[scribus] LEARNING TO USE BASH

[peter linnell]

On 9/21/10 10:43 PM, Robert Marma wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I appreciate the advice and encouragement that all of you have offered me at
> this time, while I am learning to navigate through openSUSE.  I have decided
> that, apart from normal, daily housekeeping tasks like file copying, writing
> letters, and web browsing--all of which I can accomplish with the Gnome
> desktop--I should attempt to concentrate on learning Bash commands for more
> esoteric tasks, such as advanced disc operations and--eventually--writing simple
> scripts.  After all, these commands are at the very heart of everything that
> openSUSE and Gnome do.  In addition, as some of you have keenly observed,
> acquiring a proficiency with the command shell will allow me to manually
> download and install packages and updates and, hopefully someday, even to
> intelligently modify and improve them.  Having become comfortable years ago with
> the MS-DOS command shell and with using a BASIC interpreter, I have no doubt
> that eventually I will be able to accomplish this, but I fear it's still a long
> way down the road.
>

First, kudos for trying to learn the Linux way. You are lucky in that 
Suse provides excellent defaults for bash. One of the things to remember 
is bash retains history. So, it makes typing efficient e.g.

On Suse typing 3 letters of a command then PgUp, will remember prior 
commands and autocomplete.

some command

then a few days later...

som<PgUp> with auto complete your prior commands. ( I personally find 
this a huge time saver)


Second a couple tools for navigating the command line which are helpful:

mc and nano  mc is a console based navigator like the old Norton 
Commander. You can navigate the file system quickly as well as quickly 
view many kinds of files. The tab key moves you around the screen.

Nano is simple to use console text editor which is fast and easy to learn.

Those are the two best I can recommend for trying to learn the powerful 
console in Linux.
>
> Again, I realize that this forum is devoted primarily to Scribus users and their
> problems, but I was hoping to get help with two additional problems:
>
>    (1) Has anyone in the group had any experience with media players in
> openSUSE?  I could get
>        neither Banshee nor Totem--the default Gnome media players--to play ANY of
> my video
>        files.  Then I recalled having used VLC in Windows a few years ago, and
> decided to check
>        out their web site.  Being a Newbie, I wasn't sure about the installation
> procedure, but
>        tried downloading their latest RPM, and the package installer took care of
> the rest.  To
>        my utter amazement, VLC played EVERY video file format perfectly, except
> for my .mov
>        files, which it also played, but in a jumpy, hesitating fashion.  To be
> perfectly honest,
>        I've also had trouble getting media players to play my .mov files in
> Windows.  Even with
>        additional XP or Vista codecs installed, Windows Media player usually was
> useless, and
>        even iTunes and QuickTime didn't do the job, and .mov is supposed to be a
> QuickTime
>        format!  The only media player that appears to play my .mov files halfway
> decently in
>        Windows is Media Player Classic Home Cinema, which is also free.
> Unfortunately, they
>        don't appear to offer a Linux version.  My question is: "Does anyone know
> of a reliable
>        media player--or at least codecs--that will play my .mov files?"

.mov files are a particular case. Go into Yast > Software Repositories > 
Add Community > and Enable Packman. Then install vlc and search for 
win32-codec. That play 99% of the video you can find.
>
>    (2) In intend to log onto the Linux and openSUSe forums for advice, but I also
> was wondering
>        if anyone knows of an instructive document or publication available for
> download--perhaps
>        something along the lines of "Linux for Dummies"  or  "Bash for
> Dummies"--that would offer
>        examples with illustrations for learning the Bash commands and writing
> scripts.
>
> My goal with all of this extends far beyond simply developing Linux
> proficiency.  I've often read posts from brave souls who've actually developed
> their own scripts in order to customize Scribus functions, and I hope
> someday--God willing that I live long enough--to be included in this group.
> Anyway, I apologize for digressing from the focus of this group, and I
> appreciate the indulgence and patience you've all offered me.
>
> Bob Marma  [ Scribus "Newbie" and Linux "Newborn" ]
>

The other part of Linux and open source in general is forums are less 
common than mailing lists, but also IRC.... explained here:
http://docs.scribus.net/index.php?lang=en&page=irc

IRC is extremly valuable for real time discussion and assitance.

Welcome to the club...

Peter