[FM Discuss] Proposed update to Introduction to the Command Line

[Gregory Pittman]

On 04/19/2017 08:02 AM, Andy Oram wrote:
> FLOSS Manuals ran a sprint together with the Free Software Foundation
> more than 10 years ago to create this book. It proved to be popular, and
> it deserves an update. A new source of readership may come from recent
> support for GNU-style tools added by Microsoft to Windows
> (https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/commandline/learn-about-bash-on-windows-subsystem-for-linux/).
> 
> I coordinate the writing when this book was created, and am trying to
> gather contributors for the update. I'm in touch with the FSF to recruit
> contributors among their base. I hope FLOSS Manuals supporters can look
> for contributors as well.
> 
> The process for putting out a new official version is unclear. Someone
> is responsible for approving updates and moving them from the Write
> section of the seat to the released version of the book. How would
> members of this list suggest doing that?
> 
> I have been collecting ideas for the update. My current list follows and
> all suggestions are welcome.
> 
> Andy
> 


The starting point should I think be starting with a clean slate to
create an initially rough, then progressively detailed outline of what
the book should cover. I've seen too many articles of various length
that go into tremendous depth about a few commands, only to lose steam
and fizzle. Once you have a refined outline, then go to the original
book and determine how to edit/rearrange/enhance/replace what is there.

What are the kinds of tasks where using the command line is useful and
arguably the most efficient way of doing things?

Working with files - listing, copying, moving, removing, changing
permissions (and when to suspect you have a permissions problem), and
batch operations.
Working with file content - searching for content inside files,
modifying content inside a file, and perhaps some sensible ideas about
how regular expressions work.
Serial operations, piping, saving to a file, appending a file, and
leading to bash scripts.
Various system commands, including an understanding of when/how to use
su and sudo.
Using ssh/sftp -- very useful in a home network.

Above all, lots of examples. Online articles tend to use up a lot of
space with screenshots showing the results of a command with options,
but there might just be a verbal description, perhaps an "anatomy and
physiology" of what the command does, and otherwise expect the user to
try it out on their own system.

I'm not in favor of including instructions on vi/vim -- this is a
subject of its own, and there are alternative text editors that someone
might choose to use, chacun à son goût.

BTW, is the original flossmanual still around somewhere? I can't find it.

Greg