Re: Perl and the New Frontier

For example, to learn by oneself how to use LINUX.

If I was to teach Linux 101, I would have the students get free iso's of a few distros like OpenSuSE, Fedora, Slackware, etc. Then have them install and configure them for internet connections, about 50 times each. Then compare them for similarities and differences. It sure teaches you alot to fdisk, format, setup dual boots, and get sound and X going. After installing, use mc (Midnight Commander) to poke around the root filesystem, and look at what the various files do.

As far as using Perl as a complete language as a base to teach systems programming, I think you could do it, as long as you emphasize that Perl is just hiding the complexities of the underlying c based system. Then maybe in Linux 102, start showing c, and how Perl makes it easier. See The Rute User Tutorial

I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth. Cogito ergo sum a bum

Comment on Re: Perl and the New Frontier

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Re^2: Perl and the New Frontier by chanio (Priest) on Apr 09, 2007 at 16:47 UTC
Great book, zentara! Now, I know how to spend my next months with... I am also, planning to start exploring the new Minix 3 that should be considered LINUX's father :) and deals great with hardware. A future blending of both would make the most powerful operating system on Earth! I see so many similarities between both POSIX compliant OSs that I would like to have software like in SCI-FI Series of StarTrek when they arrive to a new planet and can diagnose the main characteristics of it in less than a minute. But how could my experience guide me in where to look at and how to adapt my knowledge to this new system? Then, I thought that if I could have written certaing scripts that had explored the LINUX system when I started learning my first steps on it, I would now have a kind of bundle of scripts that would make my exploration of new operating systems easier to achieve in a short time. Most of these OS have perl working on it! It wouldn't be difficult to run my bundle of exploring scripts in Solaris, for example, and get a brief idea of where to start looking or exploring. Or using it to point the differences between various LINUX distributions. For example, what is the root structure, or the etc/ structure, how does the system start, and so on... If this sort of bundle could do a good job, it could even evolve into a way of translating a working system into another OS just with a click: creating variables, folders, rc scripts and links! Notice that this is not my idea, although I haven't found out where were IBM heading, they explain a lot about what they call autonomic computer that would be able to self heal, etc. Besides, configuring a system is no longer going to be a required step, since most new LINUX auto-configures when you boot... And Minix is said to be able to auto-re-configure just when any peripheric fails! Landlords production is only eaten by landlords... Wherever I lay my KNOPPIX disk, a new FREE LINUX nation could be established	[reply]
Re^3: Perl and the New Frontier by zentara (Archbishop) on Apr 10, 2007 at 10:08 UTC
*point the differences between various LINUX distributions. For example, what is the root structure, or the etc/ structure, how does the system start, and so on..* One good resource is Linux From Scratch which teaches you how to go from bare-nothing to a working linux system. Basically you have the kernel, which is started up (booted). Then it calls "init"( there are a few variations) which goes into /etc/rc.d or /etc/init.d and runs a series of startup scripts in a prescribed order. Those take the machine through the various run-levels, single-user,multi-user,multi-user-w-network, X windows. There also is a set of perl utilities call Perl Power Tools, that emulate all the basic c system commands. Check them out at PPT I'm not really a human, but I play one on earth. Cogito ergo sum a bum	[reply]
Re^4: Perl and the New Frontier by chanio (Priest) on Apr 11, 2007 at 06:18 UTC
One good resource is Linux From Scratch which teaches you how to go from bare-nothing to a working linux system. Yes, I have always wanted to make some time to follow those lessons. They are the best way of starting, definetly! There also is a set of perl utilities call Perl Power Tools, that emulate all the basic c system commands. Check them out at PPT Yes, that is what I was targeting, I guess. Any operating system where perl might work should be able to use these tools. Today, I have found something interesting here. I should have searched a little, before posting... Thank you zentara ! Landlords production is only eaten by landlords... Wherever I lay my KNOPPIX disk, a new FREE LINUX nation could be established	[reply]

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