An environment to learn in
Generally speaking, most of us obtain a copy of the software we are interested in learning and quickly install it, anxious to get started right away and discover all that it might have to offer. This usually provides some amount of instantaneous gratification, but it also provides some eventual reworking, reinstalling, reconfiguring, or even revisiting the source (of the software) to secure a new copy once the initial discovery phase has passed.
In addition, it is always advisable to thoroughly understand the environmental cost, configuration options, and perhaps how to troubleshoot or diagnose certain behaviors of any software you install and use.
Lastly, to make the most productive use of your time, it is a good idea to understand the bigger picture or the long-term vision for where the technology is now, how it is being used, and what might be the future opportunities for it and for someone who is proficient in it.
To this end, the following are some general tips...
