indigo running Irix 5.3, and Alpha running Digital UNIX. Complete source code and scripts for configuration, building, and installation are also included.

One of the great benefits of Unix is the vast array of free and inexpensive software tools that are available for the platform. Programming with GNU Software provides an overview of how C and C++ programmers can use some of these tools: the source-code editor Emacs, the gcc compiler, gdb debugger, gprof profiler, and the RCS version-control system. The book offers a quick-paced tutorial that, unlike some introductions to Unix tools, is particularly focused on the needs of C programmers.