Learning Linux and More (1)

I have contradictory feelings on programming. On one hand, I can create pieces of programs on my own; on the other hand, it always takes several times longer than I have expected to complete a task or even a function. However, by learning programming, I can do more with my beloved MacBook and make my life easier.

Due to the daily uses of computer, I need tools to get things done. When I am small, I used to go onto the Internet and search for software which suit my needs. I remember on one occasion, when I wanted to display the size of different folders in a list view, I searched on Google and compare the software I had found and tested them by installing them. To be honest, none of them are satisfactory. Some of them are shareware which are needed to be paid and registered; some of them are having too many functions that I do not need and take a long time to launch. In the end, I choose the one which is simple and plain without any extra function, and the most important of all, it is free. As a result, I start thinking why people are not writing "good" software and cannot write simple and power software to solve my problem.

Well, the story shared above does not motivate me to learning programming, the first programming assignment in the university really does. After learning computer science for two years, I am forced to get used to do programming. This means that I need to be perfect logical, considerate and skillful. In fact, I am not a good programer when compared with my colleagues, but I have started feeling comfortable with it and the codes are making sense to me now. As a MacBook user and a computer scientist student, the command line interface(CLI) is not unfamiliar to me. Most of the time, I compile and run my programming assignments in the Terminal and wait for the result desperately. When looking back, my problems and tasks can be solved by writing simple program. I think this is the reason why there are no software like the one I have mentioned above, simply because it is just too simple to be finished in a few lines of system calls.

Due to the practices of programming, I start appreciating the environment developed by the Linux systems. Although I don't know much about the operation system, I am sure that it would a perfect place to do programming. I ask my friend Google to give me a tutorial on the Linux system, and it points me to the Linux Online. Although the lessons provided are not up-to-date, the history is well-documented and interesting. This will give me a solid background knowledge not only on the technical side, but also the people and effort that has been made in order to make a better world.

I will put down the Linux learning notes from now on and share my stories about computers. I hope it would be fun. Last but not least, I really hope that I will not become a geek, because my friends are thinking of me that way recently.