From owner-freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Dec 21 01:32:14 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D222B16A4CF for ; Tue, 21 Dec 2004 01:32:13 +0000 (GMT) Received: from sccimhc92.asp.att.net (sccimhc92.asp.att.net [63.240.76.166]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6AF6F43D1D for ; Tue, 21 Dec 2004 01:32:13 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from freebsd@nbritton.org) Received: from [192.168.1.10] (12-223-129-46.client.insightbb.com[12.223.129.46]) by sccimhc92.asp.att.net (sccimhc92) with ESMTP id <20041221013208i92002af5qe>; Tue, 21 Dec 2004 01:32:12 +0000 Message-ID: <41C77D17.8030609@nbritton.org> Date: Mon, 20 Dec 2004 19:32:07 -0600 From: Nikolas Britton User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 (X11/20041219) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Joaquin Menchaca References: <51428.192.168.1.1.1103328273.squirrel@mail.th-allisons.us> <41C38330.5060409@nbritton.org> <200412171830.32072.krinklyfig@spymac.com> <41C70AFD.9000609@finnovative.net> In-Reply-To: <41C70AFD.9000609@finnovative.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit cc: mark@the-allisons.us cc: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org Subject: Re: System Administration (Formally Webmin) X-BeenThere: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Gathering place for new users List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 01:32:14 -0000 Joaquin Menchaca wrote: > Hey can I jump in. :-) I am totally of the faith that one should > learn the command line way. However, there's nothing like a graphical > interface that can bring many concepts together, as well as expose the > user to new concepts. I am a right-side thinker (er or was that left > side), and I understand things visually and abstractually. I started > on Mac OS 6 (System 6), migrated to Windows platforms, and now I am a > big time advocate of open source and love UNIX. :-) > I couldn't have gotten here if it wasn't for the GUIs (some good some > bad) that exposed me to many concepts. Once, I know the concept(s) > and I merely ask, How do I do that on platform X... > > I hope that there can always be the best of both worlds, both a great > UI, but excellent under-the-hood configuration through text config files. > I agree that gui's can be great (phpMyAdmin, for example), but for (UNIX) system administration (what Webmin is mainly for) you REALLY need to learn it the hard way first, heck just to setup Webmin (and others; Samba, Apache, PostgreSQL, MySQL, OpenLDAP, PHP, etc.) you need to have at least basic system administration skill's. * The commands "whatis" and "man" are essential, learn them! * UNIX is like your toolbox, your toolbox may have; screw drivers, hammers, drills, drill bits, pliers, saws, tape measures, wrenchs, ratchets, and sockets, every tool has it's purpose and does it well. You use these tools together to do whatever needs to be done, this is the underlying philosophy of UNIX (as opposed to windows do everything (and nothing well) gizmos), we use "redirectors", "pipes" and scripts to get the hammer to pound the nail in. With the right tools in your toolbox you can do anything! If you need help (and can read) these books WILL help you!!!: Absolute BSD: Author: Michael Lucas, Jordan Hubbard (foreword) Publisher: No Starch ISBN: 1886411743 The Complete FreeBSD, 4th Edition: Author: Greg Lehey Publisher: O'Reilly ISBN: 0596005164 Unix Power Tools, 3rd Edition: Author: Shelley Powers, Jerry Peek, Tim O'Reilly, Mike Loukides, and many others Publisher: O'Reilly ISBN: 0596003307 UNIX System Administration Handbook, 3rd Edition: Author: Evi Nemeth, Garth Snyder, Scott Seebass, Trent R. Hein Publisher: Prentice Hall PTR ISBN: 0130206016 ------------------------------------------------ These online resouces WILL help as well: The FreeBSD Handbook: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/index.html UNIX Tutorial for Beginners: http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Teaching/Unix/index.html Introduction to Unix (Ohio State University): http://wks.uts.ohio-state.edu/unix_course/unix.html Picking Up Perl (this 60 page mini book is all meat getting right to the point!, if you want to learn Perl (essential to unix administration) read it!!!): http://www.ebb.org/PickingUpPerl/