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Shell Quest
Issue 1 — Shell History 101
Welcome to the first issue of Shell Quest!
In Shell Quest, a wide range of topics from computing history and modern software engineering are explored through the user interface found on all computers: The Shell
Shell Quest is meant to be read like an 80s computer magazine, these magazines came with cassette tapes or floppy disks that contained the software discussed in the magazine. This was fun because you could immediately try out what you were reading about. Likewise, each issue of Shell Quest comes with a Docker image that bundles all the software for that issue, installed and ready to run.
Also a very 80s thing: each Shell Quest issue contains small snippets of code that you can type yourself in the shell (or copy of course, but then you’ll miss out on the learning by doing magic ✨)
Working in the shell or knowing how to program is not a requirement though to enjoy Shell Quest. Don’t worry if you’ve never used a shell before, all steps are clearly explained.
In Shell Quest, the reader is put in the shoes of dr. Typealot, a curious and adventurous computer researcher. As dr. Typealot you can experiment and break things in a safe Docker environment. Whenever you’re stuck just restart the environment.
If you already know how to use the command line and have Docker installed on your computer, jump to section 1 below.
If you don’t have Docker installed (for example because you’re reading this on a tablet), no worries! You can run the Shell Quest container also in your browser, to see how that works go to section number 2 below.
1. Running Shell Quest with Docker
Make sure Docker is installed on your computer. Next, open a terminal and type:
$ docker run -it robvanderleek/sq-i1This will download all parts (layers) of the Docker container and then start it. Once the container starts you will be greeted with the Shell Quest welcome screen:
