4.4BSD/usr/share/man/cat1/learn.0

LEARN(1)                     BSD Reference Manual                     LEARN(1)

NNAAMMEE
     lleeaarrnn - computer aided instruction about UNIX

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
     lleeaarrnn [--_d_i_r_e_c_t_o_r_y] [_s_u_b_j_e_c_t [_l_e_s_s_o_n]]

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
     LLeeaarrnn gives Computer Aided Instruction courses and practice in the use of
     UNIX, the C Shell, and the Berkeley text editors.  To get started simply
     type lleeaarrnn. If you had used lleeaarrnn before and left your last session with-
     out completing a subject, the program will use information in
     _$_H_O_M_E_/_._l_e_a_r_n_r_c to start you up in the same place you left off.  Your
     first time through, lleeaarrnn will ask questions to find out what you want to
     do.  Some questions may be bypassed by naming a _s_u_b_j_e_c_t, and more yet by
     naming a _l_e_s_s_o_n. You may enter the _l_e_s_s_o_n as a number that lleeaarrnn gave you
     in a previous session.  If you do not know the lesson number, you may en-
     ter the _l_e_s_s_o_n as a word, and lleeaarrnn will look for the first lesson con-
     taining it.  If the _l_e_s_s_o_n is `--', lleeaarrnn prompts for each lesson; this is
     useful for debugging.

     The _s_u_b_j_e_c_t _'_s presently handled are

           files
           editor
           vi
           morefiles
           macros
           eqn
           C

     There are a few special commands.  The command `bye' terminates a lleeaarrnn
     session and `where' tells you of your progress, with `where m' telling
     you more.  The command `again' re-displays the text of the lesson and
     `again _l_e_s_s_o_n' lets you review _l_e_s_s_o_n. There is no way for lleeaarrnn 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 possibly give you an idea about what it expects.

     Normally, lesson scripts are found in the directory _/_u_s_r_/_l_i_b_a_t_a_/_l_e_a_r_n_.
     The --ddiirreeccttoorryy option allows one to specify a nonstandard place to look
     for scripts.

FFIILLEESS
     /usr/lib/learn      Subtree for all dependent directories and files.
     /usr/tmp/pl*        Playpen directories.
     $HOME/.learnrc      Startup information.

SSEEEE AALLSSOO
     csh(1),  ex(1)

     B. W. Kernighan, and M. E. Lesk, _L_E_A_R_N _- _C_o_m_p_u_t_e_r_-_A_i_d_e_d _I_n_s_t_r_u_c_t_i_o_n _o_n
     _U_N_I_X.

BBUUGGSS
     The main strength of lleeaarrnn, 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 initiate 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 different 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 _l_e_s_s_o_n given as a word, lleeaarrnn does a simple fgrep(1) through
     the lessons.  It is unclear whether this sort of subject indexing is bet-
     ter than none.

     Spawning a new shell is required for each of many user and internal func-
     tions.

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

HHIISSTTOORRYY
     The lleeaarrnn command appeared in Version 32V AT&T UNIX.

AT&T 7th Edition                 June 6, 1993                                2