From: tito@uclink.berkeley.edu (Attilio Shaud Ingargiola) Subject: Tractatus Linuxicus Newbius Date: 17 Aug 1993 09:26:55 GMT
Hiya Linux-folk:
I'm new to Linux, unix and computers (just been messing
with them for the last six months or so), and I recently installed
Linux on my system (486dx33). Now, as I'd understood it, installation
was the hardest part of Linux--once I got it onto my system I'd just
have some unix commands to learn and voila! I'd be rolling.
"Ha!"
I installed SLS 1.03 with absolutely no problem; it was every
bit as easy to install as OS/2 (albeit a bit less colorful). But now
I face a number of problems that I hoped y'all might be able to help
me (and others in similar circumstances) with.
For one thing, I'm very unclear on this concept of having to
compile programs before I can use them. I am, for example, using
kermit (which came with SLS) to post this now. I'm not much thrilled
with it, really, and have downloaded ecu326b, pcomm, and xcomm to have
an alternative to kermit. Damned if I can get them to run, though.
Each has "directions" that tell you: you must put so-and-so files here
and there--this I can do; you must edit the "whateva.h" file according
to "your system's needs" (what the heck are my system's needs?! I
mean, how does one unpack this instruction?); and you must type "make"
and there you go... Now, this is all good and swell if you're a CS
student/professional--I imagine it's really not too hard at all to do
this kind of thing--but I'm not in CS (math and philosophy) and find
myself at a complete loss.
Now, that's just one of (believe me) *many* difficulties I'm
finding myself faced with now that I'm adapting to Linux as a
"newbie." I've been reading this group (and c.o.l.a) for a number of
weeks now and it seems as though many expect/hope Linux will become
the next "big thing" in computers. I might not know much of anything
about computers, but I can tell you with certainty that you're *crazy*
to believe such a thing. People are simply not interested in an OS in
which one needs to read 50-odd "man" pages to access their bloody
floppies!
So what's my point? Well, I have two basic points:
1.) Help me! :)
2.) If you want Linux to have even a bit of a chance to "make it" with
a large audience of non-CS people, then the kind of info I'm asking
for should be made *easily* available to everyone. What I'm
suggesting is: "philosophy-student-proof" ;> instructions on how to
get Linux up and running as a viable (i.e., one can get work done on
it) alternative to windoze or OS/2.
Being (just about) as rank a "newbie" as one can be, I'm
reasonably qualified to suggest some areas in which information might
be most efficiently dispersed to those who are new to computers and
interested in a "real" OS. I submit the following areas as
particularly important:
1.) Information on basic "dev/*" usage. Unix operates under an
entirely different paradigm than what most "newbies" are used to
(e.g., dos) with respect to using printers, modems, floppy disks and
non-unix partitions of a HD.
2.) Information on basic usage of a compiler and definition of terms
such as: "make," "makefile," "link," "header," etc... New users want
to be able to *use* the software that is freely available to them and,
apparently, this is simply not possible without some knowledge of
these "basic" elements of computing which so many obviously take for
granted. These things must be made more readily accessible.
3.) Information on the basic relation (i.e., similarities and
differences) of Linux to other unix OS's. This is particularly vital,
I think, for the following reason: information on unix can be had
reasonably easily--there are books, classes and people all easily
available to help one with unix--but information on Linux is not so
easily found. Thus, if the specific areas in which Linux differs from
other popular unix OS's is made plain, then half the battle is
achieved. If people recognize the differences between Linux and other
unix OS's, then they can rely more heavily on the information that is
already available to users of unix--effectively simplifying the job of
anyone interested in making Linux a "mainstream" OS.
How might these areas of data be most efficiently dispersed?
Well, I'm not sure and hopefully some of you will have some good ideas.
As an initial suggestion, however, "pointers" to FAQs on these
subjects might be put into the Linux FAQ. Of course, this presupposes
the existence of such FAQs. The responsibility of creating such
things, unfortunately, rests on the shoulders of those who have
technical knowledge and (to overgeneralize accurately :) little
interest and/or ability to communicate that knowledge.
Perhaps we can work together.
Ideas, comments and flames are welcome.
Tito.
tito@uclink.berkeley.edu (510) 845-4606 titos@ocf.berkeley.edu
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"Give me chastity and continence, only not yet."
-St. Augustine.