Help with C Code in Fedora

[Jud Craft]

He sounds like he's just starting out, and is still grasping object
oriented.  GTK+ stopped being an option just yet -- it requires more
than competent knowledge of C (function pointers!) and object-oriented
design.

He sounds like he wants to do pixel manipulation, so that rules out
GUI toolkits.  That sounds like a multimedia library right there.  So
maybe it's time to learn C & SDL, but it will be a little difficult.

In addition, he probably hasn't compiled anything before, or used a
makefile or GCC.  There's a lot of stuff that has to be reigned in for
a newbie linux programmer.

Try starting with the language.  After he gets used to C, then he can
tackle a GUI toolkit like GTK.

Although personally, it would be much better if he was introduced to
GUIs and graphics libraries at a higher level.  Trying to learn C
_and_ program graphics/interface is learning two moderately difficult
tricks at the same time.

I'd recommend starting higher level (use Python, Pygame - that is, SDL
for Python) -- learn how graphics libraries work first, and Python
provides an easy, gentle introduction to objects.  Then, when you're
ready, learn C.  After that, learn SDL & C.

You can google python, and google pygame, for details on how to use
them -- I believe Fedora has them in the
System->Preferences->Add/Remove Software.

You essentially have to learn the C language, also learn the library
(GTK or SDL), and possibly learn object-oriented programming
(mandatory for any GUI work).  He needs to choose one and get
comfortable, and then start tackling the other.  Python itself is a
very easy language to pick up on for a first-time programmer, since it
doesn't have the huge compile/make hurdle that C/C++ do, and once you
understand basic programming concepts, you could jump to something
harder.

Or go straight into it:  learn how to use gcc, learn how to program C,
learn SDL.  That's straight into the hard stuff, but much more direct.
 The choice is yours.