[mdlug] What to give a Software Programmer interested in Linux

[Michael Corral]

2007-12-01, Monsieur Richard Herrell a ecrit:
> Yes, give him an emacs manual.  That way, he can burn it and keep warm
> while learning vi.   :)
>
> Just kidding.  A newbie from Windows should probably start using a total
> IDE.  Eclipse supports Java and C++.

I understand the reasoning behind that approach, as a way of easing a
Windows person into Linux. I think the goal of the programmer makes a
difference. If it's just to do Windows .NET programming in Linux (e.g.
Mono, as you mention below), then using an IDE is probably the best
idea, since that's what the person is used to. "Learning" Linux just
to do .NET programming basically makes you a tourist in a foreign
land anyhow, no need to learn the ways of the natives.

But if the goal is to do actual Linux programming, then learning things
like Emacs, vi, bash, and various command-line utilities (grep, sort,
sed, awk, etc.) is important, IMHO. Being comfortable on the command
line and "gluing" various tools together is still a big part of the
Linux/UNIX "way", certainly for programmers. Emacs is a good way of
getting introduced to all that, with all the ways it has of interacting
with the OS (and other things:).

Michael

> Also, if the Windows programmer knows C# / .NET, he/she should check out
> Mono (C# for Linux) and try the Monodevelop IDE.
>
> Michael Corral wrote:
>> 2007-12-01, Monsieur Peter Bart a ecrit:
>>> 	Is there anything I didn't think of?
>> <http://www.amazon.com/GNU-Emacs-Manual-Version-15th/dp/188211485X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196552772&sr=1-1>