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Introduction to Linux, Free Course from the Linux Foundation

122 points by slam3s 11y ago

beforelight 11y ago
Definitely a good start for users looking to switch over from Windows
dhawalhs 11y ago
Direct Link to the edX course: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-linux-linuxfoundationx-lfs101x-2 https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-linux-linuxfoundatio...
- wutx3 11y ago
  Thanks!
pnt12 11y ago
I'm taking it as a cheap form of certification. Pretty good for new users overall, intermediate users may learn from a chapter or two.
amirmansour 11y ago
Despite being a proficient Linux user, I will still go through the course videos, because I'm sure it will be fun to see how Torvalds would teach such a topic.
- octref 11y ago
  The instructor is not Linus.
- wyclif 11y ago
  Linus only endorses the course, but he doesn't teach any of the content.
  - amirmansour 11y ago
    Ya I quickly noticed after the first couple of videos!
ericmo 11y ago
Is there something new about it? The course has been in edx for quite some time.
- blfr 11y ago
  I don't know what changed exactly but it's a second edition of this course.
- jestinjoy1 11y ago
  Nothing changed. Even they have the same questions at the end
  - JohnnyDevine 11y ago
    Is it worth doing as a non beginners course, ie I have 'some' Linux knowledge, but would like to improve it?
dmix 11y ago
Here is the list of subjects once you enroll (2 images): https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#1 https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#1 https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#2 https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#2
- sandworm 11y ago
  Chapter 01: The linux Foundation Chapter 02: Linux Philosophy and Concepts Yup, another linux course that starts with a lesson in IP law. "Windows for dummies" doesn't start with an hour on Microsoft's corporate structure. It's software. The students want to learn how to use it properly. So teach that first. Leave the politics of f/oss for after they are already addicted. I've seen more than a couple of these courses use the first lessons as a "it's free, so expect rough edges" speech. Again, Windows courses never start by explaining why it might have bugs. Linux works. Linux works well. You don't need to open with excuses.
  - weland 11y ago
    I, for one, cannot remember any training, workshop or course that didn't have at least half an hour of obvious, blatant corporate agenda crap and here's-why-you-don't-need-any-technology-other-than-this-one. Some of them subtly painted, but generally that. In time, I simply stopped attending any. Whenever my employer needs me to learn something new, I end up suggesting buying me two books on the subject and letting me take three days off to study them. Cheaper and far more efficient. I don't know what they're covering in the chapter about the Linux foundation, but the second chapter sounds extremely useful to me. A lot of people who come from a Windows or often an OS X background don't really grok: * That you can -- and should -- chain program together, not rely on the feature set of a single one * That, when in doubt, you can look at the source of the program if you can read it * That there are other release models at work other than "One major version ever X years and $osnameUpdate in between", and you need to know what you can expect from each * That the kernel and various bits of userspace are separately developed and packaged, which has repercussions over what practical systems look like.
    - deleted 11y ago
lobo_tuerto 11y ago
Here is a link that might be a good companion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3099527 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3099527
thclark 11y ago
Courses like these and SO makes John a happy man!
plongeur 11y ago
I began the course last time it was offered on edX. And I didn't like this course at all. In my opinion it was pretty inefficient with regards to presentation of information, motivation of students, integration and realization of interactive lessons. And that struck me as surprising given how often they emphasize how much experience they have with teaching. I took multiple edX and coursera classes from Alpha to Omega and this was one of the worst. If you want to learn Linux - it's actually really simple: 1. Install Ubuntu (really easy) 2. IF you have a problem THEN Google it END
- xtrumanx 11y ago
  I think that's terrible advice for learning Linux since most people learning Linux are hoping to learn to use the shell and the programs accessible only via command line. I tried learning Linux since the mid-2000s and failed every time up until recently. I even followed your advice to the letter. I would install Ubuntu and just played with the default apps and tried downloading some other stuff but quickly got bored because I wasn't learning anything and I wasn't doing anything productive on it. Everything I learned I learned in the first day of two of usage. It was that simple. I would always end up booting back into Windows regularly and reclaiming the disk space when I needed it. Then I'd repeat the process a year later. I finally actually started to get Linux around early 2013 when I decided to try learning again but this time I had something useful to use it for: programming. I've been programming on Windows and wanted to try building software on Linux. Now I had a need to learn my way around bash and all the utilities found within it. I've also taken Intro to Linux course when it was offered on edX last year and although I can't say it was the greatest course I've ever taken it definitely would have helped me out a ton when I started using Ubuntu for my programming. In fact, it is the best resource I've come across for learning Linux a beginner can find simply because it gives you a good idea of what working with Linux is like for a variety of perspectives. It's got a bit talking about working with text editors (both gui and cli based), a bit talking about users and groups, chapters covering the basics super-useful utilities like grep that you really ought to know exists. My favorite thing I learned from the course was the `apropos` utility which searches the man pages. One of the worst problems I've had with Linux was remembering the name of some program that did something useful. Now I can just type `apropos pdf` to find a brief description of all programs that have the word pdf in their man page description. Super useful when your searching for that pdf file splitter or merger you used a blue moon ago but can't remember its name. In fact, I don't think I've ever bothered with man pages up until I've taken this course. Now I do a whole lot less Googling and more fending for myself. Sorry, this went on for too long but I think my point is clear; you're probably not going to learn much if you just install Ubuntu and this course (in my opinion) has incredible value for a beginner.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
jokoon 11y ago
I'd prefer a course about kernel programming. I mean how much material can you write about device management, memory management, executing a program, writing a driver, etc ?
TheAppGuy 11y ago
A trusted course from the Linux Foundation

122 points by slam3s 11y ago

Definitely a good start for users looking to switch over from Windows

Direct Link to the edX course: https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-linux-linuxfoundationx-lfs101x-2 https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-linux-linuxfoundatio...

wutx3 11y ago
Thanks!

pnt12 11y ago

I'm taking it as a cheap form of certification. Pretty good for new users overall, intermediate users may learn from a chapter or two.

amirmansour 11y ago

Despite being a proficient Linux user, I will still go through the course videos, because I'm sure it will be fun to see how Torvalds would teach such a topic.

octref 11y ago
The instructor is not Linus.
wyclif 11y ago
Linus only endorses the course, but he doesn't teach any of the content.
- amirmansour 11y ago
  Ya I quickly noticed after the first couple of videos!

ericmo 11y ago

Is there something new about it? The course has been in edx for quite some time.

blfr 11y ago
I don't know what changed exactly but it's a second edition of this course.
jestinjoy1 11y ago
Nothing changed. Even they have the same questions at the end
- JohnnyDevine 11y ago
  Is it worth doing as a non beginners course, ie I have 'some' Linux knowledge, but would like to improve it?

dmix 11y ago

Here is the list of subjects once you enroll (2 images): https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#1 https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#1 https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#2 https://imgur.com/mU22za9,LzGtJUa#2

sandworm 11y ago
Chapter 01: The linux Foundation Chapter 02: Linux Philosophy and Concepts Yup, another linux course that starts with a lesson in IP law. "Windows for dummies" doesn't start with an hour on Microsoft's corporate structure. It's software. The students want to learn how to use it properly. So teach that first. Leave the politics of f/oss for after they are already addicted. I've seen more than a couple of these courses use the first lessons as a "it's free, so expect rough edges" speech. Again, Windows courses never start by explaining why it might have bugs. Linux works. Linux works well. You don't need to open with excuses.
- weland 11y ago
  I, for one, cannot remember any training, workshop or course that didn't have at least half an hour of obvious, blatant corporate agenda crap and here's-why-you-don't-need-any-technology-other-than-this-one. Some of them subtly painted, but generally that. In time, I simply stopped attending any. Whenever my employer needs me to learn something new, I end up suggesting buying me two books on the subject and letting me take three days off to study them. Cheaper and far more efficient. I don't know what they're covering in the chapter about the Linux foundation, but the second chapter sounds extremely useful to me. A lot of people who come from a Windows or often an OS X background don't really grok: * That you can -- and should -- chain program together, not rely on the feature set of a single one * That, when in doubt, you can look at the source of the program if you can read it * That there are other release models at work other than "One major version ever X years and $osnameUpdate in between", and you need to know what you can expect from each * That the kernel and various bits of userspace are separately developed and packaged, which has repercussions over what practical systems look like.
  - deleted 11y ago

lobo_tuerto 11y ago

Here is a link that might be a good companion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3099527 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3099527

thclark 11y ago

Courses like these and SO makes John a happy man!

plongeur 11y ago

I began the course last time it was offered on edX. And I didn't like this course at all. In my opinion it was pretty inefficient with regards to presentation of information, motivation of students, integration and realization of interactive lessons. And that struck me as surprising given how often they emphasize how much experience they have with teaching. I took multiple edX and coursera classes from Alpha to Omega and this was one of the worst. If you want to learn Linux - it's actually really simple: 1. Install Ubuntu (really easy) 2. IF you have a problem THEN Google it END

xtrumanx 11y ago
I think that's terrible advice for learning Linux since most people learning Linux are hoping to learn to use the shell and the programs accessible only via command line. I tried learning Linux since the mid-2000s and failed every time up until recently. I even followed your advice to the letter. I would install Ubuntu and just played with the default apps and tried downloading some other stuff but quickly got bored because I wasn't learning anything and I wasn't doing anything productive on it. Everything I learned I learned in the first day of two of usage. It was that simple. I would always end up booting back into Windows regularly and reclaiming the disk space when I needed it. Then I'd repeat the process a year later. I finally actually started to get Linux around early 2013 when I decided to try learning again but this time I had something useful to use it for: programming. I've been programming on Windows and wanted to try building software on Linux. Now I had a need to learn my way around bash and all the utilities found within it. I've also taken Intro to Linux course when it was offered on edX last year and although I can't say it was the greatest course I've ever taken it definitely would have helped me out a ton when I started using Ubuntu for my programming. In fact, it is the best resource I've come across for learning Linux a beginner can find simply because it gives you a good idea of what working with Linux is like for a variety of perspectives. It's got a bit talking about working with text editors (both gui and cli based), a bit talking about users and groups, chapters covering the basics super-useful utilities like grep that you really ought to know exists. My favorite thing I learned from the course was the `apropos` utility which searches the man pages. One of the worst problems I've had with Linux was remembering the name of some program that did something useful. Now I can just type `apropos pdf` to find a brief description of all programs that have the word pdf in their man page description. Super useful when your searching for that pdf file splitter or merger you used a blue moon ago but can't remember its name. In fact, I don't think I've ever bothered with man pages up until I've taken this course. Now I do a whole lot less Googling and more fending for myself. Sorry, this went on for too long but I think my point is clear; you're probably not going to learn much if you just install Ubuntu and this course (in my opinion) has incredible value for a beginner.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

jokoon 11y ago

I'd prefer a course about kernel programming. I mean how much material can you write about device management, memory management, executing a program, writing a driver, etc ?

TheAppGuy 11y ago

A trusted course from the Linux Foundation