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Programming for cosmologists

Operating systems

• The main free-licensed operating system is WikipediaEn:GNU - typically GNU/Linux
  • with shell tools - typically GNU - WikipediaEn:Unix_shell
    • e.g. WikipediaEn:Bash_%28Unix_shell%29
  • and a kernel - typically Linux - WikipediaEn:Linux
• Free-licensed alternatives include GNU/kfreebsd, GNU/Hurd and non-free alternatives include UNIX (OSX)

Choose a GNU/Linux distribution

• Choose a distribution
  • WikipediaEn:Comparison_of_Linux_distributions
  • The biggest families of GNU/Linux systems are the Debian (e.g. Ubuntu), Slackware and Redhat (e.g. Fedora) distributions
    • https://static.lwn.net/Distributions/
  • Popularity of GNU/Linux distributions: https://distrowatch.com/
  • Temporary GNU/Linux "live" system on a CD/DVD to run in RAM: e.g. http://www.knoppix.org
• What is the Internet? A lot of the Internet is TCP/IP: WikipediaEn:TCP/IP

Shell tutorials - elementary

• https://barbagroup.github.io/essential_skills_RRC/nix/setup/

slightly more advanced

• WikipediaEn:Redirection_%28computing%29 - input/output, interacting with files
• WikipediaEn:Regular_expression - key to efficient powerful searches of files

Long-term investment - choose an editor

Editors other than emacs and vi have less steep initial learning curves, but less long-term stability and potential. Do you want skills for the long term or the short term?

• emacs: https://karl-voit.at/2021/07/23/emacs-lock-in + WikipediaEn:Emacs
• vi: + WikipediaEn:Vi_%28text_editor%29

Git started with git

• tutorial: https://git-scm.com/docs/gittutorial
• Git cheatsheet by Julia Evans
• WikipediaEn:git - source forges include
  • https://codeberg.org
  • https://sourcehut.org
  • https://giveupgithub.org

-- BoudRoukema - 09 Oct 2019 + ...