The command line tolls for thee.

This week's command line lessons reminded me a lot of math - and why I'm not good at that, either. It seemed easy at first, and even a little fun. A few lessons later (especially by the IO Redirection tutorial) I was getting lost in a sea of commands and arguments. So let's take a quick look at what worked, and what didn't.

Logging into the VNC was problematic at first because, although I had installed in correctly, I was unaware that I needed to first log in to vpn.arizona.edu before connecting to the VNC. Fortunately, the discussion board included a thread discussing this, after which I was able to quickly and reliably log in.

I first viewed Arthur Griffith's lessons, and was surprised to find that many of the commands didn't work on the VNC home directory files. For instance, the ls command lists several directories (downloads, music, pictures, etc.), but going further (for example, ls pictures) always seemed to return a message stating the file or directory didn't exist. I found this surprising, and frustrating. Nonetheless, basic commands (cd, ls, rm, mkdir, etc.) were clear, easy, and represented the high-water mark of my understanding for this week. Adding and changing directories, listing files, removing files - all of these tasks I remembered quickly and required little practice.

My outlook remained bright through the first few linuxcommand.org lessons as well. As stated above, however, things changed when I got to the IO Redirection lesson and after. I'm sure we've all had moments in life when you see or read something new and difficult, and then sit back and ask yourself, "What did I just read?" because it's a blur and you can't remember anything. Well, this was one of those moments. From that section on, I was lost. Following are some of the highlights (or lowlights) of these sections.

To begin, the pwd command seemed to return the same information (which directory you're in) as already appears before the $ symbol. Is this correct? Also, I know cp and mv mean copy and move respectively, however, they seem similar enough to remain confusing. I understand the concept of wildcats, but the range of symbols and functions involved in utilizing them remains baffling and will require additional practice to use correctly. Additionally, I'm having difficulty comprehending the ideas of standard output/input, and got caught in a loop of >'s when I experimented with them. Needless to say, I'm still not sure what these do - let alone how to explain them. Finally, I got the pipe command "ls -1 less" to work, but all it did was return the list of directory files in alphabetical order. Pipes are one more thing on my list that need additional work.

I mentioned in my discussion post that I can't imagine ever using CLI to perform routine computing functions, and that viewpoint remains unchanged. I practice interface monogamy, and am committed to my GUI. However, I also mentioned that certain commands, like ping, can only be performed through a CLI, and I do find some value in learning basic commands. This week was a great start, but I'm going to need considerable additional practice if we're going to be using CLI in earnest. My plan for tomorrow is to print out the linuxcommand.org lessons so I have them available for easy reference as we go forward.

Free Ubuntu beginner's guide on ubuntuforums.org

While perusing ubuntuforums.org today, I came across a thread entitled, "Free Beginner's Guide" in the Absolute Beginner Talk forum. The tread provides a link to a free booklet by Keir Thomas (author of Ubuntu Kung Fu) called, "Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference: A concise companion for day-to-day Ubuntu use". 92 pages of responses praised the usefulness of this book for new Ubuntu users and, as a beginner myself, I decided to follow the link to Google Book Search where the book is available for free. (http://books.google.com/books?id=kHLlJzI6L20C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false) At first glance, the book looks quite useful for beginners, and I've already saved it to my "favorites" for future reference. Chapter topics include installing, configuring, managing, and securing Ubuntu systems. For the purposes of this post, I will limit my comments to information contained in the Introduction.

The introduction provides a brief history of Linux, including the role Richard Stallman had in designing the original Free Software operating system (called GNU), and Linus Torvalds later kernel which took on the name Linux (to the displeasure of Stallman). Ubuntu is one of hundreds of Linux versions (called distributions); others include Red Hat and SUSE. As the book notes, "This variety is possible because of the freedom allowed by Free Software - anybody can take the source code and make their own version." (Thomas, 2009)

Thomas identifies 3 areas where Ubuntu excels compared to other Linux distributions. These are a focus on desktop users, ease of use, and the Ubuntu philosophy and community. While most Linux distributions can be used on desktops and servers, Ubuntu takes special care to ensure a pleasant desktop user experience. In fact, it was designed specifically to compete with the dominant Microsoft Windows operating system.

Ubuntu also strives to offer a positive philosophy and community for its users. The philosophy is centered around the idea that the source code and software is free and available for modification to all users. This is not fundamentally different from most Linux versions, however, Ubuntu has remained true to this principle where other distributions eventually included propriety programs or limited distribution. In addition, the community that supports Ubuntu (particularly through ubuntuforums.org) has remained dedicated to providing a positive desktop experience.

Ease of use is another area where Ubuntu differentiates itself from other Linux versions. In fact, Ubuntu calls itself the "Linux for human beings". Rather than being overly technical to operate, Ubuntu can be used without complete reliance on the command line interface, and is relatively easy to install and update. While still a powerful tool for the "techie" community, Ubuntu's focus on desktop functionality makes this version of Linux accessible to a more casual audience. And Ubuntu offers all the applications expected of commercial operating systems, such as word processing, web browsing, image-editing, and music playback.

Thomas' book is a great resource for the beginning Ubuntu user. I expect to consult it frequently as we begin using Ubuntu in earnest - a prospect which I find increasingly exciting the more I learn about the Linux operating system.