2009/3/5 Liam Proven <lpro...@gmail.com>: > 2009/3/5 Philip Stubbs <phi...@stuphi.co.uk>: > >> Read man pages. The first UNIX like system I used was a VAX-VMS >> system. > > Er, VAX-VMS was not remotely UNIX-like and did not have a "man" > command, nor "ls", "cd" or any of those.
Ok. I can't remember what the command on the VAX system were. I suggested those commands as being something useful to know for a person using the command shell on a Linux box for the first time. > Indeed back in the day I used VAXstations with VMS and DECwindows - > there's one downstairs, waiting for a new hard disk, in fact - and I > don't think they even had an "xman" command. > > Were you perhaps thinking of Ultrix or something? No. I guess my memory could be wrong, but I am certain I was using a VAX VMS system running some form of X windowing system and it had the xman program. I can picture myself at the machine I used, and in that part of the office all the machines were VAX VMS based. The only other machines were some state of the art 25 MHz 386's :-) and a couple of IBM RS6000 boxes running AIX. It was a little while before they would let me play with the IBM's as they were the new toys. > Your general point - that reading man pages is a good way to learn - I > entirely agree with, but your example is incorrect. Thanks for that. For some reason, I find it interesting to hear how people tackle learning to use a computer or Linux for the first time. As we have discovered, my memory may not be that great, and I can't remember what I went through to learn some of the stuff that I now take for granted. I find it really hard when people ask questions to things that I think should be self evident. Having a complete newbie document what they find, and how they struggle with and overcome issues helps me to keep a fresh perspective. Also, it helps to make clear what aspects are not as transparent as they could or should be. Thats all. -- Philip Stubbs -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
