Re: Language

[Henning Makholm <henning@makholm.net>]

Sam Franc <franc@presys.com> writes:

> " /dev/hda1   /dos   vfat   defaults,umask=002,uid=0,gid=35   0   0"
> I am a complete novice and want to install Linux, but I see I need to
> learn a new language before I start.

The precise line you're quoting is an entry in a table. Knowing the
column headings helps a lot when understanding what it means, but
everyone in the discussion did not quote them because they are
there to see in everyone's local linux installation.

I know it can look confusing, but you wouldn't expect to be able
to understand random lines from a CONFIG.SYS file on a dos/windows
instalation just as that, either, would you? The good news are

1) You do *not* need to learn how to parse this before you start.
   In fact, the best way to learn linux (or any other OS) is to
   try to install it and mess with it until it works the way you
   want it to.

2) You don't need to *learn* it at all, not as in being able to
   memoize it when away from your computer, at least.
   I don't think anybody knows the syntax of every configuration file
   in a Debian system by heart, but most of us get along anyhow. The
   most important ability to have is the ability to look up the precise
   details in the on-line documentation when one needs them.

3) Linux offers more knobs and turns for controlling precisely how
   it behaves than any other OS you've ever worked with. The full
   amount of customability is much too big for a pretty graphical
   set-up screen to handle well, so one has to use text-based
   config files instead. It pays off tremendously, though.

4) It is usually possible to actually understand what the black
   magic in linux configuration files do. The role and format of
   each file is generally well documented in the on-line help.
   Contrast this to the situation on a windows box where
   the CONFIG.SYS file (not to mention the registration database)
   mostly consists of opaque entries that some automatic
   installation tool decided you want, without also deciding that
   you want to know why you want them.

-- 
Henning Makholm
http://www.diku.dk/students/makholm