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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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What're some of the dumbest things you've done to yourself in Linux? (lemmy.ca)

submitted 7 months ago by danielquinn@lemmy.ca to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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I'm working on a some materials for a class wherein I'll be teaching some young, wide-eyed Windows nerds about Linux and we're including a section we're calling "foot guns". Basically it's ways you might shoot yourself in the foot while meddling with your newfound Linux powers.

I've got the usual forgetting the . in lines like this:

$ rm -rf ./bin

As well as a bunch of other fun stories like that one time I mounted my Linux home folder into my Windows machine, forgot I did that, then deleted a parent folder.

You know, the war stories.

Tell me yours. I wanna share your mistakes so that they can learn from them.

Fun (?) side note: somehow, my entire ${HOME}/projects folder has been deleted like... just now, and I have no idea how it happened. I may have a terrible new story to add if I figure it out.

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[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 7 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Let a narcisist bipolar family member onto my home server for phaseI. For phaseII I granted too much access in sudo because I was busy. Fast forward a year or two and a downswing triggers the victim rage and he attempts to wreck my server after a minor argument -- would have, too, if I wasn't keenly aware of a conversation he had a few weeks before where he detailed "how to fuck with someone horribly" to a peer and I used that recollection to reverse the damage. It was a lucky thing, and 25 years on I have better security and backup processes.

I still regret that. #family, right?

[–] AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net 2 points 7 months ago

Not got any computer related stories from my messed up family, but I can relate to many of the vibes here. Solidarity on the family front.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I would just give them there own VM. They can blow it up and it will do notho. Bonus if you can restore it quickly.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 4 points 7 months ago

Ah, but 25 years ago? No easy vm setup. And I trusted the guy then, so I wasn't guarded as I should be.

We learn through pain.