Resources For Windows Developers Moving To Unix?

abh asks: "I can't be the only one out there who has a background programming under Windows, primarily using Microsoft's Visual Studio. I'm a Linux enthusiast who is looking for information (books? Web sites?) on developing using the GNU tools. Since most of my experience is with a visual design environment, are there similar environments available Linux?"

Comments

Think Geek

[milgram]

Hey, somebody was going to suggest it. :>

CodeWarrior

[Duncan_Rowland]

I haven't used it myself, but CodeWarrior exists... http://www.supershops.com/supershop/product.asp?sk u=M24+0345

Well...

[PimpBot]

IDEs like KDevelop and KDE Studioare remarkably like Visual Studio. Whenever I've used both, they've always seemed (mostly) feature complete and stable. There are other IDEs out there, but from my expierence, these are the most mature ones out there. (and, imho, Emacs doesn't count as in IDE)

And now, I have a question for you (or anyone else out there): Are there any good books/materials for learning Win32 or Carbon/Coco/etc programming? I'm a pretty good programmer, but I don't want to be tied to Unix/POSIX forever ;-)
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Re:Well...

[Matthew Weigel]

For "Carbon" programming, find any books on Mac programming. Then take note of which parts of the API aren't included in Carbon (this week). For Cocoa programming, try to find some of the old NeXTStep programming books, or maybe look at MiscKit (the site hasn't been updated in a while, but in theory it will be ported to Cocoa); and of course, learn Obj-C (easy).

For Win32 programming... there are too many out there for anyone but a Win32-only reader to follow them all and be able to offer good reviews (and then, not from the perspective of a Unix programmer). So, I'd say grab a book from a publisher or author you've seen elsewhere (if possible), and read it.

Freshmeat IDE index

[gruppa]

Freshmeat has a development environment section:
http://freshmeat.net/appindex/development/environm ents.html

Here you will find Code Crusader, a CodeWarrier look-alike. Never used it, but there are some favourable comments on freshmeat.

Re:Freshmeat IDE index

[paRcat]

Not that I'm anybody, but code crusader is wonderful.. It's just about all I use when I'm not at the CLI.

For GUI development

[wmulvihillDxR]

For rapid development of GUIs I suggest Glade. It works with gtk and can output in C, C++ and other languages. I had an independent study on software engineering in college and we created an IMAP email client, Althea. None of us knew anything about making a GUI or gtk. We seemed to come out just fine in that category and we only had 10 weeks to finish!

As for an entire development suite, I agree with the other suggestions above.

Books and documents

[hooha]

For non-GUI, UNIX specific programming details, I've found the following to be very useful:

• UNIX System Programming by Haviland, Gray, Salama. Published by Addison Wesley.
• Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment by W. Richard Stevens. Published by Addison Wesley.
• UNIX Network Programming (volumes I and II) by W. Richard Stevens. Published by Prentice Hall.
• Documents from http://www.unix-systems.org/ (The Open Group).

Re:Why?

[DaveHowe]

Did someone come along and make it illegal to sell Linux software when I wasn't looking?

Oracle must be upset...
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Re:Why?

[po_boy]

Why should we want to migrate from windows development to Linux when we doesn't get paid for our work?

Because it will improve your grammer, especially your subject/verb agreement problem.

komodo

[po_boy]

As for an IDE, activestate (the makers of a good version of PERL for windows) is building an IDE called komodo. It's supposed to run on windows and linux and be useful for PERL, Python, and Javascript.

This might help you if you switch back and forth as you get more used to linux. I don't think it's very mature on linux yet, but it may be worth keeping an eye on.

Re:komodo

[gsf]

And it might even be useful someday ...

Win32

[e-Motion]

Almost all windows programmers agree that a good place to start is:
Charles Petzold's Programming Windows

It's pretty big, but it covers the basics + more. Even if you plan on mostly using MFC or something similar and not rolling your own raw-API program, this is definitely a worthy purchase.

Re:Win32

[PimpBot]

Picked this up yesterday at a local bookshop...damn good book...thanks much!
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Grammar with an 'a'

[bluto29]

It is GRAMMAR not GRAMMeR. Want a real reason? Every operating system in history has tended to be strong either as a Client or a Server. I have a formal background in math and computer engineering, and I know of no theoretical reason why this is so, but I have some opinions concerning the pragmatic reasons. The fact is that the kids at Microsoft have really focused on making Windows a competitor to MacOS in the past. MacOS is particularly strong as a Client (as I climb into my asbestos suit) it is weak as a server. The boys and girls at MS, tending to lack orginality, basically cloned the MacOS with the caveats that they were stuck with a MS-DOS heritage. Windows (which I use often, and dislike) is a successful Client OS. It is a ROTTEN Server OS. UNIX derived systems derived from mini-computer OS thinking (with a LOT of very original ideas added). UNIX and LINUX are SUBERB at Server applications and (asbestos suit zipped up to the nose here) not quite as good as a Client OS. While I personally would rather use UNIX / LINUX as a Client, it is because I am a programmer. I am forced to admit that the typical college student finds Windows easier to use than UNIX systems. Far better that they should all use Macs, but I am not in charge of that. So, long winded background later ... YOU should learn UNIX / LINUX because the world has seen VERY little innovation in Client software in the last 5 years (honest). There is a limit function to client software that DOES NOT EXIST in server software. This is because as Clients become more complex, they become less stable, etc. (See elsewhere for Thick Client discussions.) In constrast to this, SERVER software is in a renaissance. UNIX / LINUX is the premier and OPEN server environment - ipso facto, YOU should learn UNIX / LINUX.

Kylix!

[borgboy]

Borland is working on Kylix and should be done soon (not like 2.4 soon, hopefully sooner! ;) It is a port of their (IMHO) superior Windows dev tools - Delphi and C++ Builder - to Linux.

Re:Why?

[mughi]

Why should we want to migrate from windows development to Linux when we doesn't get paid for our work?

Well, right off the top of my head, here are a few items:

• Speak for yourself. A large number of people get paid for doing development using GNU tools. (I was getting paid to develop applications on Linux back before 1997)
  
  
• Who said he was migrating from Windows?
  

And a little more to the point:

• Ever hear of a football player taking up ballet? Needlepoint? Learning more skills can help with existing fields of work.
  
  
• Perhaps he enjoys learning and programming. [And does not enjoy endless rebooting ;-) ].
  
  
• Perhaps he might want to get a job doing Windows and Unix programming, but can't afford a nice HP or Solaris box.
  
  
• Perhaps he wants to impress his managers, and maybe even get a raise.
  
  
• Perhaps he just wants to be able to keep his job.
  
  
• Perhaps he wants to get a new job.
  
  

I have a site

[stevey]

I maintain GNUSoftware.com - which may be a little bit relevant.

It stores pointers to Linux/Unix applications that are available on the Windows platform - this could enable you to try out, for example, Emacs on your current platform and get used to it before you switch.

Similarly you could download a port of GCC and get used to its command line interface, options etc, without leaving the environment with which you're already comfortable..

Steve
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Try Multi-platformed Visual NetBeans IDE

[kamzik]

If you look for visual design environment you should give NetBeans IDE a try. It's a cool and professional open source product and if you don't mind Java you'll love it.

What's good for you - it's working on both Linux and Windows (among other OS's).

Kamzik