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7.1 KiB
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141 lines
7.1 KiB
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
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<HEAD>
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<title>Linux: For Programmers Only--NOT! Issue 19</title>
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<H4>
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"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
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<P> <HR> <P>
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<center>
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<H2>Linux: For Programmer Only--NOT!</H2>
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<H4>By Mike List,
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<a href="mailto:troll@net-link.net">troll@net-line.net</a></H4>
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</center>
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<P><HR>
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<p>A couple of weeks ago, I was in a computer repair shop, trying to get a
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deal on some hardware. The owner was trying to sell me on how cool Win95 is. I told
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him I run Linux, then gave him the same hard/soft sell I give to every
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one that I think might have use for Linux. I'm just a glutton for
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punishment that way. He looked at me blankly, and said Unix is a
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programmer's OS and it's not good for the average user. My turn to look
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blankly, "Apparently that means that MS is an illiterate's OS, and not
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good for the educated user". I didn't say that but I thought it
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very loudly, and the conversation was over....
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<p>I should have been more understanding of his attitude. Part of the reason
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that Linux hasn't become more mainstream is the belief that you must be a
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highly trained programmer to make it run. That simply isn't the case.
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<p>I hope to dispel some of this notion by pointing out my personal
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experience with Linux. I am not a programmer, I can barely write a good
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shell script, but I am happy as a clam with my Slackware 3.2 beta
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installation and only very infrequently boot to the DOS/WFWG 3.11
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partition.
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<p>Programming consists of writing code and compiling it, and
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very little of this is required to effectively use Linux. Although many
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applications are distributed as source code, the source code in most cases
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require very little modification. Compiling source code, moreover is not
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as complicated as it might seem. One command, "make" can usually
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accomplish this compilation and the advice to inspect MakeFiles can
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largely be ignored(I probably should be horsewhipped for the previous
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statement, but in my experience it's nonetheless true.).
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There is no doubt that the Linux experience is enhanced by programming
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ability. Linux does lend itself to source code modification, which is part
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of the reason that its development and bug fixes have been so rapid, and
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continuous improvement has been the hallmark of Linux, as well as the
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whole of the GNU organization.
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<p>It might be closer to the truth to consider Linux a hacker's medium,
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simply because "hacker" means different things to different people.I do
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not consider myself a hacker, although several MS Windows users have
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described me that way. "Hacker", "cracker" and "programmer" are, in my
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opinion often erroneously used as synonyms, by people who haven't acquired
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computer skills beyond user level.
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<p>This myth is probably furthered by manufacturers of the more well known
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OS, although not necessarily deliberately. Salesmanship requires
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manipulation of certain facts, and in the case of OS software, this is
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even more likely to be the case. FACT: There is no perfect OS. FACT:
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Proponents of any OS tend to misplace that fact, even Linux advocates.
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<p>In my own family there exists a conflict of opinion regarding WFWG 3.11
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vs. Linux, which in time is growing weaker, with Linux becoming more
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acceptable to my wife and kids(I have admittedly used subversive
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techniques to accomplish this goal, such as leaving the computer on all
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the time, in X). In addition, I made sure to download programs that were
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similar to ones used by my kids in WFWG, such as xpaint, and Netscape, as
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well as several games, both SVGALIB, and X. Koules is a big favorite, as
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is SASTEROIDS, and some while ago I had a flight sim, FLY8111, that was a
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litle too challenging so it quietly disappeared. I have put the BSD text
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based games on as an inducement to get my 15 year old foster son to read
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with some enthusiasm, with moderate success. All I have to do now is find
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a word processing application that my wife will accept readily, and I'll
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experience little resistance, hopefully to commandeering the drive that's
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currently loaded with DOS and WFWG.When I recompiled the kernel, I added
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sound support, and even though I've had a little trouble installing a
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sound playing program, the kids and I still make use of a pair of
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extremely basic scripts based on the drivers README that allow us to
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record and playback music. My sound card is an old eight bit SoundBlaster
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so the sound quality isn't great, but I used it to rehearse the song I
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sang at my oldest daughter's wedding, to good effect.
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<p>Earlier, I stated that I'm not really capable of writing a decent shell
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script, but very simple scripts similar to DOS batch files can be written
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by nearly anyone, and examples of scripts abound on many sites, so
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keystroke saving measures are available to any one who cares to try their
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hand at it. The Linux Gazette, in particular has provided me with plenty
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of template like scripts from which I have learned what little I know
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about more advanced scripting.
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<p>Linux advocates need, in my opinion to show patience with new users to a
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greater degree than is currently the fashion. Banter among the initiated
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has camaraderie value, but often puts off the prospective Linux convert.
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When I was investigating Linux, I was told by one respondent to my usenet
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posting "Do not meddle in the ways of wizards for their ways are subtle
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and quick to anger." Hardly an encouraging statement, but with my
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temperament it served to strengthen my resolve to show the SOB. I daresay
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most casual computer users would not respond as I did, however.
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<p>For the advancement of Linux I would recommend that you (Linux gurus)
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choke on RTFM, unless you're sure that the person you are talking to has
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acquired the skills needed to effectively read those FMs. My experience
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has shown me that Linux distributions are almost as plug and play as
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anything MS, IBM, Apple or anyone else has to offer. This provides a
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jumping off point that will motivate users to learn skills that they
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previously thought to be beyond them. By drawing them into Linux operation
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slowly, they may become capable programmers, at which point they will have
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made it their OS. A programmer's OS.
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<!--===================================================================-->
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<P> <hr> <P>
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<center><H5>Copyright © 1997, Mike List<BR>
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Published in Issue 19 of the Linux Gazette, July 1997</H5></center>
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