May the 4th every year I run Beginner Boost, a live-streamed, interactive, series of community learning sessions focused on helping you know what you don't know and how to learn it.

Beginner Boost

Every May the 4th I hold a free series of live-recorded Beginner Boost sessions on Twitch and YouTube that run through the end of July (or so). Below is the outline of current and planned content. This is a living document; it changes from day to day --- even hour to hour --- like software.

🌟 You may want to Watch this GitHub repo to be notified of updates and changes. A Star would be nice as well. If you want to contribute open an Issue to discuss it. Much of the content will be drawn from my personal Zettelkasten repo and my learning labs (which you might also want to watch for changes, but they are not always Boost related). You can also help fund this project by clicking Sponsor. Thanks.

Day 0, Get Set Up, May the 4th Be With You

[Raw Twitch VOD (will expire in 60 days)]

1. What is the purpose of Beginner Boost?
2. Beginner Boost, Day 0, Logistics
3. Who is the Beginner Boost for?
4. Setup Essential Services

Day 1, Get Motivated to Learn ¡Viva la Revolución!

[Raw Twitch VOD (will expire in 60 days)]

1. Problems with Traditional Education
2. Help Others Learn, A Social Responsibility
3. Become an Autodidact
4. Tribute to Aaron Swartz

Day 2, The Scientific Method, Our Greatest Learning Tool

1. The RWX Method, Refining the Scientific Method
2. Read, Research, Reach Out, Repeat
3. Write Who, What (If), When, Where, Why, and How
4. Explore, Experiment, and Exercise
5. Fail Faster, Fail Better, Fail Often
6. Zettelkasten (Slips in a Box) Knowledge Management System
7. Capture Thoughts as Markdown, The Syntax of Knowledge Source

Day 3, Understand Linux Approach

1. What's Linux? History of UNIX and GNU/Linux
2. Do Macs Use Linux?
3. Does Windows Use Linux?
4. The UNIX Philosophy
5. How Linux Architecture Works
6. When and How Should I Install Linux?

Day 4, Get on the Terminal

Mac: Open and Configure a Mac Terminal
Windows: Install and Configure Modern Windows Terminal
Linux: Open and Configure a Linux Terminal

1. Should I install Git-Bash on Windows?
2. Can't I just use VSCode on Windows?
3. What about Alacritty or ...?

Learn to Use Containers

1. What's a Container and Why Should You Care?
2. Install Docker
   1. Install Docker on Windows
   2. Install Docker on a Mac
   3. Install Docker on Linux
3. What's the Difference Between "Container" and "Image"?
4. Use Docker Basic Commands
   1. Docker Pull
   2. Docker Run
   3. Docker Start
   4. Docker Attach
   5. Docker Stop
   6. Docker Remove
5. Pull, Run, Use, and Manage a Linux Work Container
   1. docker run -it -name work -h work debian

Learn to Use the Linux Terminal

1. What's the Difference Between TUI and CLI?
2. History and Value of Command Line Interfaces
3. Use Bash, Don't Play the Shell Game (For Now)
4. Navigate the Bash Command Line Interface
   1. Use Bash Tab Completion
   2. Use the man Command
   3. Use the ls Command
   4. Use the cd Command
   5. Use the pwd Command
5. Manage Software Packages
   1. Which Package Manager Should I Use?
   2. Use apt update
   3. Use apt install
   4. Use apt remove
6. Create, Move, Rename, and Remove Files
7. Edit Text Files with Vim
   1. Why Vim and Not NeoVim/Emacs/Nano/VSCode?
   2. Restore Esc Key to Its Original Keyboard Home
   3. Do the Vim Tutorial (vimtutor)
   4. Appreciate the Difference Between Vi and Vim
   5. Extend Vim as God Intended (With the Shell)
   6. Start with a Solid and Safe Vim Configuration (.vimrc)
   7. Extend Vim with Plug
   8. Don't Use Vim Pane Splitting (Use TMUX Instead)
   9. Set Vi Mode in Shell (set -o vi)
8. Manage Screen and State with Multiplexers
   1. Any Window Manager Will Do
   2. Screen, the One that Started It All
   3. TMUX, a Modern Multiplexer
   4. Cut and Paste with TMUX Buffers
   5. Customize and Extend TMUX (.tmuxrc)
9. Use a Terminal Web Browser
   1. Why Browse the Web from the Terminal?
   2. Pick a Terminal Web Browser for You
   3. Install and Configure w3m
   4. Install and Configure lynx
   5. Turn Shell History Into Search History
10. Learn Basic POSIX Shell Scripting (It's Not Hard)
11. Customize Bash (.bashrc,.profile)
    1. Customize Your Bash Command Prompt
    2. Colorize Your Pager and man Pages
    3. Prefer Commands Over Aliases (Cuz Subprocs)
12. Finding Anything on Your Computer with find
13. Fetch Files and Debug with Curl
14. See What's Listening with netstat -tulpn and nmap
15. Setup Secure Shell
16. Setup Git and GitHub CLI
17. Preserve Your Dotfiles on GitHub
18. Create a Dotfiles Docker Image

Create and Manage Knowledge Content

1. Structure Data with YAML and JSON
2. Query YAML and JSON with yq and jq
3. Create and Publish Web Documents
   1. Write Basic Pandoc Markdown
   2. Code a Static Site Generator in 10 Lines of Bash
   3. Host Web Content on GitHub and Netlify for Free
   4. Code Basic HTML
   5. Code Basic CSS
   6. Code Basic (DOM) JavaScript
4. KEG, The Knowledge Exchange Grid
   1. What is KEG and Why Should I Care?
   2. Capture Knowledge with kn
   3. Share Knowledge with keg
5. PEGN, Parsing Expression Grammar Notation
   1. Everything's a Grammar
   2. PEGN AST, Consistent Abstract Syntax Tree Notation
   3. Create and Parse Your Own Language
   4. Better Than Regular Expressions

Code C for Understanding

1. Head First C

Code Python for Applications and Automation

1. ??

Code Go for Utilities and Services

1. Code Go Templates

Get Good to Gig

1. The Prescient Technology Professional
2. Use Twitter Productively
3. Follow Usenet News Groups
4. Use IRC and WeeChat from Terminal

Create and Manage Docker Containers

1. Code Dockerfiles

Cloud-Native with Kubernetes

1. Explore Kubernetes Locally with Kind
2. Develop Cloud-Native Applications
3. Deploy Kubernetes Applications with Helm
4. Setup and Administer Kubernetes