If a programmer tells you to use vim or emacs, tell them, “No.” These editors are for when you are a better programmer. All you need right now is an editor that lets you put text into a file. We will use gedit because it is simple and the same on all computers. Professional programmers use gedit so it’s good enough for you starting out.
A programmer may try to get you to install Python 3 and learn that. You should tell them, “When all of the python code on your computer is Python 3, then I’ll try to learn it.” That should keep them busy for about 10 years.
A programmer will eventually tell you to use Mac OSX or Linux. If the programmer likes fonts and typography, they’ll tell you to get a Mac OSX computer. If they like control and have a huge beard, they’ll tell you to install Linux. Again, use whatever computer you have right now that works. All you need is gedit, a Terminal, and python.
Finally the purpose of this setup is so you can do three things very reliably while you work on the exercises:
Anything else will only confuse you, so stick to the plan. [x]
I forgot I’d bookmarked this over the summer when I’d thought about learning Python. Good thing, too, because snark and problem-based learning increase my efficiency by 120%.
(I like control but I don’t have a huge beard.)
