I *love * the gerber with the pliers that slide out- very slick, and the tool in general is as good as any , really- like someone says- the newer ones have better safetey features, and the metal is a bit soft. But if I could only have one multi-tool for work, I might choose that one. (though,. for what it's worth, I have never been impressed with any 'knife' on those, and any 'specialized' tools- hex, torx whatever- are better carried seperatly...)
THAT SAID...I carry a leatherman squirt all the time ( its about the size of a zippo, so it doesn't wear a hole in the pocket, and I can even carry it when wearing slacks. When I'm working in jeans, I have a belt-mounted Schrade ( dont know the model) that is rock-solid and as good as having all the tools for real ( the needle-nose pliers are better than the equivalent snap-on model, for example). It's lasted me years, some years of *hard* use. Alongside that, I carry a Gerber Gator- (yes friends, thats a real knife), partially serrated, diamond-sharp, the handle is made of a type of rubber that wont get slippery when wet/greasy. locks hard. also well-used and a *rock*.
I also usually like to have a small one-handed pocket knife ( with the thumb stud and one handed close,) but cant find one as good as the last one I had which finally wore out.
Essential System administration is in fact still availabel, recently (2003?) updated even...and its a *great* resource, very thorough but I wouldn't recemmend it to just anyone. its very dense and dry, and it goes into pretty good detail on a lot of things.
Its real nice to point and say 'please consult the excellent documentation', but a total newbie probably doesn't even know what they are looking *for*
Teach them: File system stuff- where, how- make a new directory, find a file, check permissions - permissions- look at and change -mounting devices (start above with 'Linux sees everything as a file system'), unmounting devices, names of devices - text editors. vi, emacs, whatever. start from the gui of your choice and show them the equivalent of notepad (Kate, gedit whatever) - equivalent apps- openoffice, firefox, thunderbird whatever you use.
All this will make them comfy on the desktop. then:
-review network basics, and show them the basic utilities- how to look at and reconfigure a network connection - show them top, ps , grep, awk and df/du, DD, cp,
After that, go teach them about more specific stuff. nothing else will make much sense to a Linux newbie...philosphy and pedagogy is important, but should take a back seat unless it relates directly.
And yes, show them the docs, the forums etc, and hand them a book and show them where stuff is.
While I agree that one of the best things OSS has going for it is the passion of the developers to make code and applications that are free from constraint, I have to say that one of the greatest weaknesses is the quality of documentation available. Granted, some if it is *great* and there are more than enough sources of good advice, but STILL...it's sure be nice, and it would help *the cause* immeasurably if there were a more consistant and accessible style of documentation.
I can't code, but I can learn to use software, and I can write. Count me in.
Nice idea, but what about all the people whose names are part of thier email address? i get plenty of email everyday that includes my "name" or "nickname" in the subject line.
I disagree with the premise of your question. You seem to imply that just becasue they can't find and download linux, they won't be able to use it. I work on a camous where I support and install both windows and linux,and at worst, Linux (we happent o be using red hat) is *no harder* than windows to learn, if it is installed correctly to start with : most students don't even notice the difference.
Now its likely that with a 'smaller' or 'older ' distro, there might be more difficulties, especially if you can't get a gui going for whatever reason, or don't have programs that will run in that space of memory: but it is *not* a learning curve issue.
And frankly, 1) giving away PCs and 2) enthusiastically advocating Linux means you are committing yourself to at least *some* user education and support. (would you give a car to someone who didn't know how to drive?)
What bothers me most about this 'discussion' and others like it, is that it seems anxious to place blame on one 'side' or the other. it's not *US* vs *them*, really at all, and this kind of thing only makes the argument louder.
that said...the article seems to imply that it is on the 'techies' to adjust thier point of view, which is pure, pandering, horseshit. Why *shouldn't* perfectly (otherwise) competent adults be expected to learn a bit now and then, and adjust to new technology?
Anyway- if the new stuff sucks, blame the people who picked it out, and insisted on it, and bought it, rather then getting all catty with the poor schmuks who have to make it work and teach 'users' how it works.
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I *love * the gerber with the pliers that slide out- very slick, and the tool in general is as good as any , really- like someone says- the newer ones have better safetey features, and the metal is a bit soft. But if I could only have one multi-tool for work, I might choose that one. (though,. for what it's worth, I have never been impressed with any 'knife' on those, and any 'specialized' tools- hex, torx whatever- are better carried seperatly...)
THAT SAID...I carry a leatherman squirt all the time ( its about the size of a zippo, so it doesn't wear a hole in the pocket, and I can even carry it when wearing slacks. When I'm working in jeans, I have a belt-mounted Schrade ( dont know the model) that is rock-solid and as good as having all the tools for real ( the needle-nose pliers are better than the equivalent snap-on model, for example). It's lasted me years, some years of *hard* use. Alongside that, I carry a Gerber Gator- (yes friends, thats a real knife), partially serrated, diamond-sharp, the handle is made of a type of rubber that wont get slippery when wet/greasy. locks hard. also well-used and a *rock*.
I also usually like to have a small one-handed pocket knife ( with the thumb stud and one handed close,) but cant find one as good as the last one I had which finally wore out.
fwiw...
HERE'S a GREAT one:
Treat your IT employees as professionals, with respect and humanity, rather than like retarded step children. Who need to be 'shown the way'.
Bonehead.
Essential System administration is in fact still availabel, recently (2003?) updated even...and its a *great* resource, very thorough but I wouldn't recemmend it to just anyone. its very dense and dry, and it goes into pretty good detail on a lot of things.
S
Its real nice to point and say 'please consult the excellent documentation', but a total newbie probably doesn't even know what they are looking *for*
Teach them:
File system stuff- where, how- make a new directory, find a file, check permissions
- permissions- look at and change
-mounting devices (start above with 'Linux sees everything as a file system'), unmounting devices, names of devices
- text editors. vi, emacs, whatever. start from the gui of your choice and show them the equivalent of notepad (Kate, gedit whatever)
- equivalent apps- openoffice, firefox, thunderbird whatever you use.
All this will make them comfy on the desktop. then:
-review network basics, and show them the basic utilities- how to look at and reconfigure a network connection
- show them top, ps , grep, awk and df/du, DD, cp,
After that, go teach them about more specific stuff. nothing else will make much sense to a Linux newbie...philosphy and pedagogy is important, but should take a back seat unless it relates directly.
And yes, show them the docs, the forums etc, and hand them a book and show them where stuff is.
'RTFM' is just rude and arrogant.
While I agree that one of the best things OSS has going for it is the passion of the developers to make code and applications that are free from constraint, I have to say that one of the greatest weaknesses is the quality of documentation available. Granted, some if it is *great* and there are more than enough sources of good advice, but STILL...it's sure be nice, and it would help *the cause* immeasurably if there were a more consistant and accessible style of documentation.
I can't code, but I can learn to use software, and I can write. Count me in.
Nice idea, but what about all the people whose names are part of thier email address? i get plenty of email everyday that includes my "name" or "nickname" in the subject line.
I disagree with the premise of your question. You seem to imply that just becasue they can't find and download linux, they won't be able to use it. I work on a camous where I support and install both windows and linux,and at worst, Linux (we happent o be using red hat) is *no harder* than windows to learn, if it is installed correctly to start with : most students don't even notice the difference.
Now its likely that with a 'smaller' or 'older ' distro, there might be more difficulties, especially if you can't get a gui going for whatever reason, or don't have programs that will run in that space of memory: but it is *not* a learning curve issue.
And frankly, 1) giving away PCs and 2) enthusiastically advocating Linux means you are committing yourself to at least *some* user education and support. (would you give a car to someone who didn't know how to drive?)
What bothers me most about this 'discussion' and others like it, is that it seems anxious to place blame on one 'side' or the other. it's not *US* vs *them*, really at all, and this kind of thing only makes the argument louder.
that said...the article seems to imply that it is on the 'techies' to adjust thier point of view, which is pure, pandering, horseshit. Why *shouldn't* perfectly (otherwise) competent adults be expected to learn a bit now and then, and adjust to new technology?
Anyway- if the new stuff sucks, blame the people who picked it out, and insisted on it, and bought it, rather then getting all catty with the poor schmuks who have to make it work and teach 'users' how it works.
pffffttt.