What's the difference between running linux with a kernel
(=desktop system?) and just a prompt?
I've thought of allegro + c++ compiler + linux simple prompt mode
The kernel is the core of the system. It is what makes the hard stuff (memory management, file I/O, and stuff like that). The different shells run on top. You have the KSH, BASH and another shells based on command prompts, and you also have the XWindows systems, which are graphical shells (you have KDE, Genome and many more).
OK I was wron about what "kernel" means sorry...
The thing I want to know is if I kan run some sort of
text editor->c++ compiler on a linux comp with none of those shells
installed (gnome KDE and whatnot...)
Well, graphical apps are usually coded to work in a X-Windows envoronment, but if you find one that works on the textmode shell...
For example, emacs can be configured to have syntax highlighting and hotkeys to launch the compiler and such. And it works in a textmode shell. And I am pretty sure that someone has configured it to work with gcc already, so you just have to download a script and install it
When you download DJGPP there should be a version of emacs for gcc ... but I'm not sure