An Introduction to Re-introducing Ourselves to Computers

In this session we will get intimate with our own computers and write poetry with their logic. This workshop is an introduction to writing folder poetry, and navigating the command line interface using a language called Bash.

Coding isn’t something that just happens behind your screen. It can be a holistic practice surrounding the computer, the programmer, the relationship they have with each other, and the environments they create together.

This workshop assumes no coding experience and simultaneously takes the position that everyone who interacts with computers in some way is already a programmer.  

 

 

Setup + Tips!

Download the Garden of Forking Paths

  • Download this zip file from Cryptpad
  • by default this will probably land in your Downloads folder
    • unzip the file. now you should see a folder called ‘digital-love-languages’
    • move this folder into your ‘home’ folder that we will open using terminal
  • Locate your ‘home’ folder. This where we will work from and store files in class, not on the Desktop ☺︎
    • for Macs:
      • Open Iterm
      • Enter this command: 
        • open .
    • for Windows:
      • Open Git Bash
      • enter this command: 
        • explorer .

Text Editor

  • Install Atom
    • Uncheck the show welcome messages check box
    • on the top left, Atom > Install Shell Commands

Windows Terminal

  • Download Git Bash
  • How to copy and paste a line in Git bash?
    • Ctrl + Shift + C / V

Mac Terminal: 

  • We’ll use Iterm or the default Mac Terminal
  • To open, press CMD + SPACE & search for Terminal (it’ll also be in your applications folder

 

Helpful Terms

 

Folder Poetry Best Practices

  • ? All lowercase filenames and folder names
  • ? No spaces
    • ? Use dashes or underscores. for example: my_file.txt or my-file.txt
  • ? All files must have a file extension such as .txt

 

Bash commands

 

Folder Poetry Examples

 

 

 

Guiding Resources & Readings

 

 

☽☼ Homework Due Next Week

Homework is a gift to yourself, and often to each other, not to me so please take and leave what serves you

Folder Poems

Create a Folder Poem Using only terminal and (optionally) a text editor. This can be based off your writing from last week but doesn’t have to be.

To share your poems:

  1. Add a compressed zip file of your poem to this Google Drive Folder ?
  2. Add screenshots to this Arena channel ?
create screenshots of your poem in the way that makes most sense for your poem. The tree & treefile command in terminal can be nice for showing an overhead view of your poem, a place to take screenshots. If your poem is very expansive, highlight the parts that are most meaningful to you in screenshots.

Reminder: 

  • ? All lowercase filenames and folder names
  • ? No spaces
    • ? Use dashes or underscores. for example: my_file.txt or my-file.txt
  • ? All files must have a file extension such as .txt

~~~~misc items below~~~~

To test which shell we’re using, copy this line into your terminal.

From Wikipedia on Shells, “In computing, a shell is a user interface for access to an operating system‘s services. In general, operating system shells use either a command-line interface (CLI) or graphical user interface (GUI), depending on a computer’s role and particular operation.”

echo $0

?we should see the terminal return: -bash, let me know if you see zsh instead

Let’s check the weather in our local locations!

Paste the following line in your terminal to check the weather

curl wttr.in