Book excerpt: Linux for Developers shows you how to start writing great code for Linux, whether you’re a Linux user with little or no coding experience, or an experienced Windows programmer. Leading IT trainer/author William “Bo” Rothwell begins with a clear and up-to-date review of modern open source software, including the licensing arrangements and tradeoffs all developers need to understand. He presents essential skills for both Linux command line and GUI environments, introducing text editors and other tools for efficient coding. Building on this knowledge, Rothwell introduces scripting tools such as Bash, Python, and Perl, as well as traditional object-oriented programming languages such as Java, C++, and C. Finally, he presents a full section on the powerful Git version control system, teaching skills you can use in Linux and many other environments. Access Linux systems, use GUIs, and work at the command line Learn how Linux organizes files and navigate its filesystem Use basic developer commands such as gzip and grep Edit programs with vi and vim, and explore alternative editors Perform basic sysadmin tasks that developers often need to handle Compare Linux languages to choose the best one for each task Write Bash scripts that interact with users or other shell features Program with Python and Perl: flow control, variables, and more Understand Linux features related to building C, C++, and Java programs Stay on top of complex projects with GIT revision control Work in GIT: staging, committing, branches, diffs, merges, and patches Manage local and remote GIT repositories This guide’s modular coverage helps you quickly access whatever information you need right now.