BeOS: Porting UNIX Applications (Paperback)

~ Martin C. Brown (Author) "For those of you who picked up this book expecting to find out what the "BeOS" in the title means, I'll explain..." (more)
Key Phrases: baron users, specified file descriptor, yacc file, Compiler Error, Free Software Foundation, Geek Gadgets (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The BeOS is the exciting new operating system designed natively for the Internet and digital media. Programmers are drawn to the BeOS by its many state-of-the-art features, including pervasive multithreading, a symmetric multiprocessing architecture, and an integrated multithreaded graphics system. The Be engineering team also built in many UNIX-like capabilities as part of a POSIX toolkit. Best of all, the BeOS runs on a variety of Intel architectures and PowerPC platforms and uses off-the-shelf hardware.

This book explores the BeOS from a POSIX programmer's point of view, providing a comprehensive and practical guide to porting UNIX and other POSIX-based software to the BeOS. BeOS: Porting UNIX Applications will help you move your favorite UNIX software to an environment designed from the ground up for high-performance applications.

* Supports BeOS Release 3

* Provides a step-by-step guide to the porting process from downloading the source code to installing the application

* Explains how to port off-the-shelf utilities like Emacs and Perl as well as your own programs and tools to the BeOS

* Offers a comprehensive POSIX reference for anyone who is porting or writing software for the BeOS

* Furnishes a simple catalog of tools and features available on the BeOS

From the Back Cover

The BeOS is the exciting new operating system designed natively for the Internet and digital media. Programmers are drawn to the BeOS by its many state-of-the-art features, including pervasive multithreading, a symmetric multiprocessing architecture, and an integrated multithreaded graphics system. The Be engineering team also built in many UNIX-like capabilities as part of a POSIX toolkit. Best of all, the BeOS runs on a variety of Intel architectures and PowerPC platforms and uses off-the-shelf hardware.

This book explores the BeOS from a POSIX programmer's point of view, providing a comprehensive and practical guide to porting UNIX and other POSIX-based software to the BeOS. BeOS: Porting UNIX Applications will help you move your favorite UNIX software to an environment designed from the ground up for high-performance applications.

Features:

• Supports BeOS Release 3
  
  
• Provides a step-by-step guide to the porting process from downloading the source code to installing the application
  
  
• Explains how to port off-the-shelf utilities like Emacs and Perl as well as your own programs and tools to the BeOS
  
  
• Offers a comprehensive POSIX reference for anyone who is porting or writing software for the BeOS
  
  
• Furnishes a simple catalog of tools and features available on the BeOS

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 1st edition (August 24, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558605320
• ISBN-13: 978-1558605329
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,059,700 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book, a must have for any serious porter., May 3, 1999

By	Jón Ragnarsson ([e-mail]) (Reykjavík, Iceland) - See all my reviews

I was very impressed with this book. It explains almost everything what is needed to know to port Unix/posix applications to BeOS. The title is somewhat misleading though, this book would be useful for anybody who is interesting in writing applications for BeOS. The differences between Un*x and BeOS makefiles, C, C++, system layouts and standard headers are covered. Also configuration scripts (shell scripts), posix compliance and native BeOS calls. The author also gives quick overview of what tools are (and are not) available and how to use them. So, everybody from old Unix hackers to absolute beginners should benefit from this book. The only problem is that this book is already out of date. Since it's publishing Be has moved from the Metrowerks Intel compiler to the Gnu-based egcs, wich is not covered in this book.

1 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too many words, too little time!, April 24, 2000

By A Customer

If this book was a movie, it would never be released on tape. The author missed a big opportunity by releasing such a superficial work. Definitely not recommended. Readers, please don't run away from the BeOS. Just choose your reading material wisely!