4. Development models, tools and services

This section is aimed at software developers, whether beginners or experienced engineers, who are new to free software. Its aim is to help you choose and take your first steps with the fundamental tools. This book does not deal with system development, which requires in-depth knowledge of the internal mechanisms of operating systems: it is aimed above all at developers of end-user applications with a graphical interface. Two dimensions are covered: that of software development tools themselves, and that of tools specific to the distributed development process that characterizes open source software.