Interprocess Communications in Linux: The Nooks and Crannies (Paperback)

~ John Shapley Gray (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Understanding the concepts of processes and interprocess communications (IPC) is fundamental to developing software for Linux. This book zeroes right in on the key techniques of processes and interprocess communication - from primitive communications to the complexities of sockets. It covers every aspect of UNIX/Linux interprocess communications in sufficient detail to allow experienced programmers to begin writing useful code immediately. The book also includes a precise description of the basics of network programming that make this one of the best introductory books on UNIX/Linux network programming using sockets. Grey explains exactly what processes are, how they are generated, how they can access their own environments, and how they can communicate with other processes. From beginning to end, the book truly leads you through the "nooks and crannies" of UNIX - making you a dramatically more effective programmer. Rave reviews for UNIX companion volume-- "I really like this book!!! Concepts that I only vaguely understood now make complete sense to me! The sample code and exercises are so good, they seem to clamp down on the concepts like a vise grip..." S. Lee Henry, Johns Hopkins University.

From the Back Cover

• The definitive guide to Linux processes and IPC for programmers and system administrators
• Pipes, message queues, semaphores, shared memory, RPC, sockets, the /proc filesystem, and much more
• In-depth coverage of multithreading with POSIX compliant LinuxThreads
• Contains dozens of detailedprogram examples (GNU C/C++ 2.96/Red Hat Linux 7.3 & 8.0)

Raves for Gray's companion UNIX® volume!

"Concepts I only vaguely understood now make complete sense to me! The sample code and exercises are so good,they seem to clamp down on the concepts like a vise grip..."—S. Lee Henry, Johns HopkinsUniversity

The expert, example-rich guide to Linuxprocesses and IPC

Serious Linux software developers need a sophisticated understanding of processes, system level programming andinterprocess communication techniques. Now, John Shapley Gray, author of the widely praised Interprocess Communicationin UNIX, Second Edition, zeroes in on the core techniques Linux uses to manage processes and IPC. With exceptionalprecision and great clarity, Gray explains what processes are, how they're generated, how they access their environments,how they communicate—and how to use them to build robust, high-performance systems.

• Includes extensive coverage of named/unnamed pipes, message queues, semaphores, and shared memory.
• Provides C++ classes for System V IPC facilities.
• Offers an in-depth introduction to socket-basedcommunication.
• Demystifies Linux's /proc file system.
• Illuminates the LinuxThreads POSIX threadimplementation and its use in multithreaded applications.
• Provides valuable tips and warnings, plus insight intokey differences amongst Linux and Unix implementations.
• Includes problem sets and illustrations designed toreinforce key concepts.

Gray presents dozens of standalone program examples; all compiled with the GNU C/C++ compiler 2.96 & 3.2, and fullytested on PC platforms running Red Hat Linux 7.3 & 8.0.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (January 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130460427
• ISBN-13: 978-0130460424
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #736,181 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Beginners!, January 31, 2004

By A Customer

This book is an excellent introductory book for beginners simply because the author is extremely eloquent in explaining the nooks and crannies. The minor details expressed in-between the core topics covered actually serves to enhance your knowlege of how the OS works. I am taking a class in Advanced Unix Programming and find that by reading ahead of the lectures, I am always fully prepared to answer almost all the questions fielded by the professor, as well as the students. It is pleasantly surprising that most of the questions asked by the students relate to the little minor details that the author slipped in between the paragraphs. My compliments to the author for the brilliant foresight.

I also have the Stevens series. Although the series is well known as the bible of network programming, I feel that this book helps brave a newbie for the more complex and drier narrrative in the Stevens series. Do buy this book if you are a beginner and have no idea where to start. Don't buy this book if you are already familiar with Unix programming and are looking to cover more in-depth material.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book on IPC topics for intermediate level, March 16, 2004

By	laoxiao "yixia5" (Austin,TX) - See all my reviews

This book covers local IPC(pipes,lock files, locking files, semaphores,message queues and shared memory) and remote IPC(RPC, network sockets). It uses EXTENSIVE demo code to explain the concept which really helps you to master the design. This is a great book for both beginners and inter-mediate *nix programmers.
highly recommend.

0 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not exactly what I ordered, October 4, 2005

By	Derik J. Harris - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I thought that I ordered the original IPC but it could be my fault.