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Nibblesnarf · 26-30, M
I use Python on the regular, and Linux is my primary OS. There's still a ton that I don't know, but perhaps I can help. What do you need?
Bbgv14 · 31-35, F
@Nibblesnarf Nothing specific at this point of time. I am starting out with both, so I was looking for help in terms of how to begin?
Nibblesnarf · 26-30, M
@Bbgv14 The best advice will probably depend on your prior experience. Which operating system(s) are you experienced with? And do you have experience with other programming languages?
Bbgv14 · 31-35, F
@Nibblesnarf I have always used Windows. And learned a bit of C++ back in school. I recall we had a Unix/Linux Module that I totally skipped.
Nibblesnarf · 26-30, M
@Bbgv14 Okay, so you're a good few steps beyond square one, which is good.
For Linux, I've recommended Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment as an easy transition for Windows users. There are a few ways you could try it out. Installing it on one of your systems is an option. Trying it out from a live CD/USB is another (you can think of this as having your computer run Linux temporarily). If you just want to test it out and learn the ropes, most convenient might be to download VirtualBox, a Linux ISO, and play around with a Linux virtual machine.
As for more specific Linux stuff to look into: look up and experiment with some of the common commands on the command line. Stuff like "cd", "ls" (with -l and/or -a flag), "cp", "rm", and man pages. Learn about what "root" is, how Linux handles privileges, and what "sudo" does for you. Having an understanding of these universally useful basics should make it easier to pick up whatever you need later on. If you have immediate need of a more complex command, sites like stackexchange are your friend.
As compared to C++, Python doesn't need semicolons at the ends of lines, but spacing and indentation are somewhat more important. If you remember some C++, Python should be fairly approachable. It's generally simpler to work with. You might try working through a youtube series on Python for beginners (and there are many out there). If you do this, I will advise you to not just watch, but actually code for yourself everything done in the video. Maybe also make simple changes and make sure the code still runs. They don't have to be big or useful changes, but anything at all is a good exercise to make sure you can write original, functional code.
It may also be helpful to learn at some point how to run Python files from the Linux command line.
For Linux, I've recommended Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop environment as an easy transition for Windows users. There are a few ways you could try it out. Installing it on one of your systems is an option. Trying it out from a live CD/USB is another (you can think of this as having your computer run Linux temporarily). If you just want to test it out and learn the ropes, most convenient might be to download VirtualBox, a Linux ISO, and play around with a Linux virtual machine.
As for more specific Linux stuff to look into: look up and experiment with some of the common commands on the command line. Stuff like "cd", "ls" (with -l and/or -a flag), "cp", "rm", and man pages. Learn about what "root" is, how Linux handles privileges, and what "sudo" does for you. Having an understanding of these universally useful basics should make it easier to pick up whatever you need later on. If you have immediate need of a more complex command, sites like stackexchange are your friend.
As compared to C++, Python doesn't need semicolons at the ends of lines, but spacing and indentation are somewhat more important. If you remember some C++, Python should be fairly approachable. It's generally simpler to work with. You might try working through a youtube series on Python for beginners (and there are many out there). If you do this, I will advise you to not just watch, but actually code for yourself everything done in the video. Maybe also make simple changes and make sure the code still runs. They don't have to be big or useful changes, but anything at all is a good exercise to make sure you can write original, functional code.
It may also be helpful to learn at some point how to run Python files from the Linux command line.
Bbgv14 · 31-35, F
@Nibblesnarf Yeah, thats what I started of yesterday with. Installed CentOS over Virtual Box VM. The only commands I recall from before are "cd" and "ls". I have to get into a bit of Loadbalancers at work, so I wanted to get used to the CLI and some commands for that. Show node, list etc. I think more or less I need to learn about "grep". I guess I need to find a server OS and go from there instead of a PC OS, not sure how similar the commands are.
Yep, I got the semantics,I guess. Getting syntax is the key. The "modules" are new, so thats something.
And thats the endgame. I want to learn how to script in python and use it do the show commands on the LBs. So long way to go..
Yep, I got the semantics,I guess. Getting syntax is the key. The "modules" are new, so thats something.
And thats the endgame. I want to learn how to script in python and use it do the show commands on the LBs. So long way to go..
Nibblesnarf · 26-30, M
@Bbgv14 Sounds like you're off to a good start.
I like how Python modules work, which might have something to do with it being my first language. Make sure you understand how "import [module]" differs from "from [module] import [something]".
A Python file (say, file.py) can be run from the CLI with "python file.py". If you insert a "#!/usr/bin/python" line at the beginning, you can simplify that to "./file.py".
It's also possible to execute CLI commands with a Python script. I've sometimes used Python's "subprocess" module for this. If you think that might be useful, maybe make Python do something simple like "ls -l" and use that code as a template for later on.
I like how Python modules work, which might have something to do with it being my first language. Make sure you understand how "import [module]" differs from "from [module] import [something]".
A Python file (say, file.py) can be run from the CLI with "python file.py". If you insert a "#!/usr/bin/python" line at the beginning, you can simplify that to "./file.py".
It's also possible to execute CLI commands with a Python script. I've sometimes used Python's "subprocess" module for this. If you think that might be useful, maybe make Python do something simple like "ls -l" and use that code as a template for later on.
Bbgv14 · 31-35, F
@Nibblesnarf Thanks! I will have to figure that out.