[ubuntu-users] Useful commands for new UNIX users

[Stephen R Laniel]

On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 03:58:19PM -0500, Adam Fletcher wrote:
> I think a few one line scripts might be nice as well, like perl
> scripts to do in place replacement.
> 
> The goal is help new UNIX users become so comfortable with the command
> line that they use it preferentially.

I've taught UNIX classes before.
One strategy that's worked for me is
to start with a particular task that
the people in the room find useful;
something Apache-centered is good, I
find, though it depends on what the
people in the room need to do.

If you're trying to get people
comfortable at the command line, and
they're not already, I find it's a
mistake to hit them with too many
command-line tools at once. Provide
them with the tools as they become
necessary or useful: "Now here we need
to replace text across a few thousand
files, so let me teach you about
sed...".

Finally, I think moving away from
shell-scripting as fast as possible is
the way to go. Perl or Python should
be the goal, if it fits with the
audience's abilities.

-- 
Stephen R. Laniel
ITA Software
141 Portland St, 7th Fl
Cambridge MA 02139
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