Teaching Linux; Where to start?

fukawi2 · 2011-08-31 01:39:45

My Windows consultant and I work really well together, we're friends, but we are polar-opposites when it comes to computers. I'm very strong with Linux and Networking etc, while he (and his company) is very strong with Windows. We both recognize that and utilize each other when we require skills in each others areas.

He has asked me if I can teach some of his staff about Linux to enhance their skill-set. I'm happy to help and share (that's the point of open source isn't it? ) but I'm not much of a teacher, so if anyone has any suggestions or starting points they would like to share, please do!

skottish · 2011-08-31 02:00:07

What's the nature of his business? Or better put, what does the people that he'd like you to teach do?

dodo3773 · 2011-08-31 02:26:21

I was recently teaching someone about Linux and here is where I started:

1) the difference between open and closed source
2) users (normal user vs root) / groups / permissions
3) kernel / modules / drivers as compared to windows

After that we went into the shell, their package manager, man pages / flags, and some beginner bash stuff. It seemed to work out pretty well. They could use a Linux system when we were finished.

Edit: In hindsight some of the things I should have focused on more that I did not were networking and grub / bootloader stuff.

Last edited by dodo3773 (2011-08-31 02:28:00)

fukawi2 · 2011-08-31 03:16:09

skottish wrote:

What's the nature of his business? Or better put, what does the people that he'd like you to teach do?

His company are IT consultants / support, primarily Windows. They're all technical, but haven't got experience/exposure with Linux/Open Source. (Sadly, Windows shops often still suffer from tunnel-vision )

dodo3773, I like those 3 steps.. I think they already understand number 1, but 2 and 3 are good ideas that I hadn't thought of as a starting point.

dodo3773 · 2011-08-31 03:23:24

fukawi2 wrote:

dodo3773, I like those 3 steps.. I think they already understand number 1, but 2 and 3 are good ideas that I hadn't thought of as a starting point.

If you could post back after you do the class I would definitely be interested in the results. Like where it went well, what got missed, questions people may have had, etc.. If it is not too much trouble.

jasonwryan · 2011-08-31 03:42:28

I always find it helpful to spend some time introducing people to the background and context of a subject. For that reason, I would suggest a short introduction to UNIX and the design philosophy behind it.

This would provide a foundation for discussing some of the key differences between *nix and Windows and should make it easier for them to grasp not just the how, but also the why. You could then illustrate with the sorts of examples dodo3773 suggested (2 & 3).

Last edited by jasonwryan (2011-08-31 03:44:52)

lilsirecho · 2011-08-31 04:54:58

Perhaps the best advice includes hands on...we learn by doing and making mistakes...probably not too much from lectures and such.

The neatest way to introduce Linux to any pro is to install a live system in ram, this exposes them to the real world and does so NOW. It also provides a speed advantage if the live runs in ram.

Teach by doing....hands on...with grub discussed as it shows up and the internet needs no intro.

Some discussion of rc.conf and other details is also useful and introducing pacman, fstab, and block devices UUID.......

UUID is in menulst at first contact so should be first off.........................

swanson · 2011-08-31 05:22:14

I'm for the hands-on approach since my teaching days. Theoretical background can come in later. To add to the former answers I'd recommend talking about repositories. All distros have them and it seems we linuxers take them for granted. But really, isn't it great with repos?

bernarcher · 2011-08-31 08:43:37

The usefulness of a hands-on approach depends on the time you have. I always found a mixed approach best, giving some rather short theoretical introduction and then let them "play" for some time with it, mostly by haveing them manipulate small example cases (trying out, modifying, testing, etc.). This could be done as homework in longer courses, but small groups have proved very successful at this.

On the other hand, when there is a weekend, or even an afternoon, only you need to concentrate on the more theoretical basics. Everything else needs to be put into some handouts, i.e. papers, live disks, exercises, etc.

.:B:. · 2011-08-31 09:22:48

Hands-on is not handy when you want people to learn, only when you want people to be able to perform well-defined tasks, so you can all map it out and all they have to do is read and type. Pretty much like a tutorial.

I think, especially since they're IT pros, you can feed them the bigger picture and have them work within that. So how Linux works, where it differs from Windows (I think that's the most important point - Windows pros way too often stick to the Windows ways of thinking, often thinking that's how it's done on other OSes as well). How to consult a manual on a program, network setup and security. If time allows, focus on the fields their firm specialises in if your knowledge allows you to.

And bring live CD's so they can have their share of hands-on .

Last edited by .:B:. (2011-08-31 09:23:59)

Awebb · 2011-08-31 09:38:43

.:B:. wrote:

And bring live CD's so they can have their share of hands-on .

Yes, but not just live CD's of a desktop distro. Let them do useful stuff with live CD's, create images with PING, backup with Clonezilla, show them how to fix a broken Windows with grml. A friend of mine who refuses to use Linux because of Photoshop and games, but he learned how to use bash and clamav to do regular scans for viruses. After a month of scanning every few days, he understood how the filesystem tree works (the basics), how he mounts drives, by finding out which device node he has to take and how to mount and map the drive. He won't switch, because there is no real reason for him, but he'll keep Linux in mind everytime he wants things done.

fukawi2 · 2011-08-31 23:14:34

All excellent ideas guys, thanks for the input

I'm going to scribble together some plans (rather than the scrabble in my head atm) and see how we go. I'll post back with updates

Arch Linux

#1 2011-08-31 01:39:45

Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#2 2011-08-31 02:00:07

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#3 2011-08-31 02:26:21

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#4 2011-08-31 03:16:09

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#5 2011-08-31 03:23:24

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#6 2011-08-31 03:42:28

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#7 2011-08-31 04:54:58

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#8 2011-08-31 05:22:14

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#9 2011-08-31 08:43:37

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#10 2011-08-31 09:22:48

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#11 2011-08-31 09:38:43

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

#12 2011-08-31 23:14:34

Re: Teaching Linux; Where to start?

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