[Nolug] GUI programming for Unix/Linux

Hi List,
    Ive been looking for a project to work on for some time and recently
came across caferadius (www.caferadius.com) which got me thinking. Ive
always thought that making a point of sale system for a bar/cafe would
be an easy challenge. Challenging in the sense that im not a programmer,
easy in the sense that all the math involved is pretty straight forward.
Sounds like the perfect project to teach myself some programming skills.
Ive even got a friend who owns a coffee shop which may give me a chance
to field test it. Ive decided to use embedded linux to power the "cash
registers" running on something like a Sokeris or CerfPod. I run OpenBSD
embedded on a WRAP and have become quite interested in embedded systems.
A larger server on the back-end. Use TCP/IP to get them talking to each
other (obviously on their own subnet,.. im not going to put them on the
same segment as the community wireless).

    Ive got the idea pretty well thought out with one exception. I can
usually hack something together with perl and php/mysql,.. but in this
case i have to control 2 serial ports on the "cash register",.. one for
the cash drawer,.. and one for a magnetic card reader, possibly one more
for a receipt printer. So I need to find a programming language that
will allow me to program a GUI. Either ontop of X11 or standalone. I
will have to program some network communication to the back-end server
which will handle all the SQL stuff.

If i use X11 I thought it might be a good idea to have the main back-end
server dish out the X11 to lower the minimum system requirements on the
"cash registers".

so finally,.. my question,.. Can anyone recommend a programming language
that fits this bill,.. If I dont hear of anything than ill just start
with C. In which case what books do you recommend as good learning
material,.. and any books I should stay away from.

Thanks in advance
Dennis Bourn

p.s. I know its a bit of a jump from caferadius to a Point of Sale
system,.. I plan to have the Point of Sale system register a new
passcode with caferadius and print it on the bottom of the receipt.
Thats the thought process that made the leap.
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Received on 01/10/07