Books

[Scott Blair]

Thanks for the update. I want to learn how to program. I use to know 
basic, Basic and Visual Basic. I had two traumatic brain injuries in the 
Marine Corps and for some reason, I can not retain programming, heck I 
can't even remember my left from right since. But I can still code HTML 
off the top of my head with no problem, go figure. The good books are 
usually the expensive ones.

On 11/23/2015 01:14 PM, Kenneth Marcy wrote:
> Yes, I am replying to my own message, and top-posting to warn about it.
>
> On 11/23/2015 1:41 AM, Kenneth Marcy wrote:
>> On 11/22/2015 6:34 PM, Scott Blair wrote:
>>> <[snip]>
>>
>> Mark G. Sobell is the author of several Linux books, the first of 
>> which to read is the latest edition of "A Practical Guide to Linux 
>> Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming."  Concurrently, you may 
>> wish to peruse one of several books with pink covers published by 
>> O'Reilly Press about classic shell scripting and the bash shell, 
>> which are a good part of "be[ing] really good at the terminal."
>>
>> The Bourne again shell, or bash, not only is a way to interact with 
>> Linux, it is also facility for a specific type of programming called 
>> scripting.  As your experience with, and knowledge of, Linux grow, 
>> the usefulness of scripting will become more clear, and so will the 
>> utility of other scripting languages, such as Perl and Python. 
>> O'Reilly has more pink-covered books about Python (start with the 
>> long one by Mark Lutz), and several aqua-covered ones about Perl 
>> (start with Programming Perl, 3rd edition, by Larry Wall and Randal 
>> L. Schwartz.  It has a camel on its cover).
>
> After reading my own message this morning, I see that I did not 
> include the title of Mark Lutz's long book, Learning Python, the fifth 
> edition of which has 1,600 pages.  Another learning title, Learning 
> Perl, by Randal L. Schwartz, Tom Phoenix, and brian d foy has a modest 
> 390 pages in its 6th edition.  Programming Perl, mentioned above, is 
> now in its 4th edition, with 1,184 pages.  As you may imagine, these 
> books are re-edited as the languages change, so they grow together 
> symbiotically.
>
>> Perl and Python are each large subject matters themselves, not only 
>> as languages for scripting, but as general programming languages. 
>> These topics rather removed from beginning Linux system 
>> administration, yet they are right at your finger tips, and can be 
>> quite useful as you learn about them.  Likewise with the C 
>> programming language, in which the Linux kernel, and much open source 
>> software, is written.  The second edition of Kernighan and Ritchie's 
>> book, The C Programming Language, is a definite recommendation for 
>> your computing bookshelf.
>
> A longer (832 pages) introduction to C programming that is more 
> meticulous about building up examples to illustrate the details of the 
> language is C Programming, A Modern Approach, 2nd edition, by K. N. 
> King.  This is a college student textbook, and is priced like one, but 
> it does offer a wealth of material if you are willing to spend some 
> time working through it.
>
>> Learning to program is another world, yet it is right where you are.  
>> The multitude of programming resources includes MIT OpenCourseWare, 
>> with lots of introductory python and computer science instruction 
>> using python online for extended viewing. Course 6.00SC is a good start.
>
> Despite the impression you might be receiving, I'm not trying to sell 
> expensive books here.  There is a lot of good technical information 
> online, with Wikipedia being a focal point of, and a pivot point to, 
> quite a bit of it.  Sometimes, though, the organization of a good book 
> is worth its price.
>
>> Returning from the easy-to-make diversion into learning programming 
>> to books for Linux learners, after a book or two by Sobell, another 
>> classic is Unix and Linux System Administration Handbook, fourth 
>> edition, by Nemeth, Snyder, Hein, and Whaley.  This volume starts 
>> with shell scripting and goes deep into the operating system and how 
>> it interacts with its environment.  Not light reading, but an 
>> authoritative reference.
>>
>>
>> Ken
>
>

-- 
Thanks,

Scott Blair

USMC Defending your freedoms since 10 November 1775

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