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% heightrounded, (I have no idea what this does, so I turned it off.)
margin=0.5in
margin=0.5in
}
}
@ -42,6 +42,9 @@
% We will probably want some two- or three-column sections
% We will probably want some two- or three-column sections
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{multicol}
% Stop resetting the footnote count after each chapter
\counterwithout{footnote}{chapter}
% Let's wrap some images
% Let's wrap some images
\usepackage{wrapfig}
\usepackage{wrapfig}
@ -84,7 +87,7 @@ Before computers were in my life, there were calculators.
These days, every kid has to have an expensive graphing calculator for middle school math. Specifically, it has to be a Texas Instruments graphing calculator, because the examples in the textbook are all described in terms of a Texas Instruments calculator.
These days, every kid has to have an expensive graphing calculator for middle school math. Specifically, it has to be a Texas Instruments graphing calculator, because the examples in the textbook are all described in terms of a Texas Instruments calculator.
I mean, \textit{sure} you can get your kid that Casio, which has all the same features and all the same buttons and is an order of magnitude cheaper, but you spent all that money on an expensive pre-school, and all that money on expensive tutors, and do you really (he asked snottily) want to risk little Jimmy's chances of getting into Harvard because you were temporarily too cheap to buy the right calculator?
I mean, \textit{sure} you can get your kid that Casio, which has all the same features and all the same buttons and is an order of magnitude cheaper, but you spent all that money on an expensive pre-school, and all that money on expensive tutors, and do you really (he asked snottily) want to risk little Jimmy's chances of getting into Harvard because you were temporarily too cheap to buy the right calculator? Just buy the TI already!
\hrulefill
\hrulefill
@ -113,7 +116,7 @@ Well, I grew up and I didn't buy one of them, even though they are still availab
It's just me now, and my expenses are numerous but small, and a couple of years ago my local all-in-one-store had all their watches on sale for 40\% off, including the name brand watches. I checked—it was in stock. At \$25 bucks it was a lot, but on sale it was only \$15. I could do this! So I picked it up and looked at it lovingly, thinking about all the good times we would have together as we went forth and explored the world one simple calculation at a time.
It's just me now, and my expenses are numerous but small, and a couple of years ago my local all-in-one-store had all their watches on sale for 40\% off, including the name brand watches. I checked—it was in stock. At \$25 bucks it was a lot, but on sale it was only \$15. I could do this! So I picked it up and looked at it lovingly, thinking about all the good times we would have together as we went forth and explored the world one simple calculation at a time.
But there was a problem, a rather large problem, actually. The print on those buttons is tiny. and my eyes are bad. I couldn't actually read any of buttons. I use reading glasses when I'm reading or working on the computer, but I don't need them out in the wild. I could wear the watch with me everywhere, but unless I was at my desk, I wouldn't be able to actually use it.
But there was a problem, a rather large problem, actually. The print on those buttons is tiny. And my eyes are bad. I couldn't actually read any of buttons. I use reading glasses when I'm reading or working on the computer, but I don't need them out in the wild. I could wear the watch with me everywhere, but unless I were at my desk, I wouldn't be able to actually use it.
Back on the shelf it went.
Back on the shelf it went.
@ -125,7 +128,11 @@ My earliest memory of a computer in somebody's home is of being in an aunt's apa
I don't remember much about it, actually.\footnote{This aunt bought things not because she found them useful, but because other people didn't have them and she wanted to always have a status symbol to point to. I don't remember her actually doing anything \textit{useful} with this computer.} I do remember that I was not allowed to touch it.
I don't remember much about it, actually.\footnote{This aunt bought things not because she found them useful, but because other people didn't have them and she wanted to always have a status symbol to point to. I don't remember her actually doing anything \textit{useful} with this computer.} I do remember that I was not allowed to touch it.
This is where memory gets wonky, because I remember seeing this when I was about ten years old. But according to Wikipedia, the Timex Sinclair was released in 1982, when I would have been 14 years old. So it's entirely possible that my memory is losing track of \textit{when} things happened, or it's possible that this aunt had some other home computer that for whatever reason my brain thinks is a Timex Sinclair. Who knows? I certainly don't, and I'll probably never find out for sure.
This is where memory gets wonky, because I remember seeing this when I was about ten years old. But according to Wikipedia, the Timex Sinclair was released in 1982, when I would have been 14 years old. So it's entirely possible that my memory is losing track of \textit{when} things happened, or it's possible that this aunt had some other home computer that for whatever reason my brain thinks is a Timex Sinclair. Who knows? I certainly don't, and I'll probably never find out for sure.
\section{The Joy of a Trash-80}
One thing I'm quite sure about is that in seventh grade a select group of smart kids from my class were allowed to go to the local "skills center"\footnote{This was a centralized school where eleventh and twelfth graders who definitely weren't going on to college could take classes like agriculture and welding. We used to teach these classes in each school under the guise of "vocational education" but somehow lost our way.} one day a week (Wednesday afternoons, as I recall) to study computers. This was the first time I'd every laid my fingers on an actual computer keyboard.
\chapter{What's to Like About Linux}
\chapter{What's to Like About Linux}
@ -143,14 +150,24 @@ And yeah, you can write code and create applications for Windows, and you can so
For what it's worth, Mac OS X, even though it is based on Unix/Linux (I forget which—I dropped out of the Mac world at OS X version 4), is the same way. There \textit{might} be an answer, there \textit{might} be a solution, but you just \textit{might} be on your own there, buddy.
For what it's worth, Mac OS X, even though it is based on Unix/Linux (I forget which—I dropped out of the Mac world at OS X version 4), is the same way. There \textit{might} be an answer, there \textit{might} be a solution, but you just \textit{might} be on your own there, buddy.
But what I really, really like about Linux?
That's the key when you're working with something that open-source: every problem is an opportunity for you to learn something. You might be able to find a workaround, or a fix, or even realize that you're doing something wrong, and that's why you're having a problem. Who knows, keep studying and trying things out and you might find an actual bug and be able to contribute a patch that fixes it.
That will never happen when you use Windows or Mac. Never.
\section{Knowledge is Power}
You know what I really, really like about Linux?
The command line.
The command line.
I'll probably write about this some more later, but my experience with computers goes back way before Macintosh made the mouse popular (and alas, necessary). You turned on the computer, and there was just this dark screen with a blinking cursor. If you wanted to make the thing do something, you had to \textit{know} something. With a GUI, you can guess. You can guess a lot, actually, and just poke around all you want because most GUIs come with an undo feature.
I've already mentioned this earlier (and I'm sure that I'll probably write about this some more later), but my experience with computers goes back way before Macintosh made the mouse popular (and alas, necessary). You turned on the computer, and there was just this dark screen with a blinking cursor. If you wanted to make the thing do something, you had to \textit{know} something. With a GUI, you can guess. You can guess a lot, actually, and just poke around all you want because most GUIs come with an undo feature.
\medskip
There is no ``undo'' on the command line.
There is no ``undo'' on the command line.
\medskip
I need to get that on a t-shirt.
I need to get that on a t-shirt.
Why? Because the command line is like real life. There is no undo button in real life. GUIs have made us lazy—lazy at thinking, lazy at figuring things out. Just do it, if you don't like it, just Ctrl-Z. Just throw that document away and leave it in the recycle bin. If you decide you want it later, you can just drag it on out of there.
Why? Because the command line is like real life. There is no undo button in real life. GUIs have made us lazy—lazy at thinking, lazy at figuring things out. Just do it, if you don't like it, just Ctrl-Z. Just throw that document away and leave it in the recycle bin. If you decide you want it later, you can just drag it on out of there.
@ -181,12 +198,13 @@ I'm still a relative newbie to LaTeX, so there's always something to learn. Here
\item You might think you want the \textbf{book} document class, but you probably will find the \textbf{report} class just as handy.
\item You might think you want the \textbf{book} document class, but you probably will find the \textbf{report} class just as handy.
\item You want links\footnote{Yeah, I know these are irrelevant in a paper document.}? Use the \textbf{hyperref} package.
\item You want links\footnote{Yeah, I know these are irrelevant in a paper document.}? Use the \textbf{hyperref} package.
\item The \textbf{kpfonts} package has beautiful fonts.
\item The \textbf{kpfonts} package has beautiful fonts.
\item Footnotes are easy! (Seriously, footnotes in \LaTeX have got to be the easiest footnotes I've ever managed.)
\item Footnotes are easy! (Seriously, footnotes in \LaTeX\,have got to be the easiest footnotes I've ever managed.)
\item Use the \textbf{fancyhdr} package to get more granular control over your headers and footers.
\item Use the \textbf{fancyhdr} package to get more granular control over your headers and footers.
\item You can use the \textbf{geometry} package to make a document have a paper size of half letter.
\item You can use the \textbf{geometry} package to make a document have a paper size of half letter.
\item You can make your top margin larger by using \verb|\addtolength| \\\verb|{\topmargin}{0.5in}| but there is not a similar parameter for the bottom margin. Instead, you need to make the text box shorter by using \verb|\addtolength{\textheight}{-1in}|.
\item You can make your top margin larger by using \verb|\addtolength| \\\verb|{\topmargin}{0.5in}| but there is not a similar parameter for the bottom margin. Instead, you need to make the text box shorter by using \verb|\addtolength{\textheight}{-1in}|.
\item Want to show inline code without executing it? Use \verb|verb| following by two pipes. Place your code between the pipes. (I had to use two of those in \#7, because that code just went right off the edge of the page when I only used one.)
\item Want to show inline code without executing it? Use \verb|verb| following by two pipes. Place your code between the pipes. (I had to use two of those in \#7, because that code just went right off the edge of the page when I only used one.)
\item Need a little space between elements? Just insert \verb|\,| (that is, a backslash followed by a comma).
\item Need a little space between elements? Just insert \verb|\,| (that is, a backslash followed by a comma).
\item Footnotes reset back to the number one with each chapter. To prevent that, add \verb|\counterwithout{foootnote}{chapter}| to the preamble.
\end{enumerate}
\end{enumerate}
Like I said, I'm still a newb and I may be completely wrong or off base on some of these things, in which case, I'll make a note of that in a future issue \footnote{Always assuming that there \textit{will} be another issue.}
Like I said, I'm still a newb and I may be completely wrong or off base on some of these things, in which case, I'll make a note of that in a future issue \footnote{Always assuming that there \textit{will} be another issue.}