How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Command Line

Description

The command line evokes fear from many. But the command line can be your friend. Command line mastery can create a sense of authority with software documentation. With a little practice, you too can learn to stop worrying and love the command line.

In this talk, I'll provide a live demonstration of how you can:

  1. Navigate through directories, find files, and isolate code excerpts
  2. Connect securely to remote systems (ssh)
  3. Open files in a text editor
  4. Manage packages from binaries to installation
  5. Create and manage a git branch
  6. Combine commands in a script

At the end of this talk, you'll have a list of "essential" command line skills. You'll also know why these skills are important. With these skills, as software documentarians you'll be able to:

  1. Set up software that’s currently in development
  2. Contribute to most software repositories
  3. Learn how to configure software, from a deployer point of view
  4. Provide a checklist for newer documentarians (and the people who train them)
  • Conference: Write the Docs PORTLAND
  • Year: 2019

About the speaker

Mike Jang