usr/man/cat1/learn.0



LEARN(1)            UNIX Programmer's Manual             LEARN(1)


N\bNA\bAM\bME\bE
     learn - computer aided instruction about UNIX

S\bSY\bYN\bNO\bOP\bPS\bSI\bIS\bS
     l\ble\bea\bar\brn\bn [ -\b-directory ] [ subject [ lesson ] ]

D\bDE\bES\bSC\bCR\bRI\bIP\bPT\bTI\bIO\bON\bN
     _\bL_\be_\ba_\br_\bn gives Computer Aided Instruction courses and practice
     in the use of UNIX, the C Shell, and the Berkeley text edi-
     tors.  To get started simply type l\ble\bea\bar\brn\bn.  If you had used
     _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn before and left your last session without completing a
     subject, the program will use information in $HOME/.learnrc
     to start you up in the same place you left off.  Your first
     time through, _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn will ask questions to find out what you
     want to do.  Some questions may be bypassed by naming a _\bs_\bu_\bb_\b-
     _\bj_\be_\bc_\bt, and more yet by naming a _\bl_\be_\bs_\bs_\bo_\bn.  You may enter the
     _\bl_\be_\bs_\bs_\bo_\bn as a number that _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn gave you in a previous ses-
     sion.  If you do not know the lesson number, you may enter
     the _\bl_\be_\bs_\bs_\bo_\bn as a word, and _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn will look for the first les-
     son containing it.  If the _\bl_\be_\bs_\bs_\bo_\bn is `-\b-', _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn prompts for
     each lesson; this is useful for debugging.

     The _\bs_\bu_\bb_\bj_\be_\bc_\bt's presently handled are

          files
          editor
          vi
          morefiles
          macros
          eqn
          C

     There are a few special commands.  The command `bye' ter-
     minates a _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn session and `where' tells you of your pro-
     gress, with `where m' telling you more.  The command `again'
     re-displays the text of the lesson and `again _\bl_\be_\bs_\bs_\bo_\bn' lets
     you review _\bl_\be_\bs_\bs_\bo_\bn.  There is no way for _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn to tell you
     the answers it expects in English, however, the command
     `hint' prints the last part of the lesson script used to
     evaluate a response, while `hint m' prints the whole lesson
     script.  This is useful for debugging lessons and might pos-
     sibly give you an idea about what it expects.

     The -\b-_\bd_\bi_\br_\be_\bc_\bt_\bo_\br_\by option allows one to exercise a script in a
     nonstandard place.

F\bFI\bIL\bLE\bES\bS
     /usr/lib/learn subtree for all dependent directories and
     files
     /usr/tmp/pl*   playpen directories
     $HOME/.learnrc startup information


Printed 7/9/88            May 15, 1986                          1


LEARN(1)            UNIX Programmer's Manual             LEARN(1)


S\bSE\bEE\bE A\bAL\bLS\bSO\bO
     csh(1), ex(1)
     B. W. Kernighan and M. E. Lesk, _\bL_\bE_\bA_\bR_\bN - _\bC_\bo_\bm_\bp_\bu_\bt_\be_\br-_\bA_\bi_\bd_\be_\bd
     _\bI_\bn_\bs_\bt_\br_\bu_\bc_\bt_\bi_\bo_\bn _\bo_\bn _\bU_\bN_\bI_\bX

B\bBU\bUG\bGS\bS
     The main strength of _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn, that it asks the student to use
     the real UNIX, also makes possible baffling mistakes.  It is
     helpful, especially for nonprogrammers, to have a UNIX ini-
     tiate near at hand during the first sessions.

     Occasionally lessons are incorrect, sometimes because the
     local version of a command operates in a non-standard way.
     Occasionally a lesson script does not recognize all the dif-
     ferent correct responses, in which case the `hint' command
     may be useful.  Such lessons may be skipped with the `skip'
     command, but it takes some sophistication to recognize the
     situation.

     To find a _\bl_\be_\bs_\bs_\bo_\bn given as a word, _\bl_\be_\ba_\br_\bn does a simple
     _\bf_\bg_\br_\be_\bp(1) through the lessons.  It is unclear whether this
     sort of subject indexing is better than none.

     Spawning a new shell is required for each of many user and
     internal functions.

     The `vi' lessons are provided separately from the others.
     To use them see your system administrator.


Printed 7/9/88            May 15, 1986                          2