Learn Linux the Hard Way 185
An anonymous reader writes "Here is a free interactive beta of Learn Linux The Hard Way; a web-based virtual Linux environment which introduces the command line and other essential Linux concepts in 30 exercises. It's written in the style of Zed A. Shaw's Learn Code the Hard Way lessons. The authors says, 'You will encounter many detailed tables containing lists of many fields. You may think you do not need most of this information, but what I am trying to do here is to teach you the right way to approach all this scary data. And this right way is to interpret this data as mathematical formulas, where every single symbol has its meaning.' Of course, my first entry was rm -rf /* which only produced a stream of errors. I wish I had discovered something like a long time ago."
Re:If you like your linux hard (Score:5, Insightful)
Gentoo isn't hard, it's just time consuming. And not even your time, CPU time.
Linux shouldn't be hard, geek elitism has to go. (Score:5, Insightful)
There's an old Jack Tramiel quote about computer pricing (referring to Apple II prices):
"
We need to build computers for the masses, not the classes."
I believe that Linux can be for the masses as well:
Linux for the masses, not just those who have taken programming classes.
Things like this "Linux the Hard Way" is the last thing we need. We need better tutorials, better documentation in general, something "better" than crappy gnu info (there's nothing I hate more than a man page that directs me to use gnu info, how I hate that thing) Making Linux more non-nerd friendly makes it better for everyone. It even saves nerds time. I'm not just talking Ubuntu here, after all there was a time when Red Hat was considered the Linux Distro for the Masses. Personally in my Linux usage, I prefer to take the "Easy Button" way whenever possible, I have a "set it and forget it" philosophy and I like "reasonable defaults". Sure, some things are faster in a terminal, but even there I take the easy way by using mrxvt, and not the incomprehensible geek=favorite...gnu screen.
Re:The usual (Score:5, Insightful)
The trick is to use OpenBSD's manpages [openbsd.org]. They actually get updated when the code changes, for the most part are relevant to other systems, and don't scold you for not using the texinfo manual.
Re:The usual (Score:5, Insightful)
That approach falls short when:
* You don't know *what* program does what you need ("man -k" and "apt-cache search" are not always helpful)
* There's a quirk / unexpected behaviour / bug (man pages seldom admit the former)
* You don't even know the right terms to start searching
* You lack understanding of something too fundamental for a manpage (e.g., initrd)
* The docs are downright poor
OTOH, fora are terrible: full of obsolete hints (especially in rapid-changing distros), awful S/N ratio. To me, wikis are the way to share knowledge (updatable, searchable, concise) and fora are for:
* asking for pointers to that knowledge
* suggesting one-off solutions
* troubleshooting
* tossing ideas about
Once something is settled, there is no reason why a forum thread should be its repository; it irks me every time I read "use the search function, you'll find a whole thread dedicated to that".
Incidentally, I'm an Ubuntu user and many times the clearest, most comprehensive help I've found is an Arch wiki page.
Learning Nothing, Earn Nothing (Score:3, Insightful)
I installed Ubuntu for my father who is in his 80's. Not only does he know nothing about Linux, he doesn't even know that he is using Linux.
The website is intended for people who actually want to open the hood and learn the internals. The point is to learn skills that employers will pay for.
Personally, I train green students with a formatted HDD and a Gentoo ISO. A rigorous and relevant curriculum produces technicians who can earn money and support their families. Many go on to lucrative careers in Linux system administration.
Re:Linux shouldn't be hard, geek elitism has to go (Score:4, Insightful)
Then use the "easy button" and ignore the other stuff.
Different interfaces are developed for people who think and operate in different ways. Graphical interfaces are great for some people, while command driven interfaces are great for other people. Making the assumption that "geeks" will find graphical interfaces as easy to use as command driven interfaces is just as elitist as the assumption that "the masses" are ignorant because they cannot handle command driven interfaces. There is not a single "right way" to do things.