Practical Linux Programming: Device Drivers, Embedded systems, and the Internet (with CD- ROM) (Programming Series) (Paperback)

by Ashfaq A. Khan (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Linux is becoming the OS of choice for embedded system designers and engineers, due to its real-time power and flexibility. Written for engineers and students, Practical Linux Programming: Device Drivers, Embedded Systems, and the Internet is about designing and developing embedded systems, using Internet technology as a user interface. The book emphasizes the use of three different technologies for embedded system design and development: the Web, the Linux kernel, and SQL queries. From a software design point of view, device driver design, interprocess communication usage, Perl programming, shell programming, HTML tags, and SQL queries are covered in detail. The examples demonstrate the guidelines for designing an embedded system that requires interaction of different software modules and show how an operating system like Linux helps glue your software modules together. The book is presented as a tutorial for students and engineers who wish to learn the process! of designing an embedded system application using Linux as the real-time operating system and the Internet as the user interface.

KEY FEATURES

* Teaches how to create a virtual Web hosting system to use as the user interface for embedded systems, complete with the DNS server, SQL server and the HTTP server setup

* Explains how to design device drivers to form the backbone of the embedded system’s external hardware interface

* Provides real-world tutorials for embedded projects, including network printers, data acquisition systems, entrance security systems, and other general applications

* Shows how to modularize a design project into manageable objects to achieve a fast and efficient product development cycle

* Covers the interprocess communication facilities of the Linux kernel, including the semaphores, shared memories, and message queues used to interconnect and link software modules

On the CD!

The companion CD-ROM includes all of the necessary tools (with the exception Red Hat Linux) to write the programs that are developed in each chapter.

SOURCE CODE

* miniLinux

A complete minimum Linux System that can be placed on less then 2 MB disk space. Scripts are provided that can be modified and customized to create a boot disk and a root file system disk of your choice.

* Examples and Projects

Complete source code for every project, arranged by chapter.

SOFTWARE

* Dodobase 2.0 (TRIAL DEMO)

A Web database management program that allows Web site owners to create and manage content instantly.

* Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS)

* ESP Print Pro 4.2.1 (TRIAL DEMO)

A complete UNIX cross-platform printing system that enhances the printing system that comes with your operating system.

* Anjuta

A versatile Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for C and C++ on GNU/Linux.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS LINUX: Red Hat Linux 7.1 or higher (with Linux kernel 2.4 or higher); IBM PC compatible system; Pentium II or better; 256 MB of RAM; 10/100 Mbps Ethernet card; 2.5 MB free hard disk space; CD-ROM drive.

About the Author
Ashfaq A. Khan is a development engineer for Xerox Corp. with over 20 years of experience designing and implementing embedded systems. Khan has conducted several workshops on embedded system design and is an adjunct instructor at the University of California, Irvine. He resides in Torrance, CA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Charles River Media; 1st edition (February 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584500964
• ISBN-13: 978-1584500964
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,355,953 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #14 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Web Development > Programming > Linux Web
  #28 in	Books > Computers & Internet > Programming > APIs & Operating Environments > Device Drivers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Linux Programming, October 6, 2004

By	ceramicbrad "brad" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This book does have lots of typo's. you will find it somewhat frustrating.BUT- do not worry. Once you are familiar with Linux then you can overcome them. What the books strong point is:
It shows what commands/files/procedures you need to use to set up a linux embedded system.That alone is worth its Used price. You will need another such as the linux desk reference to get around better.but really, this is not so bad of a book as to be forgotten. You might consider it a good mid level computer science elective type book that needs someone like an instructor(or a google search engine) to clear up certain issues.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not a book for beginner, February 19, 2003

By	A Linux programmer (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Typos and mistakes all over the book. Beginners will find it frustrated.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrible and Quite scattered, February 22, 2003

By	T. Fitzpatrick "Thornite" (Mid-State NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There aren't enough politically correct words to describe how awful this book was. I wasted money on books before, and this is another to add to the pile. Jim Carey (as Ace Ventura) might say "Editor's Mmmuch?"

The type-o's in the book are one thing, but the amount are strictly appaullyng (<-purpose). I couldn't recommend this book to a guru nor a beginner. It takes a spreadshot approach to a web server setup, and the postgresql setup section didn't work on RedHat platforms 6.x through 8.x .

You /will/ have an awful time with this onslaught of what more practiced authors only joke about. I think you get my drift, don't buy it. Sadly, i did.