Re: Fwd: md5sum using Cygwin in Windows

Re: Fwd: md5sum using Cygwin in Windows

[Andrew Louie]

On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 11:30 AM, Zheng Li  wrote:
> Well, if you use linux system in a MS windows style where clicking buttons
> can almost solve everything,
> then you may waste of your valuable times and totally loss your confidence
> on Linux.  You need to
> read a book and just learn it, like what you do in other computer lessons.
>  Linux expects you as a master
> and this assumption may be harmful to newbies. Fortunately, after a shape
> learning line, you can control
> your linux system to do lots of things windows can't do.
> Yours
> Zheng

*note: this isn't a specifc reply to you Zheng, just a comment in
general posted to cygwin-talk.

Linux dosn't expect you to do anything. Linux is simply a mismash of
"programming shortcuts" that programmers have developed over the years
so they don't have to reinvent the wheel every single time they want
to make a tool that makes a task easier on the computer. This mismash
is standardized into a single system that is well documented and is
unlike windows becuase Linux was written by programmers for
programmers. With this system, the wheel never has be reinvented,
unless a better wheel is invented. In this way, Linux can only move
forward, it's also why some packages can have a million dependencies,
much to the frustration of the newbie and casual user.

The approach to learning Linux should not be "just install this thing
and play with it" You'll not learn anything useful and just be
frustrated. Instead you should have a clearly defined task, and figure
out the fastest way to do i: "Man, I want to [this complex series of
tasks] but I don't want to have to click on 10 different buttons for
each task, How can I have the computer do this for me based on some
rules that I have?"

Only then will you begin to appreciate the Linux architecture.

Cygwin is a godsend for those of us who are forced to use windows due
to circumstances beyond our control.

Re: Fwd: md5sum using Cygwin in Windows

[Christopher Faylor]

On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 01:15:52PM -0400, Andrew Louie wrote:
>On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 11:30 AM, Zheng Li  wrote:
>>Well, if you use linux system in a MS windows style where clicking
>>buttons can almost solve everything, then you may waste of your
>>valuable times and totally loss your confidence on Linux.  You need to
>>read a book and just learn it, like what you do in other computer
>>lessons.  Linux expects you as a master and this assumption may be
>>harmful to newbies.  Fortunately, after a shape learning line, you can
>>control your linux system to do lots of things windows can't do.  Yours
>>Zheng
>
>*note: this isn't a specifc reply to you Zheng, just a comment in
>general posted to cygwin-talk.
>
>Linux dosn't expect you to do anything.  Linux is simply a mismash of
>"programming shortcuts" that programmers have developed over the years
>so they don't have to reinvent the wheel every single time they want to
>make a tool that makes a task easier on the computer.  This mismash is
>standardized into a single system that is well documented and is unlike
>windows becuase Linux was written by programmers for programmers.  With
>this system, the wheel never has be reinvented, unless a better wheel
>is invented.  In this way, Linux can only move forward, it's also why
>some packages can have a million dependencies, much to the frustration
>of the newbie and casual user.
>
>The approach to learning Linux should not be "just install this thing
>and play with it" You'll not learn anything useful and just be
>frustrated.  Instead you should have a clearly defined task, and figure
>out the fastest way to do i: "Man, I want to [this complex series of
>tasks] but I don't want to have to click on 10 different buttons for
>each task, How can I have the computer do this for me based on some
>rules that I have?"
>
>Only then will you begin to appreciate the Linux architecture.
>
>Cygwin is a godsend for those of us who are forced to use windows due
>to circumstances beyond our control.

Thanks.  That's what it's there for.  I hear the tech support is sort of
irreverant though.  I certainly wouldn't pay for that level of support.

I don't know that I agree with the assessment of Linux though.  Modern
Linux systems have put quite a lot of effort into presenting a flashy
GUI for the user.  It's usable for playing songs, writing papers, and
manipulating spreadsheets.  And, it's all free.

If most people had the ability to learn something new without resorting
to self-preserving irritation or other types of thinking avoidance
activities, Cygwin wouldn't even be necessary.  Everybody would be using
Linux because it is more than good enough.  The problem is that Linux
presents something that is different from the market leader and that is
what scares every "newbie".

cgf

RE: Fwd: md5sum using Cygwin in Windows

[Gary R. Van Sickle]

> From: Christopher Faylor
[]
> >Cygwin is a godsend for those of us who are forced to use 
> windows due 
> >to circumstances beyond our control.
> 
> Thanks.  That's what it's there for.  I hear the tech support 
> is sort of irreverant though.  I certainly wouldn't pay for 
> that level of support.
> 
> I don't know that I agree with the assessment of Linux 
> though.  Modern Linux systems have put quite a lot of effort 
> into presenting a flashy GUI for the user.  It's usable for 
> playing songs, writing papers, and manipulating spreadsheets. 
>  And, it's all free.
> 
> If most people had the ability to learn something new without 
> resorting to self-preserving irritation
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

<mountaindewspraysfromnose>

Nice to see someone finally had the courtesy to take the thread to -talk
though.

-- 
Gary R. Van Sickle