Summer Linux Classes at Mesa Community College

[Dennis Kibbe]

>H ey Dennis, 
> 
>It seems to me that "Introduction to Linux" is probably a bad title for 
>the class. It seems from the description it's closer to "Basic System 
>Administration of Linux." I, for one, would hope that we're at the 
>point where the introduction to Linux in general doesn't include a 
>command line. 
> 
> --Ted 

Hi Ted, 

(Aside: I'm trying to get Zimbra to bottom post. It's not easy.) 

As der.hans pointed out that's the official title. I get students that range from never having seen Linux before to sysadmins at GoDaddy. The intro class is required for all CIS students 

I start out with Ubuntu since it's easy to install anywhere and has good support for VirtualBox. I want students to get excited about Linux if they have never seen it before. After a couple of weeks with Ubuntu we install CentOS either on the system or as a VM. This gives them a taste of the Red Hat way of doing things and lets us explore some things (runlevels, GRUB) that Ubuntu makes, well, just too easy. :-) 

>From the beginning I show them how the command line can automate a simple task that if done in the GUI would take much longer. We do spend quite a bit of time working in the CLI. Some students have come back and told me that was the part they liked best about the class. Others, well, just don't like to type. (This from the generation that can type 30 wpm with their thumbs while navigating an LA freeway.) 

I wonder what things will be like in 3~5 years when keyboards are obsolete and everything has a touchscreen? 

Dennis 

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