Intro To Command Line + Vim

The command line! Nothing looks more ridiculously outdated and nerdy. Is it really worth learning it? I mean, what even is going on here?

If you see people use the command line and it makes you feel overwhelmed, incompetent, or just confused as to why such a thing still exists in 2016, then this class is for you! In this short, one-evening class, you'll go from feeling like this:

...to this!

And in just a few hours, we'll discover a wonderful secret together:

YOU TOTALLY GOT THIS

It's not that hard! It's not as hard as you're probably imagining.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

This class will give a quick, interactive tour of all basic Unix commands, even including a whirlwind tour of editors—including my favorite editor, vim! You aren't expected to have it all memorized by the end of the class, but you will know what you don't know, and you'll know where to look things up when you need them later.

Specifically, you'll learn how to use the command line to create, read, edit, move, and copy files; how to use built-in help documentation; how to install fresh new apps; how to pipe things together like a pro; and how to access other computers to do all of that on them.

You will be expected to have your own computer and to follow along with everything.

Prerequisites: Programming experience is not required. You must have administrative privileges on your laptop.

For Mac & Linux users – If your computer is less than 10 years old you should be good to go. You don't need to install additional software.

You'll need a Unix compatible system at your disposal, which means a Mac or Linux laptop. You cannot use a Windows laptop for this course. We are not planning on offering a Windows version of this course in the immediate future. Not because we don't love you, or because Windows isn't important, but because we don't have adequate materials to teach an equivalent course to Windows users.

We will have a few Macs on hand that students can use during the class, if you would like to borrow one, please get in touch: jddionisio [at] gmail [dot] com.

If you need help, please arrive at least 30 minutes early.

ABOUT THE TEACHER:

Chad Ostrowski started using vim as his main editor when he got his first real web developer job. Sublime Text didn't exist at the time, and the Ruby community (of which he was a timid new member) had grown weary of a relic called TextMate. He heard people had started switching back to vim, which sounded insane to him, and so he wanted to see how the heck that even made sense. Six years later, he loves it and sees no reason to ever switch! He now works with ReactJS (https://facebook.github.io/react/index.html) at Citrusbyte (https://citrusbyte.com/) and tweets at @chadoh (http://twitter.com/chadoh).

All attendees are expected to abide by the Girl Develop It Code of Conduct (http://www.girldevelopit.com/codeofconduct).

Questions? Interested in being a TA? Get in touch! jddionisio [at] gmail [dot] com