Monthly Archives: October 2012

Third Look at Ubuntu – reposted

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I posted this one on the wrong blog too, but I have figured it out for future posts.

Having been using Ubuntu through the first half of the semester, I thought I would revisit my feelings about Linux in general and about Ubuntu specifically. When not doing any assignments I find myself using only Windows 7. I know some people who after this class have adopted Ubuntu as their primary operating system, but I won’t be one of those people. I know the ins and outs of windows and I just feel there is so much in Ubuntu that I don’t know and I won’t ever be able to know it as well as windows.

The idea of an open source “do anything you want/need to do” is great and that is why Linux is so popular. It can adapt to your needs and let you accomplish everything you need to. When using ubuntu for class or homework, I find myself dreading using it. It may just be my computer but it feels extremely slow and hard to use. Some of the basic settings have default settings that I don’t like but don’t know how to change.them.

I started off on the wrong foot with ubuntu trying to run off a flashdrive. I completed our first homework assignments on the multiple commands we had to learn. I didn’t upload it because I was going to check it later before it was due. A while later I booted to Ubuntu again and the files were gone because I had set up the flashdrive wrong. I ended up going with VirtualBox. If I had started learning Ubuntu first instead of Windows I’m sure I would like it more, but I am resistant to change.

Class Material – reposted

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I originally posted this on October 10th to the wrong blog. I am re posting it to the correct one.

Knowing someone who took Unix in previous years and who currently uses Ubuntu as his sole operating system. I asked him about what we were learning in the class and how it pertains to actually using the operating system. His response was: that class material is more of a history lesson of how people using Unix/Linux had to use the terminal and commands so much in the past. He gave me an example of one of his assignments was to convert all of the .’s in a text file to ,’s using terminal commands. He said this used to be a difficult thing unless you knew the right commands in terminal, but now you can simply open any text editor and click find/replace.

There are some things in class that are necessary to know before using the operating system (like how to install a file, use sudo). But for the most part the material in class is not how people use Unix today. Of course the python programming and other material is definitely used today. I thought it was an interesting point of view and has adapted my expectations for the class.

Python Programming – reposted

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I originally posted this on Sept 19th but it was on the wrong blog. I am re-posting to the correct blog.

Having programmed in C++, Java, Matlab, and some low level languages I thought programming in python would be a piece of cake. This isn’t turning out to be the case. I have about 21 more hours to complete homework 3 and I am far from having it down. Even when going through the “Learn python the hard way” exercises I am not prepared for the homework assignment. I feel like the assignments cover things that aren’t mentioned anywhere in the LPTHW book. When asking others for help they send me the link to LPTHW and tell me to google what I need because python is so well documented.

I don’t really like that kind of learning for a programming language. I know many people had to learn it this way for C++ in the intro class and they struggled with it as well. I’d rather have a separate class for python or allocate more time for python in class. When learning a language you should learn all of the ins and outs instead of a general overview. This opinion may be biased based on the fast approaching due date for HW3 so don’t judge this rant too harshly.