Alternative to Library on Ubuntu: How to Use and Install

In the world of programming, libraries play a crucial role in simplifying the coding process. They offer pre-written code to perform common tasks, thereby saving programmers the time and effort of writing their own functions from scratch. One such library is <conio.h>, which is widely used in Windows for console input/output. However, this library is not available in Ubuntu, leading many programmers to seek alternatives. In this article, we will explore the alternatives to <conio.h> on Ubuntu and guide you on how to use and install them.

Understanding <conio.h>

Before we delve into the alternatives, let’s briefly understand what <conio.h> is. It’s a C header file used mainly by MS-DOS compilers to provide console input/output. It includes functions like clrscr(), getch(), and kbhit(), which are used for clearing the screen, reading a character from the keyboard, and checking if a key has been pressed, respectively.

Unfortunately, <conio.h> is not part of the C standard library and is not supported on Ubuntu or any other Linux distributions.

The <curses.h> Library: An Alternative to <conio.h>

One of the most popular alternatives to <conio.h> on Ubuntu is the <curses.h> library. This library provides a robust framework for developing text user interface applications, including a wide range of functions for controlling the terminal display.

Installing <curses.h>

To install <curses.h> on Ubuntu, you can use the apt-get package manager. Open your terminal and type the following command:

sudo apt-get install libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev

In this command, sudo allows you to execute the command as an administrator, apt-get is the package handling utility in Ubuntu, install is the command to install new packages, and libncurses5-dev libncursesw5-dev are the development libraries for ncurses.

Using <curses.h>

Here’s a simple example of how to use the <curses.h> library:

#include <curses.h>

int main() {
 initscr(); // Initialize the library
 printw("Hello, World!"); // Print Hello, World!
 refresh(); // Refresh the screen to see the result
 getch(); // Wait for user input
 endwin(); // End the program
 return 0;
}

The conio4gcc Library: Replicating <conio.h>

Another alternative is the conio4gcc library, which aims to replicate the functionality of <conio.h>. You can find this library on platforms like GitHub.

Installing conio4gcc

To install conio4gcc, you first need to clone the repository from GitHub. Use the following command:

git clone https://github.com/andre-lima/conio4gcc.git

After cloning the repository, navigate to the directory and compile the library:

cd conio4gcc
make

Using conio4gcc

To use conio4gcc in your program, include the conio.h header file as you would normally do:

#include <conio.h>

int main() {
 clrscr(); // Clear the screen
 cprintf("Hello, World!"); // Print Hello, World!
 getch(); // Wait for user input
 return 0;
}

In conclusion, while <conio.h> is not available on Ubuntu, there are alternatives like <curses.h> and conio4gcc that you can use. These libraries provide similar functionality and can be installed easily on your Ubuntu system. Happy coding!