Ultimate Advantages of Unix And Linux For Programmer

Programmers are by nature independent and creative souls. They are seldom content to use a fixed set of tools to achieve a given result. Programmers are usually more fascinated by the tools themselves rather that by the applications they create with those tools. They want to forge and re-forge their tools, so they welcome an operating system that offers freedom to those smart enough to hack it. The word hacking, by the way, originally referred to this benign propensity to tinker with programs, prizing clever and even arcane tricks above the needs of the despised user. The hacker as network intruder and criminal is a recent and unfortunate semantic deterioration of the term. Anyway, as result of this, Unix therefore evolved into a tool-making tool for programmers, with few concessions to the end user at the bottom of the DP food chain.

Where does all this leave the non-programmer with payrolls to run, debts to collect, and disks to back up at the end of the day? To put it differently, since you are reading this book, we can only assume you'd like a little help. Fortunately, these days, Unix has become a lot more friendly. This is primary due to the efforts of the folks who brought you the various shells that accompany most version of Unix today. In fact, not only can you choose between different shells, you can even choose different user interfaces, ranging from a simple text-only version to something that resembles Windows. Shells are the outer layers of software that lie between the user and Unix. They parse your command line, perform wonderful transformations on command arguments, and locate and interpret your commands and even build a completely new environment.

For many users, the Unix Bourne shell or C is the indicator of family-based control incompatible with cryptic syntax. Yes, as you have seen these things before, like the shell is just another Unix program and not part of the operating system. The truth is that the core Unix programmers can leverage the power of Unix without using the standard shells, if desired.

The popular joke is the sum of the developers: ""If you do not like Unix interface, a shell to write their own."" In fact, you can use its interface, without going into the shell of the nucleus of control available, sh. csh, ksh, and is sufficiently powerful and flexible, allowing you to create an easy to use with shell scripts. These interfaces are always oriented in nature, but can provide menus, windows and even a point of simple functions and the selection with the mouse. For a more sophisticated user interface (GUI) icons, resizable windows, dialog boxes and other decorative elements used are Microsoft Windows, a new complex shell needed. And, indeed, these worlds of corporate, where requires are wishes of common users magnetize more admiration. Today there are thousands of sites that are not programmers rarely, if ever, a $ or% signs.