[clue-tech] Re: Next Installfest - Linux study groups

[Collins Richey]

On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 8:05 PM, David L. Anselmi <anselmi at anselmi.us> wrote:
> Collins Richey wrote:
>>
>> LFS is a great way to learn about all the pieces that make up Linux,
>> but it's not that rewarding an experience for a brand new user. As a
>> developer, you will be much better served by putting up something like
>> Ubuntu so that you have a stable platform to learn development
>> methods. For the most part, you don't really need to know how the tool
>> chains and the compiler are built from scratch. You need to learn the
>> basic unix tools.
>
> Nonsense.  He's a developer so learning the tool chain, make, and make
> errors might be easier for him than your silly desktop.
>
> My first couple of tries with Linux were distro installs that I didn't use
> because I didn't have anything to use them for.  My first post-Windows 3.1
> computer I installed LFS.  I happened to be using Solaris at work so I knew
> what the shell and vi were.  I learned enough from LFS to switch to Debian
> easily (and to appreciate package management).
>

Perhaps my supposedly nonsensical reply wasn't detailed enough. I,
too, installed LFS at one point, but I learned more from reading the
LFS book than from the repetitive process of downloading a list of
packages,  configure,make, make install, etc. Also, I seriously doubt
that most developers in today's environment will have much use for the
bootstrapping process, ie compiling and linking statically to build a
basis for later dynamic linking and/or repetitive building of gcc to
get just the right mix of library usage for the compiler.

Since even ubuntu can provide a proper build environment
(build-essential), I just believe that there is more meat for a
budding developer in excercising the build tools in a more stable
environment, leaving even more time for learning the other unix tools
that will be news to a windows developer.

Therre's nothing wrong with trying LFS, but ymmv.



-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.