Hello. I will be installing gnu/linux on a laptop(toshiba libretto
with 7 inch screen) in the next month or so, and have decided that I
need to go with purely commandline because its easier on my eyes. I
will be starting C++ in school soon(yes, back to school after the age
of 30 sucks). Is there a book or web site that will help me learn C++
in the context of using only gnu command line tools? I really should
say non-X windows based tools. Am I daft for considering this? I just
can see the console text much easier than anything else right now. But
all my texts either refer to a ms windows Visual C++ ide or simply a
g++ (insert whatever here). However, nothing about gdb. I have poked
around emacs and it's rather intimidating. I'd like to get suggestions
as to a good programmer's editor that will do syntax highlight and
color and auto indent. I'd like to learn about RCS or Subversion. I
can understand how that could be a big help. Sorry if this is a bother
folks, but because of hardware limitations and my failing eyesight, I
would rather use a command line. I am wearing bifocals at 31. Not
good. So, basically all the tutorials that talk about using debugger
and all that in the course of teaching C++ from the ground up all
refer to non gnu command line. Well, I'd like to learn it.

Have a good day,

Cecil

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Cecil wrote:

 > Hello. I will be installing gnu/linux on a laptop(toshiba libretto
 > with 7 inch screen) in the next month or so, and have decided that I
 > need to go with purely commandline because its easier on my eyes. I
 > will be starting C++ in school soon(yes, back to school after the age
 > of 30 sucks). Is there a book or web site that will help me learn C++
 > in the context of using only gnu command line tools? I really should
 > say non-X windows based tools. Am I daft for considering this? I just
 > can see the console text much easier than anything else right now. But
 > all my texts either refer to a ms windows Visual C++ ide or simply a
 > g++ (insert whatever here). However, nothing about gdb. I have poked
 > around emacs and it's rather intimidating. I'd like to get suggestions
 > as to a good programmer's editor that will do syntax highlight and
 > color and auto indent. I'd like to learn about RCS or Subversion. I
 > can understand how that could be a big help. Sorry if this is a bother
 > folks, but because of hardware limitations and my failing eyesight, I
 > would rather use a command line. I am wearing bifocals at 31. Not
 > good. So, basically all the tutorials that talk about using debugger
 > and all that in the course of teaching C++ from the ground up all
 > refer to non gnu command line. Well, I'd like to learn it.

Well then, consider _not_ using Windows. I mean, if you want to have the
latest and greatest in terms of GNU tools, I would sincerely advise you to
have a good look around and see if you can install Linux. Mind you, that
not only allows you to do command-line-only, but allows you to start more
than one session at a time, possibly even up to nine or ten or so, which
lets you run an editor in one session, run compiles in another one, run a
mail program in the third, a newsreader in the fourth and something like
Midnight Commander in the fifth.

I would advise you however to do at least some research on installing Linux
on a Thoshiba. They're sometimes a bit 'off' so to say. A good resource to
start is http://www.linux-laptop.net/

FWIW, I've been developing C++ software for a solid year on nothing but the
console a long time ago. Combine the editor of your choice - emacs, joe,
vi, pico or anything else - with Makefiles.

Still, current Linux versions /do/ have support for the visually impaired.
KDE for example can be set up to accomodate large fonts, high contrast
color schemes and supports icons of 64x64, and have at least some utilities
to help you cope with a graphical environment. And the plus side is that it
contains a pretty good integrated development environment. I would strongly
suggest that - even if I can imagine you would prefer console-only work -
to at least experiment with a distro that supports a relatively new KDE
version, for example SuSE 9.1. Since the beginning of June a bootable ISO
is available that let's you download almost all of the Professional
version, that contains more development tools and libraries than I would
suspect you will ever need.

-- 
Ruurd
..o.
...o
ooo

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In article <607eaf0b.0407091957.760b28eb@posting.google.com>, Cecil
<xeys_00@yahoo.com> writes
>Hello. I will be installing gnu/linux on a laptop(toshiba libretto
>with 7 inch screen) in the next month or so, and have decided that I
>need to go with purely commandline because its easier on my eyes. I
>will be starting C++ in school soon(yes, back to school after the age
>of 30 sucks). Is there a book or web site that will help me learn C++
>in the context of using only gnu command line tools? I really should
>say non-X windows based tools. Am I daft for considering this? I just
>can see the console text much easier than anything else right now. But
>all my texts either refer to a ms windows Visual C++ ide or simply a
>g++ (insert whatever here). However, nothing about gdb. I have poked
>around emacs and it's rather intimidating. I'd like to get suggestions
>as to a good programmer's editor that will do syntax highlight and
>color and auto indent. I'd like to learn about RCS or Subversion. I
>can understand how that could be a big help. Sorry if this is a bother
>folks, but because of hardware limitations and my failing eyesight, I
>would rather use a command line. I am wearing bifocals at 31. Not
>good. So, basically all the tutorials that talk about using debugger
>and all that in the course of teaching C++ from the ground up all
>refer to non gnu command line. Well, I'd like to learn it.

Assuming you already know how to program I think 'Accelerated C++' is
exactly what you need. However I am surprised by your reasons for
wanting to use the command line. Good IDEs do not control the type size
or even the type face you use. At twice your age my sight also has
problems but that is not a criterion I use for selecting development
tools. Good colour coded syntax editors are powerful tools and are
almost automatic in IDEs.

The reason for using command line tools has little if anything to do
with eyesight.

JGrasp has excellent features (including great colour coding and a the
ability to rescale all the fonts as well as easy resetting to default
choices. It has the advantage of both being free, being cross platform
and being designed for learning. It also accepts a wide range of
compilers as plug ins)

However I think your biggest problem is trying to learn a programming
language on a seven inch screen. Software development benefits from
using the biggest screen available. If you have eyesight problems a
seven inch screen is an excellent recipe for making them worse.

--
Francis Glassborow      ACCU
Author of 'You Can Do It!' see http://www.spellen.org/youcandoit
For project ideas and contributions: http://www.spellen.org/youcandoit/projects


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xeys_00@yahoo.com (Cecil) writes:

> Hello. I will be installing gnu/linux on a laptop(toshiba libretto
> with 7 inch screen) in the next month or so, and have decided that I
> need to go with purely commandline because its easier on my eyes. I
> will be starting C++ in school soon(yes, back to school after the age
> of 30 sucks). Is there a book or web site that will help me learn C++
> in the context of using only gnu command line tools? I really should
> say non-X windows based tools.

I would reccomend a book like Koenig and Moo Accelerated C++ becase:

     (a) It teaches ISO C++ .
     (b) All of the excercises work great on recent g++, in a command
         line environment.

It doesn't cover anything unique to the gnu tools - so you'll want to
     read the info pages for gcc and binutils, and you may want a gnu
     tools or linux programming book to go with it.

> Am I daft for considering this?

To learn C++ in a command line environment? No. The better books
     work fine for such an environment. But learning C++ and doing
     well in a class that claims to teach C++ aren't necessarily the
     same thing. See if you can get syllabi or assignments from
     previous quarters, and find out if the instructor makes
     assumptions about your environment, or requires a particular
     environment.

> I just
> can see the console text much easier than anything else right now. But
> all my texts either refer to a ms windows Visual C++ ide or simply a
> g++ (insert whatever here). However, nothing about gdb. I have poked
> around emacs and it's rather intimidating. I'd like to get suggestions
> as to a good programmer's editor that will do syntax highlight and
> color and auto indent.

emacs is my first reccomendation. But if you can't bear to give it
     second chance, try vim.

> I'd like to learn about RCS or Subversion.

RCS doesn't handle multiple files, so I advise skipping it. CVS does
     handle multiple files, and is widely used, (although primitive in
     many respects), so I reccomend you learn CVS or subversion.

[snip]
> So, basically all the tutorials that talk about using debugger
> and all that in the course of teaching C++ from the ground up all
> refer to non gnu command line.
[snip]

? I'm confused by what you mean by this.



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I would recommend spilling some money and getting at *least* a 17 inch 
CRT- you should be able to output from the Toshiba into it.
I'm using a 19", and frankly, I'd like a 21" inch or larger.
Trust me- if you don't want your eyes fried but good, a decent monitor 
is the way to go. X windows would help some too.

gdb/gdx is the gnu debugger, a command line one. Its cruddy relative to 
VC's debugger. Again, I'd recommed getting a decent monitor with X 
windows, then use ddd or perhaps a commercial debugger.

Emacs and nano/pico are your friends.
Pico/nano is the editor you want to start out with.
Emacs or vim(yech ;) ) should be the next one to learn; but they require
key-combo memorization.

Again, my reccomendation is to spill some money and get a decent 
monitor. If you are really up for spilling money, you could just find a 
store that sells linux laptops online and get a laptop from them.

good luck

-paul

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