The Linux Developer is responsible for engineering reliable, performant, and secure software solutions on Linux platforms. This role supports both legacy systems and modern applications, with emphasis on desktop environments, real-time processing, and mission-critical functions. By leveraging C/C++, scripting, GUI modernization, and enterprise integration capabilities, the developer ensures that system deliverables meet operational requirements, compliance standards, and scalability goals. This position is essential to technology initiatives requiring deterministic behavior, platform stability, and efficient migration from outdated frameworks (e.g., Motif/X11) to current solutions (e.g., Wayland/GTK). It contributes directly to product resilience, business continuity, and long-term
platform sustainability.
Essential Functions:
Design, develop, and maintain real-time, fault-tolerant desktop applications using C and C++ on Linux platforms.
Migrate legacy GUI applications from Motif/X11 environments to modern Linux display protocols such as Wayland, using toolkits like GTK, Qt, or EFL.
Write and maintain Bash scripts to automate build processes, deployment routines, and system-level diagnostics.
Optimize application performance through multithreading, memory management, and low-latency scheduling techniques.
Debug and profile applications using tools such as gdb, valgrind, perf, and strace to ensure stability and responsiveness.
Implement secure coding practices and support audit-readiness for mission-critical systems.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate GUI applications with enterprise platforms and middleware.
Configure and support lightweight desktop environments and customwindow managers, including MWM and Wayland compositors.
Manage source code and development workflows using Bitbucket, Git, and CI/CD pipelines.
Develop and maintain IPC mechanisms (e.g., sockets, shared memory, DBus) for inter-process communication.
Document system architecture, migration strategies, and operational procedures for modernization initiatives.
Participate in code reviews, refactoring efforts, and legacy system analysis to support long-term maintainability.
Support containerized deployment of desktop applications using Docker in secure, isolated environments.
Deliverables:
24x7 system availability.
Compiled binaries and executables for Linux systems, optimized for performance and reliability.
Source code repositories with well-structured C/C++ code, adhering to coding standards and version control best practices.
Bash scripts for build automation, deployment, diagnostics, and system integration.
Makefiles or CMake/Meson build configurations for reproducible and portable builds across Linux distributions.
GUI application components, including migrated interfaces from Motif/X11 to modern toolkits like GTK, Qt, or Wayland-compatible frameworks.
Documentation artifacts, such as API references, architecture diagrams, migration plans, and user manuals.
Unit, integration, and performance test suites, with automated scripts and benchmarks for latency-sensitive applications.
CI/CD pipeline configurations, integrated with Bitbucket or Git-based workflows for automated build and release cycles.
Accessibility and compliance features, such as AT-SPI integration and support for screen readers or keyboard navigation.
Legacy code refactoring reports, detailing modernization efforts from older GUI frameworks to current Linux standards.
Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or related field (required).
Minimum 10 years of hands-on experience in C/C++ development on Linux systems.
Expertise in C and C++ development for Linux desktop applications, including event-driven programming and UI logic.
Proficiency in Bash scripting for build automation, deployment, and system-level integration.
Experience with legacy GUI frameworks, including Motif, X11, and MWM, with the ability to analyze and refactor legacy codebases.
Familiarity with modern display protocols, especially Wayland, including compositor-client architecture and protocol handling.
Understanding of GUI migration strategies, including porting from Motif/X11 to toolkits like GTK, Qt, or EFL.
Proficiency with Bitbucket and Git workflows, including branching, pull requests, and CI/CD pipelines.
Experience with build systems such as CMake, Make, and debugging tools like gdb, valgrind,
Ability to work with low-level graphics APIs, such as OpenGL or Vulkan, for rendering and display optimization
Comfortable working in lightweight or minimal desktop environments, including configuration of .xinitrc, .Xresources, and custom window manager setups.
Understanding of Linux system internals, including IPC, permissions, and performance tuning for GUI responsiveness.
Strong documentation and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical migration plans into actionable development tasks.
Preferred:
10 years of hands-on experience in C/C++ development on Linux systems.
Deep knowledge of Linux kernel scheduling policies for deterministic latency.
Ability to write custom Wayland protocols and implement both client and compositor-side extensions for specialized GUI behavior.
Experience with Zero-Copy Inter-Process Communication (IPC) use of shared memory to reduce latency and improve performance.
Work Location Work location is expected to be one of the below:
Philadelphia, PA
Why Choose Cogent? Cogent Infotech stands at the forefront of technology consulting and is recognized globally for its award-winning services. With our headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, we specialize in guiding enterprises through digital transformation, leveraging the power of emerging technologies such as Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and AI. Our mission is to provide innovative workforce solutions that address the complex challenges faced by today’s businesses.
As an ISO-certified firm and appraised at CMMI level 3, our reputation for excellence is well-established. We are proud to collaborate with over 70 Fortune 500 companies and more than 150 Federal C State agencies, delivering cutting-edge technology solutions that drive success.
Cogent is an equal opportunity employer. Cogent will not discriminate against applicants or employees based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth or related medical condition), genetic information, sexual orientation, gender
identity, military status, citizenship, or any other class protected by applicable law
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