I'm wanting to get into computing, but it seems as if I

You can cope by becoming shovel operator.
No maths, commands, operating systems, or anything else that is "daunting".

>>42632436
"Computing" is an awfully broad term. Technically, you're computing right now. You wouldn't say "I want to get into aesthetics" if you wanted to start a line of fashion clothing.

>>42632469
I know right, but it seems like to do anything I'd either need to pay my weight in gold or be able to do it myself.

>>42632478
That's like that in every field. You pay the knowledge and the time people put in to learn.

>>42632490
But I don't have the money to pay these people, which means I have to be able to do it myself.

>>42632496
Of course, i thought you were complaining about the prices. Actually learning and DIY is a pretty valid choice if you have the time.

>>42632436
>maths
You need logic. And math provide you logic. But you can be crap in math, that's not a problem. But if you go further on some specific domain, you'll need it.
>commands
only if you are on Linux, or if you want to do networking and stuff like that.
>OS
a little, yes. You need to know approximatively how it works to understand what you are doing. The amount of knowledge you need, depends on what you want to do.
>networking, security
depends what you want to do.

Don't be afraid of the amount of things you need to know. When you start, it's always easy. Choose a domain (programing, web, networking/security, linux...).

>>42632505
Yeah I respect that people get paid for what they know. Am I just spreading myself too thin..?

>>42632436
Choose SOMETHING. You're talking about "computing", but that's broad as fuck. You wanna learn to program? Set up and manage servers? Work a database? Pick something and start.

After you feel somewhat competent at something, you'll start noticing overlaps, and it gets easier to learn other stuff.

Pick something - I'm sure someone in this thread will have an idea where you could start, but you have to pick something more specific.

>>42632518
>You wanna learn to program? Set up and manage servers? Work a database?
I need to be able to do all of those things.

>>42632516
Depends on what your end goal is. Why do you want to learn? Do you need a specific software made? A website?

>>42632436
>>42632515
>>42632518
this.

and tell us what you want to do with "computing". Do you want to make programs ? configure a network ? create a web site ? go into linux ? ...
+ tell us what you want

>>42632528
>>42632536
I need to be able to write software, math and programming.

I also need to be able to deploy and manage servers. Linux, networking, security, and operating systems.

I also have 2 other projects to work on while learning this stuff.

>>42632526
Start with one. You can't learn everything at once.

You can learn the others later, but you have to start in one place, otherwise you're not going to be able to cope.

>not op

but if I want to start in app design should I start with c? I have no utter clue where to start

>>42632436
As someone who has failed my GCSE Maths exam around three times I can assure you, you don't need Maths to much of a degree, any you do need will be applied stuff that can eaily be discovered if you don't already know it

>>42632553
Write a software to manage an inventory for a big shop.
Use C and your choice of SQL for the database. Run the database on a server (a virtual machine, so you learn about that though). The software will need to calculate how many items you have at any given time, be able to generate statistics about what you sold, when, what you sold more etc. Code it in a Linux enviroment.

You'll learn a lot by trying to make this thing work. Now that you have an end goal, start learning everything you need to make it.

>>42632567
You could, but you shouldn't.

Java is a decent choice. C++ is another.
If you're only into iOS, Objective C is nice in my opinion, but a lot of people dislike it. Can't argue with how great the documentation and programming environment is though.

>>42632553
>I also need to be able to deploy and manage servers. Linux, networking, security, and operating systems.

first : learn programming. Choose a language. Maybe java would be a good idea.
second : once you know how to program, you can learn how to do GUI, with a library. I said java because swing is a good one. But you can also do this with C++ and Qt or in VB.net (vb.net is maybe easier, but few people like it).

in parallel you can install Linux, and learn how to use it.

>>42632567
>>42632605
this.

>>42632567
>but if I want to start in app design should I start with c?

NO

start with something like c# which makes creating GUI like a walk in the park

>>42632436
to learn networking, you can train yourself with this soft :
http://www.marionnet.org/EN/resources.php

>>42632603
Got any materials in mind for that kind of task?

>>42632603
>GUI app in C
Have fun.

>>42632709
That's the whole point.

>>42632658
Not him, but you can do that in MS environment (not recommended here because it's not free like alternatives)

You need Visual Studio 2013 Express to write c# program, SQL server 2012 for database. All of those are free for your small needs

Also, look from CBT nuggets courses, Pluralsight is also good, Infiniteskills also

Those courses can be easily pirated, you only need to know what you actaully need to learn

>>42632720
The only GUI that's easy to program in C is ncurses. It would be foolish to try anything else.

>>42632730
I'm the guy who suggested that, and yeah, i'd do it in C# and MS-SQL too, but he wanted to learn Linux too, that's why i suggested C.

>>42632730
for virtual machine you can take either free Virtualbox or pirate vmWare workstation

i prefer workstation

>>42632720
Maybe your learning style is different to mine, but I prefer a bunch of smaller goals, as opposed to one big one.

>>42632750
Download video tutorials

check YT for small projects (like there are any big projects in YT)

download courses i mentioned here >>42632730

and finally pirate a shitload of ebooks on your subject

>>42632750
Usually i'm like that too, but he wanted to learn EVERYTHING, and i find that the best way to learn stuff is to have a goal, this way he would have to learn pretty much everything except networking to accomplish it.

>>42632774
Good point. He can come up with his own goals when he knows a bit more.

>>42632774
Not OP, but about that your project, item database in a store

how would you set this shit, in little more detial?

(VM) that stores MSSQL database and a client using c# gui program to access it?

what about statistics, all in that c# program?

>>42632773
>and finally pirate a shitload of ebooks on your subject
I did that once, and I read like 2 of them tops.

I've found that it's not very helpful to have a shit tonne of resources - I prefer to have a small amount of good resources because it's easier to focus. Also, buying physical copies of textbooks makes me more likely to read them.

>>42632806
Agreed with everything except that it's better to have less resources

I prefer DLing shitload of stuff, glancing through it and buying physical copies of actualyl good stuff

You know how IT textbooks go, either too simplistic or over the head. It's easy to fuck up

you don't need maths

only basic shit you learn in high-school

>>42632799
I actually work with this things, and usually when we install a system in a shop it works like this:
- A server, windows, with MS-SQL and the management part of the software. That means that from this computer in the office i can generate statistics, print A4 invoices, make all the accounting things i want etc etc. and yeah, generating statistics too, from the same software.
- one or multiple cash registers connected to pc client, which all connects to the server to get the item list (scanning barcodes), these are basically just clients with a printer attached, and a GUI made to sell stuff.

>>42632838
>which all connects to the server to get the item list (scanning barcodes)

Is there any rule in making those barcodes, do you know maybe? What's the secret in all those lines

>>42632867
>Is there any rule in making those barcodes, do you know maybe?
Not him, but it's probably the same as magstripes.

Have an interval size constant.
Black is a 1, white is a 0. Look for the approximate color every interval.

It'd be a pain in the ass without fuzzy logic, but I'm sure there's libraries out there already.

>>42632838
Fucking cool, how hard it is to build all of this from scratch?

Did you make all statistics analytics software or you used some 3rd party solution?

It's all built on win platform?

>>42632436
>how does /g/ cope

...drugs

The trick is to make others think that you konw everything.
In fact every system admin in the world just setup the stuff he allways use and hope it works...

>>42632867
it all depends on the coding system of the barcode. Usually (at least here in Europe, i don't know if it's the same in the US) product barcodes are EAN13, which means they have 13 numbers. The first number and the last number are check digits, to see if the scanner is working fine, the rest are numbers to identify the product. These numbers can be everything you want, it doesn't matter, the check digits gets genereted automatically, it's a sort of error check like you have in networking.
The bars are just the visual representation of the numbers, there is a simple algorithm to generate them.

>>42632882
Depends, if we provide everyhing ourselfs is not too hard, if the client says they want to use their existing hardware it gets pretty hard, because you need to make it all work together and usually you find yourself working with 15+ years old hardware. I didn't write the software we use, we use two softwares depending on the size of the shop and on their needs, we speak with the programmers regularly and i fixed some bugs now and then.
All windows though, which is strange since all the cash registers and most scanners are connected with RS232, so it shouldn't be too hard.

>>42632932
I'm really interested in making this (on a small scale of course) as a learning project (i started learning c# and now starting sql), can you provide me with some email if i need to contact you if i stumble across some difficulties? I will not bother you, i promise. I will mostly need pointers, not actual code

You seem like a helpful guy who knows his shit

OP here, Uni course says Java, so I figure I'll grab Head First Java and get cracking on that.

>>42633041
Sure, this is my throwaway mail, feel free to write if you need something (mail field).

>>42633070
Thanks man, i saved it

I will start thinking this through, if i ever get lost i will contact you on this mail

sent mail

bumb: pretty good read