[ale] How useful is Raspbian for Newbie Learning Linux?

[DJ-Pfulio]

Come to the ALE-NW meeting with these questions and we can knock out 
most of them in an hour.  A few need 2 hrs alone.

The way that many of these things are normally accomplished on a 
server is different from the way that most desktop users do it.
There are some underlying different thought processes that are 
different between desktop and server users.

On 1/9/21 1:59 PM, Mark Ogilvie via Ale wrote:
> Someone asked what my specific learning goals were. In a nutshell I
> am open to whatever career opportunities a knowledge of Linux will
> provide. At present I install and service workstations and point of
> sale machines, but sometimes need to help with servers. My lack of
> Linux skills is severely limiting my ability to help customers in
> this arena. I hope that Linux on my Raspberry Pi can help me
> accomplish most of the following:
> 
> How to get access to a Linux server.

Setup networking, then use ssh.

> 
> What a Linux distribution is and which one to choose.

Not an easy answer. Needs discussion. People learn on an "easier"
distro usually, before moving to the others, if they ever move.

> 
> What software is needed to connect to Linux from Mac and Windows
> computers.

Nobody does this. ;) Use ssh, scp, sftp, rsync. Stay with standard 
tools and standard protocols.  The problem is that Windows-knowledge
is a handicap.

> What SSH is and how to use it.

ssh is how Unix systems communicate, securely. There are 50+ other 
tools that leverage ssh-based connections and an infinite number 
of uses.  Think of ssh as the swiss-army knife of system-to-system
communications.

> The file system layout of Linux systems and where to find programs,
> configurations, and documentation.

"File System Hierarchy."  Google that.  Most Unix-like OSes follow 
the same structure.

> The basic Linux commands you'll use most often.
> 
Not all that useful.  Learn what you need to know, as you need to 
know it. If you want a list of commands ... ls -l /usr/bin/

> Creating, renaming, moving, and deleting directories.

mkdir, mv.  On Unix, rename and mv are the same for obvious 
reasons.

> Listing, reading, creating, editing, copying, and deleting files.

ls, less/more, touch, pick an editor (there are 50+ of them), cp, rm
http://linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php is a no-hassle book you can buy or 
just download for free.

> Exactly how permissions work and how to decipher the most cryptic
> Linux permissions with ease.

Ah ... the meat.  You have to do the work on this. It takes sitting 
down with 3+ userids, at least 2 groups, using 3 terminals and playing
around with every possible permission setting for about 45 minutes
AFTER you work through any Unix permissions tutorial.

> How to use the nano, vi, and emacs editors.

Practice.  Nano and emacs aren't worth your time.

> Two methods to search for files and directories.

Do your own homework.  locate, find, recoll, and fgrep

> How to compare the contents of files.
Unix-like systems have 100+ different text processing tools built-in.
There are many different solutions. If you are on a server, it is 
different than being on a desktop.

Forget about detailed comparing of binary files.

> What pipes are, why they are useful, and how to use them.

See that book. BTW, Windows has supported pipes for 20+ yrs.

> How to compress files to save space and make transferring data easy.

Not really related - compression and file transfers.

> How and why to redirect input and output from applications.

Google "Art of the Command line" - there's a github page.

> How to customize your shell prompt.

If you work on lots of different systems, this isn't a good idea.

> How to be efficient at the command line by using aliases, tab
> completion, and your shell history.

Practice.

> 
> How to schedule and automate jobs using cron.

Not hard, but there are some gotchas.

> How to switch users and run processes as others.

Not hard, but there are some gotchas.

> How to find and install software.

Use the package manager. There are caveats if you leave the package 
manager. Often, in 3-6 months, non-package manager installed software
will make your system unmaintainable.  There is an order of 
preference.

IMHO.