linux on desktop

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Homework number eleven?
Linux on the desktop pretty please help me ?
2. Discuss the benefits and downsides of using open-source software.

5. What single command would you use to create three directories called perl, html, and data in the current directory?

7. What is the exact command and syntax you would use to set the permissions on the file “calendar” to
rw-r--r--?

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Type: Question • Score: 8 • Views: 314 • Replies: 24

Homework sure has changed since I was a kid!

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@lilsweetangel,

I won't give you the exact answers... you can get on a linux system and figure the exact commands yourself-- but I will point you in the right direction.

#2 Try typing "benefits open source" and "downsides open source" and "problems open source" (this one is for free) into Google.

#5 Go to your nearest linux computer, open up a command line and type "man mkdir" (followed by the "Enter" key) and read what happens. Then experiment.

#7 Then (on your command line) type "man chmod".

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@lilsweetangel,

ebrown_p is probably too polite to tell you this directly. But in addition to what he said, you may also want to Google the terms "RTFM" and "STFW".

1 Reply

@Thomas,

Well, it is Able2Know. Not Able2Tell'EmToDoItThemselves.

1 Reply

@DrewDad,

DrewDad...

I don't think there is any difference between the two.

1 Reply

@ebrown p,

I'm saying there's a vast difference between saying "here's where to look" and "RTFM".

2 Replies

@DrewDad,

The only difference is one letter.

0 Replies

cd /
rm -r *

Have fun!

2 Replies

@cjhsa,

cjhsa wrote:

cd /
rm -r *

Have fun!

You really are a jerk. Delete your own files.

1 Reply

@cjhsa,

cjhsa wrote:

cd /
rm -r *

Have fun!

Downside -

Because it's free, some cheap bastard will be more than happy to give you bad advice on how to use it.

Upside -
Some other cheap bastard will tell you the advice was bad.

1 Reply

@DrewDad,

DrewDad wrote:

I'm saying there's a vast difference between saying "here's where to look" and "RTFM".

I agree. It corresponds to the vast difference between ebrown's politeness and mine -- which I explicitly acknowledged in the post you are responding to.

0 Replies

@Intrepid,

You wouldn't know humor if she bit you on the ass.

2 Replies

@cjhsa,

The original poster here is Lil Sweet Angel, not Humor, and she hasn't bitten anybody yet. Try this, Angel, it's safe:

Quote:

rm — v

Quote:

rm — verbose

That may come in handy as well:

Quote:

Before even opening a terminal window in Linux and playing with the command line, be aware that if you're not careful, you can wipe out your Linux operating system with one command — and it won't even ask you if you're sure. The command to delete files or directories in Linux is rm (remove). It's a perfectly good command if used to delete files once you're inside a directory (rm filename) or, in its derivate rmdir form, to remove a directory (rmdir directoryname), but if used with its full power it can be disastrous. Using the — r (recursive) switch with rm tells Linux to remove the specified directory and all files and subdirectories within it. So rm — r mydocs gets rid of all the files in the mydocs directory and any subdirectories you might have in mydocs, including all the files in those subdirectories — all without asking and all without providing any feedback about what it did. It's a corker. You can force Linux into interactive mode by including the — i switch — in which case rm — ir mydocs asks for confirmation before removing each and every file in mydocs and its subdirectories. But it's just too easy to forget the — i switch, so for file deletion it's always best to get into the graphical file manager (File Browser in Ubuntu) and work from there.

2 Replies

@High Seas,

As a Linux geek ... I must correct this. The information High Seas posts is simply wrong on almost any Linux system (unless it is set up in a really absurd way).

Linux has user permissions for exactly this reason. System files are not deletable by users without specifically requesting extra permission. This permission is only obtainable by password which must be provided by the adminstrator.

Most files you can delete will be files that you created yourself.

Modern distributions of Linux (e.g. Ubuntu) are very picky about user permissions. They set up the system with a conservative user policy. This can be changed... but you have to know what you are doing (and anyone who knows how to do this will also know how to use "rm").

Yes, the advice about the 'rm -i' command is good.

But the impression that the Linux OS is easy to "delete" with one command is completely bogus.

The user permission scheme on Linux makes it safer than Windows XP to the point that Window Vista (the newest version of Windows) tries to implement a similar one.

1 Reply

@ebrown p,

Interesting, EBrown. Works on most Red Hat Linux systems I've come across, but I'll take your word for the standard version - am not a specialist in Linux.

1 Reply

@High Seas,

This is very surprising to me.

I have administered Red Hat systems (back when they were still Red Hat). By default, users can not delete System files... and I can't imagine why anyone would set it up this way.

I guess it is possible, but is a sign the system administrator doesn't know what she is doing.

2 Replies

@ebrown p,

I would assume the warnings are for those folks operating as root.

0 Replies

@ebrown p,

sorry, EBrown, should have clarified I was at root. Well, duh, thanks:)

ps currently working on interfaces IPtelephony>><<voice (eg Comcast, otherwise a cable operator), the FCC's white spaces and other suchlike interfaces of languages and blades. Sorry for any confusion - any data to add to subject most welcome by me!

1 Reply

@cjhsa,

cjhsa wrote:

You wouldn't know humor if she bit you on the ass.

Someone comes on here and asks for help. You provide crap and pass it off as humour. Get a life gun boy.

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linux on desktop

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