Beginners guide to Unix...
Discussion
I've gone and bagged myself a new job, with a whopping rise :party:
The only problem is that I'm moving to a company who's software runs on Windows and Unix, and I have no Unix knowledge at all. Don't worry, I let them know this in interview!
I've now got 1 month of gardening leave - so I'm going to learn some Unix.
Who, what, how do I start learning?
The only problem is that I'm moving to a company who's software runs on Windows and Unix, and I have no Unix knowledge at all. Don't worry, I let them know this in interview!
I've now got 1 month of gardening leave - so I'm going to learn some Unix.
Who, what, how do I start learning?
If you have a Mac open the Terminal (OS X assumed). It's Unix underneath. Otherwise Linux will let you learn the basic commands but beware, Linux is not Unix so don't assume that a real Unix will have exactly the same structure. Also beware that many Unix boxes don't have all the GNU extensions to the basic commands (at least where I work). For example GNU ls (and the ls on OS X) let you specify -h for human readable size with report the size in k/Mb/Gb as appropriate, Solaris only lets you ask for k.
Learn how to use and editor - and learn how to use it well. Personally, I use vi...there's a nice big war over vi and emacs though 
---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editor_wars
Learn how to use the man pages too....I was in a similar position to you when I joined my first IT company and my basics were built on what I found in the man pages.
If they use SCO, run away now I used to use a mix of Sco and Digital, and I detested Sco (even before I knew about all their lawsuits! 
) whereas Digital Unix rocks 
(I still miss working with my DEC server 
)
In your month's gardening leave, I'd play around with writing scripts...I'm a lazy sys admin and I tried to automate everything possible to make my job easier and to give me time to do other things (like read online forums *cough*
)
Good luck
- Aranell
---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editor_wars Learn how to use the man pages too....I was in a similar position to you when I joined my first IT company and my basics were built on what I found in the man pages.
If they use SCO, run away now
I used to use a mix of Sco and Digital, and I detested Sco (even before I knew about all their lawsuits! ) whereas Digital Unix rocks (I still miss working with my DEC server ) In your month's gardening leave, I'd play around with writing scripts...I'm a lazy sys admin and I tried to automate everything possible to make my job easier and to give me time to do other things (like read online forums *cough*
) Good luck
- Aranell
robbieduncan said:
If you have a Mac open the Terminal (OS X assumed). It's Unix underneath. Otherwise Linux will let you learn the basic commands but beware, Linux is not Unix so don't assume that a real Unix will have exactly the same structure. Also beware that many Unix boxes don't have all the GNU extensions to the basic commands (at least where I work). For example GNU ls (and the ls on OS X) let you specify -h for human readable size with report the size in k/Mb/Gb as appropriate, Solaris only lets you ask for k.
OS X is basically BSD which you can download for a PC as well and is a free version of Unix. Doesn't sound like you're doing admin though so Linux should be close enough.
puggit said:
OK - better clarify...
I'm only presales, so I don't need to know too much. Just need to learn my way around
You Unix guys have bamboozled me already
Ok, learn to use a shell - it's the Unix equivalent of a dos prompt.
Learn basic commands for navigating around the folders, viewing contents, moving copying etc.
Learn how to use gzip and tar, learn how to find files, etc etc.
beyond that you'd need to learn stuff specific to whatever your particular pre-sales role entails...
As someone else mentioned, man pages are your friend. When I got given a sun solaris server and told to install it in our rack, having never used a unix system in my life, i crapped myself. Bastard thing doesn't even have a graphics card in it, so no GUI at all, configuration and setup is entirely via the shell.
I know zip about Linux, but thought it might be prudent to have at least a basic understanding, so dowloaded Knoppix, which is a bootable Linux distro, so doesn't have to be installed.
I grabbed the DVD installation (3.12Gb) and have burnt it to DVD, but haven't used it yet. I had an old Knoppix CD beforehand though and had a play with that; interesting
Hopefully get some time next week to have a play and see exactly what's on the DVD.
EDIT: oops, just realised you said Unix; don't know the differences between unix and linux, it's all greek to me ...
>> Edited by .Flyer on Saturday 22 October 10:28
I grabbed the DVD installation (3.12Gb) and have burnt it to DVD, but haven't used it yet. I had an old Knoppix CD beforehand though and had a play with that; interesting
Hopefully get some time next week to have a play and see exactly what's on the DVD.
EDIT: oops, just realised you said Unix; don't know the differences between unix and linux, it's all greek to me ...
>> Edited by .Flyer on Saturday 22 October 10:28
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