Linux velocity #1 (Push the door to steep progression)
Speed is the meta-skill to master them all. Software wise, the terminal gives you that speed. Master the motions (2-4 days), rice your terminal, build great things quicker.
It all comes down to velocity.
Your time is limited. Same for the amount of things you'll do in your life.
The only factor that can extend your time, or the amount of things you can do is your own velocity which you have full control over.
How fast can you learn? How fast can you build? How fast can you push your ideas into the realm of tangible?
Your progress toward a goal directly depends on how fast you're able to put the theory into practice, fail, learn, try again, succeed and iterate.
This is the main idea behind this linux step burner guide.
Velocity is the foundation for all your other skills to strive.
Installed linux. Now what?
Whether you only want to selfhost some services or you have a crazy software idea that needs dedication, installing an operating system that you can modify to your needs is a crucial first step to moving towards that goal.
Installing linux was the right path to take.
Unfortunately, this new OS won't be of any help if you use it like the others. Like moving to another fitness club won't make you any stronger.
However, being thrown in a whole new environment is an excellent time for you to create new determining habits. You should thus use this momentum to push yourself even further in the right direction.
Do things fast. Do them in that
all-mighty
hostile
dark
window.
The terminal.
Undo what movies have done, put the fear aside, shut that voice telling you that
- "It's not for you!",
- "It is only for hackers and nerds."
because you've been lied to. The truth is that the terminal was made for you.
It is easy to handle, easy to learn and easy to stick with.
The Terminal was made for you.
This dark window is nothing more than a file explorer unless you can't use the mouse in it. That is why you must type commands in order to find, create and open files, install new software...
Get your first bites of terminal.
Where am I?
What's in there? (list directory content)
Create a file!
Verify it has been created.
Just pause and savour the euphoria a successful command puts you in. You are moving forward, and the terminal gives you instant gratification for this (or instant punishment for mistakes 😈).
You will later increase this exhilarating feedback by order of magnitude by customizing your terminal.
For now your next step is to master the motions.
Move fast between files, master the motions.
Files files files.
I bet you've ever read this sentence:
"On linux, everything is a file".
It means that unlike other operating systems, when you want to change a setting, you do not have to look for a menu and click here and there until you find your way.
You can simply change a value somewhere in a well documented text file. So for every purpose, you'll end up spending most of your time browsing the filesystem and editing files.
Consequently, navigating through files becomes a cornerstone to quicken your building process.
Time for training.
Of course there still is menus to lighten your burden. But know that you can and most of the time you will want to do without.
You only need a few commands to find your way in a computer. They are the base that lead to deadly combinations for speed and efficiency.
A few days are sufficient to get accustomed and master those commands (2-4 days).
- create directories
mkdir, - create files
touch, - move them around
mv, - copy them
cp, - move between directories
cd,ls, - check what's inside a file
cat, - edit files
gedit. - edit previous commands, key
Up - autocomplete commands, key
Tab
From now on everything you know can happen in a terminal should happen in a terminal. Thus, until you master those commands like sarutobi with his mudras.
I only demonstrated simple stuffs, but retain that everything can be done in a terminal.
So now that you are able to browse through files. And that the terminal makes point and click operations look incredibly slow, your next step is to leverage the successful commands dopamine hit in order to make you stick to the terminal usage and finally grasp its full potential.
Let's rice (customize).
Cook your terminal.
Knives out.
You'll enjoy a good hamburger much more than raw meat.
You'll enjoy a riced terminal much more than a raw terminal.
Most distributions come with lightweight but unwelcoming defaults.
So to bend the metal to your will with ease you must replace the old defaults with the new cool kids.
Roadmap in the soon-to-be released velocity #2.