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Meta Suggestion: Basic Linux skills compendium

My thoughts on the matter are clear from the question, but I'll add some example topics that could be covered by this "basics compendium": A "curriculum" of sorts that lists all the basic topics...

posted 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭ · edited 1y ago by matthewsnyder‭

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#2: Post edited by

matthewsnyder‭ · 2023-09-08T21:08:07Z (about 1 year ago)

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My thoughts on the matter are clear from the question, but I'll add some example topics that could be covered by this "basics compendium":
* A "curriculum" of sorts that lists all the basic topics in a logical order for people who want to try learning all or most of them
* Explanation of what a shell is, brief summary of confusing historical artifacts:
- Why we "emulate" "terminals"
- Why normal keys don't work in the shell
* Explanation of basic Unix philosophy, and how to use pipes to combine programs simple programs into complex pipelines
* Significance of using CLI vs. TUI vs. GUI
* Basic file operations like `ls`, `cp`, `mv`, `rm`, [`find`](https://linux.codidact.com/posts/289648), `touch`, `mkdir`, `rmdir`
* Using `man` to figure out how to use a CLI program
* How to find programs that do a task
* Partitioning
* General aspects of OS installation (ie. stuff that is commonly assumed knowledge in install guides)
* How to choose a distribution and how live CDs are useful
* Managing configurations with a dotfile repository
* Significance of text vs. non-text file formats
* Basic version control with git
* How to get sound to work
* How to get graphics to work
* How to install programs and the purpose of a package manager
* What "compiling from source" is and why it matters

My thoughts on the matter are clear from the question, but I'll add some example topics that could be covered by this "basics compendium":
* A "curriculum" of sorts that lists all the basic topics in a logical order for people who want to try learning all or most of them
* Explanation of what a shell is, brief summary of confusing historical artifacts:
- Why we "emulate" "terminals"
- Why normal keys don't work in the shell
* Explanation of basic Unix philosophy, and how to use pipes to combine programs simple programs into complex pipelines
* Significance of using CLI vs. TUI vs. GUI
* Basic file operations like `ls`, `cp`, `mv`, `rm`, [`find`](https://linux.codidact.com/posts/289648), `touch`, `mkdir`, `rmdir`
* Using `man` to figure out how to use a CLI program
* How to find programs that do a task
* Partitioning
* General aspects of OS installation (ie. stuff that is commonly assumed knowledge in install guides)
* How to choose a distribution and how live CDs are useful
* Managing configurations with a dotfile repository
* Significance of text vs. non-text file formats
* Basic version control with git
* How to get sound to work
* How to get graphics to work
* Why some hardware doesn't work on Linux (specifically the FOSS vs. proprietary drivers context on this) and how to deal with it
* How to install programs and the purpose of a package manager
* What "compiling from source" is and why it matters

#1: Initial revision by

matthewsnyder‭ · 2023-09-08T21:03:18Z (about 1 year ago)

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My thoughts on the matter are clear from the question, but I'll add some example topics that could be covered by this "basics compendium":

* A "curriculum" of sorts that lists all the basic topics in a logical order for people who want to try learning all or most of them
* Explanation of what a shell is, brief summary of confusing historical artifacts:
    - Why we "emulate" "terminals"
    - Why normal keys don't work in the shell
* Explanation of basic Unix philosophy, and how to use pipes to combine programs simple programs into complex pipelines
* Significance of using CLI vs. TUI vs. GUI
* Basic file operations like `ls`, `cp`, `mv`, `rm`, [`find`](https://linux.codidact.com/posts/289648), `touch`, `mkdir`, `rmdir`
* Using `man` to figure out how to use a CLI program
* How to find programs that do a task
* Partitioning
* General aspects of OS installation (ie. stuff that is commonly assumed knowledge in install guides)
* How to choose a distribution and how live CDs are useful
* Managing configurations with a dotfile repository
* Significance of text vs. non-text file formats
* Basic version control with git
* How to get sound to work
* How to get graphics to work
* How to install programs and the purpose of a package manager
* What "compiling from source" is and why it matters

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