Class Curriculum

Linux

Learning how to use Linux and build websites is really a life long endeavor. Linux is a moving target, constantly improving. So, you can always learn more about it.

I’ve been using Linux for more than 15 years now and I still feel like an amateur. I don’t know much about writing scripts. Or automating a lot of Linux tasks. Part of the problem is not knowing what questions to ask. What is important about how to install, operate, maintain and repair Linux?

Unfortunately, most of the literature is about teaching you how to get a job working on a giant corporate computer using Linux. This story is about using Linux as an individual, as a free agent computer scientist or a family scale of private enterprise, not as an employee of a giant corporation.

I’m writing these stories to help you get started a lot faster than I’ve learned this computer science. I started with very little formal education and not a lot of networking help either. I’m kind of a loner. I grew up in a dangerous, violent and painful social ecosystem and I like working alone.

Study Linux. While using proprietary software has its advantages, using Linux has its advantages also. The most valuable advantage to using Linux is that you get to be in control of your artificial intelligence, instead of being controlled by it. You are the artist.

The Linux kernel is a little bit of a black box. You can drill down and learn it, but you do not really need to. You can be a very effective Linux user without a lot of knowledge about the Kernel. I do recommend that you investigate the Kernel. Learn how it works.

systemd is process number one. UEFI loads your kernel. Your Kernel loads systemd. systemd loads everything else in user space. Kernel space has a higher priority than user space. User space is your desktop and all the applications that run on your desktop.

Your applications use the D-Bus system, the Desktop Bus System, to communicate with each other. D-Bus produces a system daemon for the Kernel to communicate with the system hardware. It provides a session daemon for the applications to communicate with each other and with the Kernel.

Linux uses system calls and interrupts for communications between the various components of the system. They’re kind of like phone calls. The applications ask the kernel to do something and the kernel manages the priorities and supplies the processing capacity to accomplish the requested task.

Web Development

Once you get familiar with how to use Linux, learn how to build websites. You can get a fast start by purchasing a one click WordPress website. Start working with WordPress and creating content.

You can publish a website without purchasing it, but I recommend purchasing one from a professional hosting company, Bluehost is the one I’m using right now. They are in the business, they know what they are doing. And you will start getting familiar with the cPanel. cPanel is the control panel that hosting companies provide for you to manage your websites.

cPanel and WordPress do most of the back end development for you. Your WordPress theme is your front end. This way you can concentrate on producing content and not worrying too much about web development. Its all automated by your hosting company, WordPress and your WordPress template.

Later on, you can drill down into PHP and Python and learn how to be a full stack web developer. Use PHP and Python to build your back end; and HTML, CSS and JavaScript to build your front end. WordPress and Drupal are PHP frameworks, Django and Flask are Python frameworks. PHP is the most popular website development framework, but Python is one of the most popular programming languages. You can do a lot more than just build websites with Python.

Content Creation

Once you get familiar with using free and open source software and building websites, start creating content. Tell us your story. Teach us something valuable.

Learn how to use Inkscape, Gimp, Darktable, Kdenlive and Blender to be a digital artist. Each one of these applications is a very powerful tool, which has a significant learning curve. Age 5 is the best time to start learning how to use them.

Make your channel of entertaining education a family affair. Buy, sell and trade all kinds of private property. Be an artist and a capitalist entrepreneur. Add value to society. Learn about search engine optimization and making your website easy to find on the Internet.

Add fresh content often. Preferably every day. That may not be practical and that’s okay. Just keep your website up to date and keep growing. If you’re not growing, you’re dying. Keep learning and teaching, for as long as you are alive on earth.