Get 'em young

Sweet story from Changelog:

I introduced my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to startx and xmonad. They�re DELIGHTED!
Two years ago, Jacob (then 3) and I built his first computer together. I installed Debian on it, but never put a GUI on the thing. It�s command-line, and has provided lots of enjoyment off and on over the last couple of years. I�ve written extensively about what our boys like to do, and the delight they have at learning things on the command line.

The looks of shock I get from people when I explain, as if it�s perfectly natural, that my child has been able to log in by himself to a Linux shell since age 3, are amusing and astounding. Especially considering that it is really not that hard. Instead of learning how to run an Xbox, he�s learned how to run bash. I like that.

Lately, Jacob (now 5) hasn�t been spending much time with it. He isn�t really at a stage where he wants to push his limits too far, I think, but yet also gets bored with the familiar. So I thought it was time to introduce a GUI in a limited fashion, perhaps to let him download photos and video from his Vtech toy camera (that takes real low-res photos and videos which can be downloaded over a USB1 link). He�s familiar with the concept, at least somewhat, having seen GUIs on Terah�s computer (Gnome 2) and mine (xfce4 + xmonad).

So last night, Oliver (age 2) and I went down to the basement on a mouse-finding expedition. Sure enough, I had an old PS/2 mouse down there that would work fine. The boys both helped string it through the desk up on our play room, and were tremendously excited to see the red light underneath it when the computer came on. Barely able to contain the excitement, really. A bit like I remember being when I got my first mouse (at a bit of an older age, I suppose.)

I helped him them in as root for the very first time. (Jacob typed �root�, and I typed the password, and provided the explanation for why we were telling the computer we were �root�.) Jacob and Oliver alternated typing bits of some apt-get command lines. Then while we waited for software to download, I had to answer repeated questions of �how soon will the mouse work?� and �what does �install� mean?�

Finally it was there, and I told Jacob to type startx. I intentionally did not install a display manager; more on that later. He pressed Enter, the screen went blank for about 5 seconds, and then X appeared. �Excited� can�t begin to describe how they acted. They took turns playing with the mouse. They loved how the trash can icon (I started with XFCE) showed trash IN the trash can.

Those kids are going to be a force of nature when they grow up. My Dad taught me how to solder when I was six years old and for a long time, we would do one electronics project after another (building a digital multiplier from old telephone relays, various radio transmitters and receivers, a stroboscope, lots of stuff). Put me on the path to a 50+ year love of science and electronics.