Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 10:07:28 +1000 From: Sue Blake <sue@welearn.com.au> To: "James Akiba (from laptop)" <jim@giganet.net> Cc: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: first commands and stuff Message-ID: <19981006100727.44412@welearn.com.au> In-Reply-To: <3.0.5.32.19981006012131.007bde90@pop.giganet.net>; from James Akiba (from laptop) on Tue, Oct 06, 1998 at 01:21:31AM %2B0900 References: <Pine.LNX.3.96.981005133118.5157C-100000@fire.dreams.eu.org> <19981005112935.P2545@freebie.lemis.com> <Pine.LNX.3.96.981005133118.5157C-100000@fire.dreams.eu.org> <19981005224849.Q27781@freebie.lemis.com> <3.0.5.32.19981006012131.007bde90@pop.giganet.net>
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On Tue, Oct 06, 1998 at 01:21:31AM +0900, James Akiba (from laptop) wrote: > >On Monday, 5 October 1998 at 13:39:22 +0300, Viljo Hakala wrote: > >>>> Haha, I've been using FreeBSD for a month now and I still havent used all > >>>> of those commands :-). > >>> > >>> I've been using UNIX for 12 years now, and I still haven't used all > >>> the commands. Isn't it nice to have a system that you don't grow out > >>> of? > >> > >> That's sad from one point of a view. > > I really think that this was poorly phrased unless it was intended as an > attack, I will hope that it wasn't since I think none of us subscribe to > this listserv to listen to anyone attack others, or simply boast about > their own abilities (whatever they should be) > > ENOUGH of that... in regards to some of the command suggestions brought > up... as I understand it (being a week old newbie as I am) UNIX gurus > wouldn't be caught dead using an editor like ee (with it's *gasp* menus > etc.) All of the guys here at work use vi... and as they try to help me > (like when I was building my first custom kernel) they would always open up > vi and start FLYING through things.... lines would literally disappear, > reappear, the cursor would jump around the screen like a bee on crack... > and when the flurry was over... I would have no clue what I just saw, and > would be too embarrased to ask... They say: "wakkata?" ... I say: "Uh... > oh... yeah... thanks..." So what do you folks think... is it worth it to > learn vi over ee? Is it much more powerful or flexible than say ee? Pssst... secretly learn ed, pick up a bit of speed, and then dazzle them back :-) I wrote an article on the reasons for selecting different editors in this month's Daemon News http://www.daemonnews.org/ which includes some comments on ee plus enough about ed to get you started if you're keen to get your own back at work. > >Much of this material is already covered quite nicely in Greg's book. > >Why do we need to create more documentation that won't be read? I > >guess it may get read because it will be free (poor Greg, his royalties > >may fall off). > > Speaking for myself, I am really glad to see this start... I am working in > Japan, and the price of the book is... I am sure... high (if available > without having to order from an int'l store)... any help I can get for free > and online is greatly appreciated! Besides there is something about helping > people you don't know, I get alot out of it(in regards to my areas NOT > freeBSD hehe) ... can't pinpoint it, but it is one of my favorite parts of > being "online" :) And if I find Greg's book and it won't deprive me of my > next meal or rent money I'll be sure to pick it up... BTW could someone > with the book give me any details (ISBN# publisher, etc) There's a link to its details on the newbies page http://www.freebsd.org/projects/newbies.html Yes it's probably more expensive if you're not in the USA, but well worth it. Regarding documentation in general, it is possible to duplicate topics without duplicating effort. Documents in different locations or for different purposes have different styles, and some styles suit some people better than others. It's a real shame if two people are working on the same thing at the same time, so we use freebsd-doc to check what's going on and either team up or select something else. That way we get best coverage of topics in the Handbook etc. There are parts of Greg's book that I found either easier or more difficult to understand than other documentation such as the on line tutorials. In all cases I've informed the authors of where I got lost and suggested how it could be improved for my brain angle, and in each case they have been *very* grateful. Nobody seems to mind in the slightest that there are alternatives around either. I'm writing some documentation, preparing a package for newbies to use right after installation, and looking at ways to provide something more accessible than man pages possibly by extending that psh thing that Mike Smith told us about. You won't see any of this for a couple of months, but it's happening slowly. I have received so much help from so many individuals and project teams that I want to be able to give something back to them all, especially the Documentation Project, so that others who benefit might be inspired to contribute too. Not everyone feels this way, and that's OK. We all do what we want to and if people happen to like it, that's great. > PS what the heck is "nethack"? I have no man pages for it... sounds great > anyways... hehe Sorry, I only put it in there for a joke, to see if anyone was reading, and to keep David Wolfskill happy :-) -- Regards, -*Sue*- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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