Unlock the secrets of Linux system programming and take your coding skills to the next level

• Do you use Linux, but not really understand it?
• Have you ever wondered how ls -l knows everything it does?
• Could you explain to a coworker why ls and find can be external commands but cd and umask must be built into the shell?

The answers to these questions, and more, are in Linux Application Development by Example, Second Edition! This book tells you exactly what you need to know--no more and no less--about the fundamental Linux system programming APIs.

Following the latest POSIX standard, author Arnold Robbins explains how the basic file, process, IPC and networking APIs work. When possible, he demonstrates the use of the APIs with code drawn from real programs (V7 Unix, BSD Unix, and GNU), and when that's not possible, he provides small, clearly documented and annotated, standalone example programs of his own. All code presented in the book is available for download, so you can compile, run, and modify the programs yourself.

Robbins focuses on both high-level principles and "under the hood" techniques. Along the way, he carefully addresses real-world issues like performance, portability, and robustness.

Each chapter closes with exercises, ranging from coding problems to thought experiments, to help you cement your understanding of the material covered, and all chapters have been thoroughly revised and updated for this edition, along with two chapters new in this edition.

• Memory management
• File I/O
• File metadata
• Processes, Users and groups
• Sorting and searching
• Argument parsing
• Extended interfaces
• Signals
• Internationalization
• Basic Networking
• Debugging
• And more!

Just learning to program? Switching from Windows or macOS? Already developing with Linux but interested in exploring the system call interface further? No matter which, quickly and directly, this book will help you master the fundamentals needed to build serious Linux software.

"It's rare that I read a programming book and find myself enjoying it. I enjoyed going through this manuscript, to the point where I would be surprised that a couple hours would go by while I was absorbed in the topics.... It deserves to sit on my shelf alongside other classics."
--Matthew Helmke, Linux author and consultant

With a Foreword by Chet Ramey, maintainer of the Bash shell

Register your book for convenient access to downloads, updates, and/or corrections as they become available. See inside book for details.

About the Author

Arnold Robbins is a professional software engineer and technical author. He has been working with Unix systems of various sorts, GNU/Linux systems, C, C++, and all the other major Unix tools since 1980. As a long-time volunteer for the GNU project, he has been the maintainer of gawk (GNU Awk) for many years. In 2024, he was awarded the USENIX Lifetime Achievement Award ("The Flame") for his work on GNU Awk and for his numerous books on topics related to Unix and Linux.

Reviews

Praise for the Second Edition

"This may be the most clearly written narrative-style coverage of the topic that I have encountered and one of the most complete that is not solely a reference work.

"[The book] has forced me to think differently about some of these topics and how they build on one another. It's almost like when I studied LISP way back when and it turned all my thinking about programming on its head. Thank you! It is a privilege to review this.

"This is one of the better-crafted tech books I've reviewed across two decades. The exercises consistently help the reader focus on specific things in the text and gently struggle and learn concepts that might otherwise slip through the cracks. I failed to find any exercise that I would delete and can't think of any I would add."
--Matthew Helmke, Linux author and consultant

Praise for the First Edition

"This is an excellent introduction to Linux programming. The topics are well chosen and lucidly presented. I learned things myself, especially about internationalization, and I've been at this for quite a while."
--Chet Ramey, coauthor and maintainer of the Bash shell

"This is a good introduction to Linux programming. Arnold's technique of showing how experienced programmers use the Linux programming interfaces is a nice touch, much more useful than the canned programming examples found in most books."
--Ulrich Drepper, project lead, GNU C library

"A gentle yet thorough introduction to the art of UNIX system programming, Linux Programming by Example uses code from a wide range of familiar programs to illustrate each concept it teaches. Readers will enjoy an interesting mix of in-depth API descriptions and portability guidelines, and will come away well prepared to begin reading and writing systems applications. Heartily recommended."
--Jim Meyering, coauthor and maintainer of the GNU Core Utility Programs

Book Information
ISBN 9780135325520
Author Arnold Robbins
Format Paperback
Page Count 736
Imprint Addison Wesley
Publisher Pearson Education (US)
Weight(grams) 1350g
Dimensions(mm) 232mm * 189mm * 40mm