Linux® Programming by Example

Chapter 1. Introduction

In this chapter

• 1.1 The Linux/Unix File Model page 4

• 1.2 The Linux/Unix Process Model page 10

• 1.3 Standard C vs. Original C page 12

• 1.4 Why GNU Programs Are Better page 14

• 1.5 Portability Revisited page 19

• 1.6 Suggested Reading page 20

• 1.7 Summary page 21

• Exercises page 22

If there is one phrase that summarizes the primary GNU/Linux (and therefore Unix) concepts, it’s “files and processes.” In this chapter we review the Linux file and process models. These are important to understand because the system calls are almost all concerned with modifying some attribute or part of the state of a file or a process.

Next, because we’ll be examining code in both styles, we briefly review the major difference between 1990 Standard C and Original ...