How to get started coding with Python, Java, Go, Rust, .NET, or GCC using Ubuntu Desktop as your developer platform. The quickest path to ‘Hello, world!’ for both new and existing users of Ubuntu. Learn about installing and setting up the programming toolchains, as well as IDEs and related tooling.
Who
The Ubuntu Foundations team is responsible for much of the low-level plumbing of the Ubuntu distribution, including the packaging of toolchains based on popular programming languages. Read more about the focus on improving Ubuntu as a platform for developers in a related post by @mclemenceau: Leveling up Ubuntu for Developers: Java and beyond.
What
The Foundations team has now developed a brand new set of documentation, which provides guidance for using the Ubuntu Desktop Linux distribution as a development platform: Ubuntu for Developers.
Toolchains
The guides focus on setting up and using the Ubuntu Desktop system as a workstation for developers, with an emphasis on the following toolchains:
- Python
- Golang
- Rust
- GCC
- .NET
- Java
For each of the toolchains, there is a tutorial that shows a quick path to a ‘Hello, world!’ program and demonstrates the use of supporting tooling, including debuggers and linters, on Ubuntu Desktop.
Audience
The documentation doesn’t teach coding skills -– it shows developers how to make the most of Ubuntu Desktop with their toolchain of choice. Even if you haven’t used Ubuntu before, you can follow this guidance to set up a development environment that suits your purposes.
At the same time, there’s enough guidance even for those who are only now getting into programming. You don’t need to be a seasoned coder to use this documentation.
How to get (the toolchains)
Follow straightforward instructions to install the toolchains and supporting tooling for setting up an efficient development environment. The aim is to prepare your Ubuntu Desktop system to enable you to get started coding with the respective programming languages.
Coding tutorials
Each of the toolchain-specific tutorials teaches a quick way to your first ‘Hello, world!’ application using your toolchain of choice. In addition, the tutorials show how to use supporting tooling, including Integrated Development Environments (IDE), debuggers, code checkers, linters, and formatters on the Ubuntu platform.
What next
The work is not finished, and we’ll be adding more content with more practical examples for the individual toolchains. The idea is to keep adding howtos with actual, real-world applications of the toolchains, as well as packaging examples (DEB packages, snaps, containers, …) to show how to get your software to users.
Get involved!
Just like the rest of Ubuntu, this documentation is open source, and we welcome feedback, ideas, and contributions. The docs are in GitHub, using Markdown, and published using Sphinx on Read the Docs: