Steps to Linux Wizardry: Braving the Murky Depths of the Terminal, Part 1

For many beginning Linux users, Mint or otherwise, the Terminal is an intimidating question mark which hearkens back to days of old when most regular people only knew of mice which were pests, not input devices. Although its way of working may seem antiquated in comparison to the shiny graphical interfaces sported by PCs today, it is by no means worthy of the trash can. In fact, present day Linux and UNIX system administrators would mutiny if forced to work without it. Much like a magic wand, a beginner must learn a few basics before any wizardry can begin and the incantations resemble gibberish to the unlearned and a unique language to the master. Today we will begin a series of articles dedicated to learning the basics of the Terminal program.

Sliding into Linux: Easing the Transition

One of the first articles written for Day-to-Day Linux was about how hard it is to change operating systems. For example, my own first experiences with Ubuntu years ago were quite frustrating. Sometimes the best kind of support is a friend, neighbor, or coworker. Effectively striking out on my own, all I had was me. As much as the community is helpful and there are many, many tutorials and HOWTOs online, it didn't make day-to-day use any easier. Even after I decided to take the plunge and make it the main operating system in my household, I still had plenty to learn. For a beginner, Ubuntu would have been a non-starter, even before the desktop overhaul that is Unity.

Even though there will be challenges and obstacles for someone making the transition from Windows, there are plenty of ways to make the learning curve much more gentle.

What's Open Source? Should I Care? Why?

If you've been reading or watching the news at all in the last six months, you have undoubtedly come across news stories about Edward Snowden and how he leaked classified documents to which he had access while working for the National Security Agency (NSA). Since that time, there people have taken a great interest in what the NSA does and how it does it. If the thought of complete strangers snooping into your business disturbs you, you are not alone, especially when espionage and shades of truth are the meat and potatoes of the particular branch of the U.S. government. It also means that open source software has become much more necessary for computer security.

Culture Shock: Changing Operating Systems is Hard

One thing that I hear from some of my technical friends is that their operating system of choice is 'so easy' or 'so much better' over some other one which is trash. I've heard it said that OSes are like religions, but I disagree. I would say that they are like different countries.

How is an OS like one of the nations of the world? Think about it for a moment. If you have ever visited another country, you have noticed that there are both cultural similarities and differences when compared to your own. Culture is a way of life. Even people from countries which have views diametrically opposed to each other can find something in common. For example, we all eat. Family is important. There are times for both work and recreation. The differences lie in the details. Comparing operating systems should be done the same way.