Learning the bash Shell

The first thing users of the Linux operating system come face to face with is the shell. "Shell" is the UNIX term for a user interface to the system — something that lets you communicate with the computer via the keyboard and display. Bash, the Free Software Foundation's "Bourne Again Shell," is the default shell for Linux, the popular free UNIX-like operating system. It's also a replacement for the standard UNIX Bourne shell, which serves both as a user interface and as a programming language. Like the FSF's other tools, bash is more than a mere replacement: it extends the Bourne shell in many ways. Features include command line editing, key bindings, integrated programming features, command completion, control structures (especially the select construct, which enables you to create menus easily), and new ways to customize your environment.

Whether you want to use bash for its user interface or its programming features you will find Learning the bash Shell a valuable guide. The book covers all of bash's features, both for interactive use and programming. If you are new to shell programming, Learning the bash Shell provides an excellent introduction, covering everything from the most basic to the most advanced features, like signal handling and command line processing. If you've been writing shell scripts for years, it offers a great way to find out what the new shell offers. The book is full of examples of shell commands and programs that are designed to be useful in your everyday life as a user, not just to illustrate the feature being explained. All of these examples are freely available to you online on the Internet.

Foundations of Qt Development

As the standard for KDE desktop environment, Trolltech's Qt is a necessary basis for all programmers who want to develop cross-platform applications on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and FreeBSD. A multitude of popular applications have been written in Qt including Adobe Photoshop Elements, Google Earth, Perforce Visual Client, and Skype.

Foundations of Qt Development is based on Qt 4.2, and is aimed at C++ programmers who want to become proficient using this excellent toolkit to create graphical applications that can be ported to all major platforms. The book is focused on teaching you to write your own code in addition to using existing code. And common areas of confusion are identified, addressed, and answered. You'll learn everything you need to know to get up and running fast, including

• Widgets and layouts (including creating your own widgets!)
• Dialog boxes and windows
• The Interview Framework (models and views)
• Drawing and printing
• Internationalizing and localizing
• Interacting with files, streams, and XML
• Working with databases
• Networking
• Unit testing with Qt
• Utilizing Qt as a Rapid Application Development tool
• Building and using plug-ins
• Utilizing timers and threading

How Linux Works : What Every Superuser Should Know

How Linux Works describes the inside of the Linux system for systems administrators, whether they maintain an extensive network in the office or one Linux box at home. Some books try to give you copy-and-paste instructions for how to deal with every single system issue that may arise, but How Linux Works actually shows you how the Linux system functions so that you can come up with your own solutions. After a guided tour of filesystems, the boot sequence, system management basics, and networking, author Brian Ward delves into open-ended topics such as development tools, custom kernels, and buying hardware, all from an administrator's point of view. With a mixture of background theory and real-world examples, this book shows both "how" to administer Linux, and "why" each particular technique works, so that you will know how to make Linux work for you.