Need some recommendations for a OS to learn on

[Trotter]

Here's the spiel:

I will be taking a course in just over a year, "Introduction to UNIX". I figure I might as well go ahead and start playing with it now so I can better understand it beforehand.

Here is the course description:

This course is a survey of the UNIX operations. The student will gain an understanding of the internal operations of the UNIX system, which enables the user to make efficient use of files, file systems and processes. Commands for efficient management of UNIX system files, file systems and processes are also examined.

Topics and Objectives

Basic UNIX Commands and Shells

· Identify versions of UNIX.

· Define basic UNIX commands.

· Explain the role of shells.

UNIX Editors and File Processing

· Identify UNIX editors.

· Define file processing commands.

System Information and Program Execution

· Define system information commands.

· Explain running scripts and programs.

UNIX Scripts

· Explain writing UNIX scripts.

UNIX Internet Command and X Window System

· Define Unix Internet commands.

· Explain the X Window system.

· Compare and contrast UNIX and Windows 2000.

Now, before every Linux fanatic on here starts recommending their pet version, read the description. While it is vague, I want something that actually fits it. Pretty is not a necessity.

I don't give a rat's anus about what version of Linux everyone thinks is best... I just want something I can learn with and maybe get a handle on. Once I have the basics down pat enough to know what I am doing, I'll look inot going mainstream. but, until then, this is just some very early home studying.

 

[Kharn]

Trotter FreeBSD is closer to the orginal unix you might want to give that a shot as it's closer to the orginal it will give you an more overall feel for the unix way of doing things. I have a few books on unix not linux that are very informative i will try an post the ISBN numbers in the morning for you.

 

[Trotter]

I'll give it a looksee this weekend. Thanks, mate.

 

[jakec]

Trotter,

Linux and Unix are very similar (and by the sounds of it you will be using Linux in this course of yours in some form or another), if you wanted to go for a Linux variant of Unix maybe try Slackware, quite a nice OS to learn on, no frills just a more simple user interface

The Slackware Linux Project

cheers,

Jake

 

[Kharn]

erm sorry but linux is based on SOLARIS! which is based on UNIX but it is not unix it's 90% the same but 10% different, but FreeBSD is much closer to the orginal Unix than most others - that is why i recomended it.

 

[Nitestick]

like our friend Chris pointed out one of the BSD variants will be closer to a true UNIX if you would like some more authentic practice. though i took a unit based on UNIX/Linux at college last semester and we used DSL and Solaris to work with. i have my personal preferences for linux, i'm just pointing out that those were actually used for a college UNIX course.

 

[Trotter]

I have discovered that the current requirement for the class is Knoppix 3.6. I am downloading 5.1.1 right now. Hopefully the differences between the two won't be too huge.

 

[Kharn]

Trotter there might be a legacy download some ware on the web I know a few places to look would you like me to poke around for you?

 

[Nitestick]

a lot of FTP servers keep up old ISOs have a look around and you might find one. also thought i'd correct what i said earlier, my college used Knoppix not DSL i however did most of my work between two laptops (one with DSL and one with Ubuntu).

 

[nonickch]

I'd so love to start a linux distro flamewar or even better a linux vs bsd disaster.
But the simple fact is that from looking at the course requirements is that any distro will suit your needs and quite possible any BSD variant.

That said, you probably need no heads-up aswell since this looks like a very simple course.
If you have ever seen a command prompt and a batch file, reading online the manpages of either "bash shell" or "C shell" will give you all the info you need on the scripting. This will also cover the part about running programs.

For the Xserver part of the course, who knows, there's so much to read about it.
Try reading some intro things at xfree.org.

The editors part is definitely emacs and maybe, just maybe, vi (if the lecturer is as hardcore as jenna jameson). No pun intended for the editor warriors, I love both editors.




System information commands. There's a whole section of the manpages on system commands, don't remember which number, check online. Even if you find it, there's so many of em and who knows what he'll show you in the actual class.

"UNIX Internet Commands". Still laughing on this one.
Hardly such a thing. Read manpages on telnet, ftp, ping, rsh and ssh.
Simple dos experience is the same.

Other commands to look at manpages off the top of my head:
tar, gzip, grep, regexp (prolly not), ls, find, locate, more, cat, awk (probably not).

Finally, you don't really need to bother installing linux if the course is your only concern. Installing cygwin will give you the command prompt and xserver to satisfy all of your practice curiosities.

Waaaait a minute...
What on earth am I saying? proposing NOT to install linux?
Get slackware and die of starvation while you try to manually configure X.
NOW GO!