Rating: 
Summary: Easy reading
Review: The computer game market is dominated by dedicated game console platforms, like Sony's Playstation and Microsoft's XBox. But the steady rise of linux on fast, cheap hardware and the parallel rise of an open source community leads one to wonder if there are alternatives.Which leads to this book. It has some of the ambience of the flashback to the 70s or 80s, when programmers in their spare time might gin up a cool game, which would then spread like a virus when word got out. Of course, you can use the book's advice to design a proprietary game. Nobody says you need give it away. The book's code examples are in C. Not Java, please note. While Java is good for some applications, typically in gaming, performance is always an issue, as measured by latency, for example. The book also does not mention C++. Pity. C++ compilers nowadays are usually as efficient as C compilers. Plus, if you want to code a game of any complexity (over 100 000 lines, say), then C scales badly, unless you use really strict design and coding standards. Overall, though, the book is well done. Very easy reading if you're experienced. Very little knowledge of graphics is required. The book is more about the back end design. Graphics is pushed out to OpenGL and similar packages.
Rating: 
Summary: SDL primer
Review: This book doesn't go very deep into game nor linux system programming. it's SDL primer and some mix of other libraries. It is good for you as a introduction to linux multimedia. SDL today is little bit different. Fe: there's nothing about SDL_Net. SDL is multiplatform and the author could pay more attention on this, it's shame.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Complete and Easy to Understand
Review: This book is an execellent introduction to Linux game programming. This book decribes everything you need to know to make a high quality 2D game in Linux with easy to understand tutorials. You should be warned that the book does not discuss 3D game programming and you might say that is its only weakness. However, even if you are interested in 3D game programming the material in this book will help to provide a firm foundation in sound, event handling, networking, game scripting, and other things that are important in game programming whether 2D or 3D.
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