Programming With GNU Software

Rating:
Summary: A fine alternative to wading through the MAN pages
Review: I would hardly have expected this book to be the most borrowed one in my collection at the office, but it is. It has a little of everything: EMACS commands, gcc, make, and source control. It's not exhaustive, but that's exactly the point. When you just want to refresh your understanding of how to write a make file, and don't feel like wading though reams of man and info documentation, this book comes in very handy. And it's portable...

Rating:
Summary: Good Introduction to GNU Software
Review: The book collects the information usually scattered in different places.It covers the following tools: gcc, emacs, gdb, make, rcs, gprof. The explanation is pretty clear, necessary examples are given.

What I don't like in this book: too many words about benefits of free software, probably more technical topics and details would be more useful. E.g. the chapter about 'make' even doesn't mention pattern rules. I'd like also to see a section devoted to CVS. The level of details is good for an introductory course but is not sufficient for a reference book.

RESUME: if you are new to GNU tools and going to use them on a regular basis this book will help you, otherwise skip it.

Rating:
Summary: Sums it all up!
Review: There is some very good material contained in this text. The problem is there is also a fair amount of "We're GNU, we're great, here are the other books which will explain how to use this tool."

Practical C++ Programming, another O'Reilly text has 500+ pages and lists for $32.95. It is a great example of solid writing and is a great bang for the bucks. Programming with GNU Software has less than 250 pages and lists for $39.95. The writing style is weak and the flow is not as strong. Programming with GNU could easily drop 75 pages worth of self warm fuzzies, work a bit more on the flow of instruction, and include a little more info.

Note: The three stars are for the content which was worth reading. This book is good for those who have little to no exposure to GNU environment. If you have some familiarity then get texts which address the specific tools.

Rating:
Summary: Too much praise, not enough substance.
Review: There is some very good material contained in this text. The problem is there is also a fair amount of "We're GNU, we're great, here are the other books which will explain how to use this tool."

Practical C++ Programming, another O'Reilly text has 500+ pages and lists for $32.95. It is a great example of solid writing and is a great bang for the bucks. Programming with GNU Software has less than 250 pages and lists for $39.95. The writing style is weak and the flow is not as strong. Programming with GNU could easily drop 75 pages worth of self warm fuzzies, work a bit more on the flow of instruction, and include a little more info.

Note: The three stars are for the content which was worth reading. This book is good for those who have little to no exposure to GNU environment. If you have some familiarity then get texts which address the specific tools.

Rating:
Summary: Sums it all up!
Review: This book collects all the little tidbits of info concerning compiling, writing make files, debugging and more into a hand reference book. It is good for people who know C/C++, but don't know the Un*x toolset.

Rating:
Summary: A gold-standard reference on GNU Software Programming !
Review: This is the definitive manual for those seeking an informative education on UNIX C programming; implementing GNU Software Utilities. The author's are highly qualified in this field and bring a comprehensive technique in clearly worded examples. You'll learn volume's on the subject and a very detailed history of UNIX, GNU Shareware and the objective behind computer operating systems as they evolve. This is a key element in the concept of software developement tools and how they relate to the application user, system administrator and programming enviroment. This book will be a wise purchase and qualifies as a classroom requirement for intermediate to advanced learning yet stands as a learnable text for those who want to gain ground as novices and have a constant companion to refer to. The CD included is all the more remarkable and makes this publication a complete system.

Rating:
Summary: one of my better buys
Review: What I love about this book is that it covers subjects that you run into all the time in unix but none of my other books say much about. For example the link editor, libraries, c command line options. In particular I like the sections on gdb and gprof. Super useful. The intro has a section on unix and setting up your environmental variables, another neglected topic. The only section that didn't interest me is the section on emacs since I am a vi guy. But, it doesn't hurt to have it either... In sum, if you are a true UNIX guru, you may already know all this stuff, but, if you are an aspiring guru, like myself, this is pure gold.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to Unix programming tools.
Review: When I first started programming, I used a Windows based PC. When I was told I was to develop on a Unix platform, I felt very intimidated. Windows based computers tend to use integrated development environments, while Unix based computers tend to use a synergenic collection of text based tools. I had a good understanding of how to write C/C++ code, but no understanding of the Unix tools. This book greatly helped me understand the advantages of the Unix programming envronment. Each of the essential Unix programming utilities was discribed in enough detail that I felt comfortable using them. Other O'Reilly books cover the utilities in great depth, while this book gets you started using the tools productively.

Hugh T. Nelson

Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to Unix programming tools.
Review: When I first started programming, I used a Windows based PC. When I was told I was to develop on a Unix platform, I felt very intimidated. Windows based computers tend to use integrated development environments, while Unix based computers tend to use a synergenic collection of text based tools. I had a good understanding of how to write C/C++ code, but no understanding of the Unix tools. This book greatly helped me understand the advantages of the Unix programming envronment. Each of the essential Unix programming utilities was discribed in enough detail that I felt comfortable using them. Other O'Reilly books cover the utilities in great depth, while this book gets you started using the tools productively.

Hugh T. Nelson