[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Certification

[Steve Baker]

Mike Owens wrote:

> The problem I have had though in even trying to start such a project is in
> narrowing down or even identifing a particular, clear-cut audience. Linux is
> just so big, and you have novices that start in so many different places,
> with so many different interests and abilities, as you do with experienced
> people.

One partial answer that might help to narrow down that wide spectrum of
users is NOT to teach them how to do some specific task - but to teach
them how to LEARN how to do any task.

Point them to where man pages are, how to use GNU info documents, where
the HOWTO's are, where there are vital chunks of documentation buried
down in
unexpected directories, when you might even need to consult comments
in the source code, where to start looking for relevent Web sites,
which news groups and mailing lists to subscribe to, how to find the
archives
of those lists. Tell them it's bad form to email Linus to ask how to
print
a file - but that it's perfectly OK to ask an appropriate list when all
else
fails and the question is on-topic.

For example: I've been using UNIX for 25 years - but when I wanted to
figure
out the parameters I needed to give to the kernel sound module, I was
suprised at the amount of time it took me to discover that it was in
(of all places) /usr/src/linux/Documentation.

Obviously this meta-knowledge isn't the entire answer. Obviously you
have
to be able to install Linux before you can read any of the man pages on
how to install it. However, I think there is little point in teaching
the
minute subtleties of some particular argument of some specific command
when
it could (and probably will) change in the next release.

Give a starving man a fish - or teach him how to fish?

-- 

Steve Baker                (817)619-2657 (Vox/Vox-Mail)
Raytheon Systems Inc.      (817)619-2466 (Fax)
Work: sjbaker at hti.com      http://www.hti.com
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