Linux for the Layman: the Joy of Computing.
By Mark Richter
Linux for the Layman: the Joy of Computing.Jan 03, 2024
Episode 34: Bash shortcuts
Today I cover the idea of bash shortcuts, including scripts, aliases and functions. I also go over a couple of short answers to listener questiosn and praise for ffmpeg.
E[isode 33 - More on shell variables and tab completion
In this episode we cover more on how to ues the tab key for command and variable name completion; we also cover some accounting information.
Episode 32 - Shell Variables - Basics
This episode covers some of the basics about Linux Shell variables.
Episode 31 - Command Line, Windows and Shell Functions continued
Feel free to let me know if you like this, if you have questions, even if you hated it - I'm hre to serve you. LinuxForTheLayman@gmail.com
Episode 30 - Bash Shell Functions and why
All mentions of the word "bracket" or "brackets" should be read/heard as "brace" and "braces" - these { } instead of these [ ]. My goof, correction at the end of the episode.
Brief Message of Thanksgiving
I am grateful to all my listeners, contributors, questioners and feedback-senders. More to come soon...
Episode 29 - More on the Command Line - Options
More information about command line options, and also help/man pages.
Episode 28 - Variety of Subjects
I misspoke in the audio - RAID is Redundant Array of Independent Devices. There, now you can have an extra laugh at me. Invite your friends to have one too, or more than one! :-)
Episode 27: Basic requirements to be a Linux administrator
Skeleton of fundamentals to begin with on your quest to become an administrator - more to come in episodes to follow.
Recovering from Disaster
A tale of woe and triumph.
Episode 25: Containers, Virtual Machines and "bare metal"
I talk about these three constructs, in the opposite order :-), to give you a better understanding of what they are and why you may care.
Episode 24 - bash variables, aliases and functions
I also explain my long gap between episode 23 and now.
Episode 23 - Devices, mount points, and links
In this episode I talk a little about how devices are accessed through file system mount points and also how files can be linked together.
Episode 22 - What are folders, directories, files, and how do we use them
Based on this artivle in the Verge, https://www.theverge.com/22684730/students-file-folder-directory-structure-education-gen-z, I decided to take a side trip and discuss what kinds of storage there are on a computer and how file systems, files and folders/directories (same thing) are set up and how to use them effectively. I welcome comments, questions, any kind of feedback you'd like to provide.
Enjoy!
Episode 21 - More special characters, file naming conventions and file organization
We go into a few more bits about shell special characters, then discuss good Linux file naming conventions and a brief sketch of how to organize your files. Feel free to let me know what you like, don't like, want to know - anything.
Episode 20 - Special characters to the shell
Today we'll cover a few more of the characters that the bash shell, your command line interpreter, treats as something other than what they look like - wildcards and more.
Episode 19 - More about the command shell, special characters and a little bit about variables
This is scratching the surface of some of the flexibility of the terminal interface, the command shell (bash) and ways to use it.
Episode 18 - File Permissions and More on the "Dreaded" Command Line Interface
Come with me to understand more about how little there is to dread in the Command Line (or Terminal) Interface to your computer in Linux.
Episode 17 - the "Dreaded" Terminal Interface
This is the first of several episodes where I discuss the terminal interface, or command line interface, and it's command shell, bash. We start simple and move on to progress to some of the more powerful commands. Today, it's just some basics.
Episode 16: File Organization
This is a general discussion of how to organize files on your computer, with specific emphasis on Linux distributions.
Task scheduling with cron and crontab commands
We also cover briefly zeit and at/batch. Command line oriented material.
Episode 14: A few new keyboard and mouse opinions, and more
Tell me what you'd like to hear about in the podcast. This is a service for you - help me out. Gie a listen and see what else you want to hear about. My office is open! :-)
The command line makes this easy
I'll explain one of the ways in which the command line can do things simply that might otherwise be more complex in a GUI.
The keyboard and the mouse
I'm an old keyboard hack, so I love the keyboard, possibly more than the mouse. However, there are many good uses for the mouse as well where the keyboard may be inadequate. Tell me what you think...
Episode 11 - The Keyboard and the Mouse
This is a love story - ways in which the keyboard and the mouse can do for each other (and you) some of the things you may have thought only one or the other can do. Enjoy!
Episode 10 - Graphics User Interface and Terminal (Command-line) Interface
In this episode I discuss what's good about both interfaces and some contrasting features of both. Al though I profess to be far more proficient with the terminal, which is decades older than the GUI, I enjoy using both. Each has their high points.
Episode 9 - An effective way to use Linux apps to replace your old Windows apps
Most Windows apps don't run on Linux. Options after upgrading include using a Windows virtual machine on top of your Linux installation, using the interfface layer known as WINE, or finding native Linux apps to substitute - and how to find them.
Episode 8 - Installing Ubuntu alongside Windows
This episode also gives a brief introduction to hard disk formats and how this affects your installation. We also explore briefly two other options for installing Linux on your Windows machine.
Episode 7: How to convert from Windows 10 to Ubuntu (or any Linux distro)
This is the first of two episodes on this subject. In this episode, I'll discuss how to prepare for the conversion and then how to replace Windows with Ubuntu (specifically, though most Linux distro installs are pretty much the same for the whole desktop version). In the next episode, I'll discuss installing alongside Windows and other possibilities.
Episode 6 - What I love about computers
I actually enjoy working and playing on my computer, and you can too. This is alittle about what there is to love about working or playing on your computer.
Linux File System Layout and Terms
In this episode I describe how files are mapped in a Linux file system in a simple, consistent access scheme, with contrast to how Windows is different in a few ways.
Episode 4 - Linux Terminology
In this episode, I go through a short list of terms that are convenient to understand when you want to talk about, or better yet, become familiar with so you can use, a Linux distribution.
Episode 3 - GUIs, mouse and keyboard
Dispelling the myths about how Linux has no GUI or an unfriendly one.
What drew me into taking Linux home
I've been asked this question many times - why do you use Linux at home? In this episode I'll talk about what drew me to Linux, and it is all in terms that anyone today, even technophobes, can follow with ease. As always, you can email me with questions or constructive feedback at LinuxForTheLayman@gmail.com.
What Linux is and how it can help you.
In this episode, I go through a description of what Linux is, a brief history of Linux, what Linux can do for you and why not to get Linux.
I describe operating systems and kernels, distributions and interfaces and three reasons not to use Linux depending on your needs.
I give short previews of potential future episodes - how to use the terminal or command line interface and how powerful it is, differences between various graphical user interfaces (GUIs), Linux distros compared to other OSes and each other, and more.
Thank you for listening. Please share and feel free to comment on Anchor.fm where this podcast is hosted. I'll add more contact points in the future.