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.