ManXamples

Origin: After migrating from OpenBSD to Linux for my main Operating System, I found myself constantly searching the web for command strings for common tasks, many of which are well documented in the OpenBSD manpages, but differ in syntax across platforms. This Wiki is intended to address this issue, which I believe will benefit the community as a whole by laying the syntax bare for novice users, which will then in turn result in less forum posts for relatively simple issues. This should also help Ubuntu migrate into the server and HPC space, where the CLI may be the preferred input and administrative method by users in those areas. Lastly, it should also ease the transition to Ubuntu from other distributions and Operating Systems by providing quick and dirty examples for the main functions of each command and how they are to be used in conjunction of the higher level goal of providing a service.

Description: To enrich the Ubuntu CLI documentation by offering expanded example sections, created and edited by the community, to provide carefully thought out examples that have been painstakingly crafted and tweaked by the power users to always be the shortest, most effective, and non-deprecated forms of the command in question.

Procedure:

  • Choose a command which you are familiar with.

    • Check the index below to see if there is already a ManXample entry for this command

    • If the page does not exist, please create one using the BugTag format. After that, custom command strings may be entered for possible merger with the documentation, or to be referenced by the documentation and cached with major search engines so that users will always have a practical, updated guide for syntax reference.

    • If the pages does exist, feel free to suggest changes or modifications to listed entries. Also, consider that for some applications, such as vsftp or other daemons, a shortlist of the locations for relevant configuration files is handy for everyone to know, and ensures the proper files are edited. A common example of this is users making changes to their "rc.conf" instead of "rc.conf.local". Lastly, if there is a more current or more posix-compliant way to initiate or load daemons, services, or commands that the Ubuntu community is trying to standardize or deprecate, ManXamples is an idea opportunity to educate new users on the latest invocations and standards, as well as provide a reference for the rest of us.

    • Try to remember that often times users learn by example, and require functional examples to educate them to the proper level before they are able to understand the full complexity of a command and all if it's switches. The lack of basic command knowledge precludes most users from simply reading a 100 page command reference and coming out with a functional string, a quick look at the "SAMBA" man page is enough to send most users running.

    • Also, please include interactions between common commands. Many users wish to combine functions together, such as "find + grep + mv" that require advanced BASH skills which are cryptic to most novice users.

    • Lastly, when applicable, try to include a basic high-level work-flow for common tasks, such as setting up a Chroot for an FTP server. Most users are more interested in getting things working and less concerned with being a Bashologist, thus the same 5 strings should apply for most users, improving their perception and thus proliferation of Ubuntu while simultaneously freeing the forums for more pressing questions.

  • Next, simply list the page you have created here, so users have a single index of commands. Then, when your changes are complete, use the page you creaded or edited to commit the changes to the developers for consideration.

ManXamples (last edited 2008-08-25 17:33:39 by 12)