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It's amazing how brutal most programming tools are to install. I feel like I am alone amongst all the people I know in being the only one who doesn't have a clu

It's amazing how brutal most programming tools are to install. I feel like I am alone amongst all the people I know in being the only one who doesn't have a clue about *nix's underpinnings, about what /etc/local is for, and so on. I feel like a charlatan some days. On the other hand... I certainly can tell you if your "how to install" instructions are actually any good for reaching new programmers.

jeebusroxors 16y ago
Just because you used it as an example here are a few quick resources to help understand filesystem layouts a bit better. A real quick overview: * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard More in depth: * http://www.pathname.com/fhs/ http://www.pathname.com/fhs/
- rhizome 16y ago
  I prefer "man hier" at the command line. Much more succinct than either of those: e.g. http://linux.die.net/man/7/hier http://linux.die.net/man/7/hier
  - frou_dh 16y ago
    Cool! "TIL", as they say on reddit.
    - tav 16y ago
      For non-redditers, TIL stands for "Today I Learned". http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/ http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/
  - SkyMarshal 16y ago
    Agreed, and man hier is always there if you forget something, don't have to go track it down on the web. However, I found these useful too when I was learning it. Sometimes it just helps to read different explanations of the same thing till it sticks: http://linuxcommand.org/lts0040.php http://linuxcommand.org/lts0040.php http://rute.2038bug.com/node20.html.gz http://rute.2038bug.com/node20.html.gz
jules 16y ago
I feel the same. If you're lucky programs come with a readme.txt that explains the steps required to install it. Why the heck didn't they code that in shell script instead of english? It practically doubles the value of the software.
pjscott 16y ago
I used to not know that stuff. Then I installed Gentoo Linux, and was forced to learn it the hard way. I don't use Gentoo anymore, but installing it was like a crash course in how to get uncooperative Linux software to bend to my will. This was years ago, so maybe Gentoo has become more user-friendly since then.
alnayyir 16y ago
You're relentlessly modest. Do you know C or would be interested in learning it?
- raganwald 16y ago
  I used Lightspeed C many years ago to write a plugin for Aldus PageMaker. I later used C++ to make Jprobe Threadalyzer, but the experience was very different. So honestly, I do not think I know C in any non- trivial sense.
  - alnayyir 16y ago
    Would you be interested in being a test subject for a C book?

jeebusroxors 16y ago

Just because you used it as an example here are a few quick resources to help understand filesystem layouts a bit better. A real quick overview: * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard More in depth: * http://www.pathname.com/fhs/ http://www.pathname.com/fhs/

rhizome 16y ago
I prefer "man hier" at the command line. Much more succinct than either of those: e.g. http://linux.die.net/man/7/hier http://linux.die.net/man/7/hier
- frou_dh 16y ago
  Cool! "TIL", as they say on reddit.
  - tav 16y ago
    For non-redditers, TIL stands for "Today I Learned". http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/ http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/
- SkyMarshal 16y ago
  Agreed, and man hier is always there if you forget something, don't have to go track it down on the web. However, I found these useful too when I was learning it. Sometimes it just helps to read different explanations of the same thing till it sticks: http://linuxcommand.org/lts0040.php http://linuxcommand.org/lts0040.php http://rute.2038bug.com/node20.html.gz http://rute.2038bug.com/node20.html.gz

jules 16y ago

I feel the same. If you're lucky programs come with a readme.txt that explains the steps required to install it. Why the heck didn't they code that in shell script instead of english? It practically doubles the value of the software.

pjscott 16y ago

I used to not know that stuff. Then I installed Gentoo Linux, and was forced to learn it the hard way. I don't use Gentoo anymore, but installing it was like a crash course in how to get uncooperative Linux software to bend to my will. This was years ago, so maybe Gentoo has become more user-friendly since then.

alnayyir 16y ago

You're relentlessly modest. Do you know C or would be interested in learning it?

raganwald 16y ago
I used Lightspeed C many years ago to write a plugin for Aldus PageMaker. I later used C++ to make Jprobe Threadalyzer, but the experience was very different. So honestly, I do not think I know C in any non- trivial sense.
- alnayyir 16y ago
  Would you be interested in being a test subject for a C book?