More of my favorite things about Linux

Ok,

So here are a few more things that I really dig about linux, aside from the cute mascots. I love having the freedom to choose my particular distro, or if so inclined build my own. I like having the option to make the system as bare bones as I like or as UI intensive as I choose {though I tend to run CLI in GUI, just cause I love the irony {and firefox}}. When I started out with linux I downloaded the 28 disks from Slackware {don’t remember what version though I still have the disks somewhere}, and had my first system up with X11 and connected to the internet within 3 hours {now that is definitely not counting the dl time}. I knew at that instant that linux was the OS for me, but to be honest I have had a hard time breaking free from the “windows”, because I am also a gamer. So I have had to live a double life, as my gaming passion required that I have windows around to be able to play games. Don’t get me wrong, I abhor windows, I use it because I have too, at work, but even then it’s really only for email and news as all my real work is done in my *konsole* window{s} 12 of them to be exact {well at least 12 tabs}.

Now again, don’t get me wrong I don’t believe that linux is the end all be all, and that there are actually some functional uses for windows, it all comes down to the right tool for the right job, I just happen to prefer linux over any other operating system. I also like vi over emacs, so there ;). I prefer KDE to Gnome, but that’s just personal preference, I run Ubuntu @ home and on my VPS {provided by slicehost.com, I have a referral link in my links, it’s where my blogs/etc are hosted and they are teh awesome!!!}, and I run CentOS @ work - though I have a very strong dislike for RH based systems, again right tools right jobs and my personal prejudice.

So I have not jumped on the Mac bandwagon, and probably will not, as they really don’t appeal to me personally. I am trying to get my wife to move to the darkside, and figure that Mac is as closed to linux as I am going to get her. I like the fact that it has “bsd” underpinnings and the GUI experience she has been raised to love. I use GUI when I have to, though if I can do it on the cli I will, but again, this is just my blathering ;). Till next time…

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Technorati Tags: cli, gnome, gui, kde, konsole, Linux, slackware, ubuntu, vi

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Some of my favorite things about linux…

Seriously the command line does it for me, gets me all hot and bothered ;). I just love having all the tools (including the shell itself) to be able to do what I need to do. Let me not even get started on awk and grep, though I think shortly I will write a *my top 5* command line tools or tools that a sysadmin should not live without (as I mainly handle backups this will differ greatly on both experience and preference so your mileage / kilomeratage may vary accordingly).

Ok so here are my top ten five {I can count really} favorite tools {right now}:

1. Bash shell - a very powerful tool with lots and lots {read metric assloads} of tools builtin.

2. vi - yes I am a vi whore, even to the point of using it on the command line, those who know what I mean either will shudder or clap, to each their own. **HINT** if you still use the arrow keys learn the j = down, k = up, h = right and l = left. Also check out shift + v and ctrl + v (visual mode). Oh and I also use vimperator with firefox, cause I just wuv it that much.

3. awk, because the nature of my job {backups/archives} and the reporting there of, I need strong text processing tools and awk happens to be one of my favs.

4. screen - one of the seniors that I worked with {he’s left since} taught me how to use screen, and it’s a tool no sysadmin should ever be without {if it can be helped}.

5. grep - this is one of the most rockingest tools ever greated, simple in design, powerful in function, can make a sysadmins job bearable. {along with regexps ;)}

I’ll write more later on, but this is a good start.

Technorati Tags: awk, command line, Linux, man, perl, python, screen, sed, vi

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