Chapter 27. Programming Tools

27. Programming Tools

IN THIS CHAPTER

Programming in C	832
Using Shared Libraries	840
make: Keeps a Set of Programs Current	842
Debugging C Programs	850
Threads	860
System Calls	861
Source Code Management	863
CVS: Concurrent Versions System	864

With its rich set of languages and development tools, the Linux operating system provides an outstanding environment for programming. C is one of the most popular system programming languages to use in conjunction with Linux, in part because the operating system itself is written mostly in C. Using C, programmers can easily access system services using function libraries and system calls. In addition, a variety of helpful tools can facilitate the development and maintenance of programs.

This chapter explains how to compile and link C programs. It introduces the GNU gdb debugger and tools that provide feedback about memory, disk, and CPU resources. It also covers some of the most useful software development tools: the make utility and CVS (Concurrent Versions System). The make utility helps you keep track of which program modules have been updated and helps ensure that you use the latest versions of all program modules when you compile a program. CVS is a source code management system that tracks the versions of files involved in a project.