Want to Learn Linux

[GenieLoch]

You can learn first step bash coding..

[poonampsychlg]

you cant learn Linux per se ...just install in dual boot if you love windows so much and try switching to healthy Linux instead of Sick windows day by day!

[atod539]

Gentoo or Linux from Scratch.

Gentoo is the more practical choice is it has portage which manages your source packages. Everything in Gentoo is built from source and its continually updated so you NEVER upgrade, you're always upgraded every time you:
emerge --sync,
emerge -uDp system
emerge -uDp world

You drop the "p"s above when you ready to compolie on the mew packages.

If you use SUSE (like I did when I first started all this in the nineties) then unfortunately, you learn SUSE, not linux,
Redhat Fedora, same, that's what you learn, not Linux per say.

Your call but I like Gentoo. I've heard good things about Arch but its pre-built packages and you put together your install from scratch.

If you're going to use pre-built packages, you might as well use windows. The whole point of Linux is source so, as Obiwan would say, "Use the source Luke!"

Cheers,
Jim

[aurantis]

I used Gentoo for a few years. My problem with it was the long time it took to compile things. I wanted a different browser.....so it needed to compile it from source.....took over 12 hours which wasn't ideal.
Also, I feel that the real power in Gentoo lies in the ability to tweak compilation options to fit your individual setup - but if you're not a power user, you won't know how, and so this limits the distro's use for Linux newbies.

[yanyan]

Originally Posted by CB Chuckles

Hi Folks,
I'm a longtime Win/PC user but I've just recently started playing with Ubuntu and I like it. As I understand it, the Linux + certification mostly tests the command line operations in Linux. Since I'm interested in getting that cert, I'm thinking that I could use a good book to start teaching me the various command and switches, etc. Can anyone recommend a good how-to book suitable for a beginner?

Thanks in advance.

CB

Here are other guides to the comand line:

http://linoxide.com/guide/linux-command-shelf.html
http://tldp.org/LDP/sag/html/index.html

[Plotin]

One of the most insteresting sites on Linux is http://linuxcommand.org/

and there's a freely and legally downloadable version of the book "The Linux command line" which is the best book i've read on Linux.

[cylnz]

Debian, child, Debian.

no, it's not roll-your-own like gentoo/LFS.

90% of folks dont need them, they just want a working computer that isnt microshaft or crapple.

Linux mint XFCE is very very VERY easy. I put all the old folks in the family on Mint a few years ago and they didnt notice it wasnt winxp/vista that they had before. I even used m$ icons in png format so the little pictures looked right to them. Only got one call about it, "Why is my "blue E" internet thing saying Palemoon in the program?" dont worry about it, it's a special version. they all love it.

[ViceLikeEye]

Hey Cy,

For a couple of years now I've toyed with the idea of making an Unbuntu machine. I almost made the switch on my last PC but it died of a PSU issue (long story).

About a year ago a former friend made the switch to Unbuntu. He said it was pretty good. He didn't lose too much functionality; Meaning most of his stuff still worked. Then he decided that he needed to be an agitated hemorrhoid and he stopped talking to me, so I didn't get a long term - big picture of his experience.

My new main PC; Running Windows 7 (I ordered it specifically with W7 because fuck 8 thru 10) is fine, it has an issue or two but I believe they are BIOS related so an OS swap wouldn't help that.

I have a Toshiba laptop that is more or less a paperweight. It was never the best spec. 2GB of ram, running Windows 7 - 64 bit also. The OS is basically screwed. It takes a few minutes to boot. Then you have to give another few minutes before you can touch it or it freezes. I researched how to revive it and every road is blocked. PC's don't come with discs anymore. My key code on the back is rubbed off so getting fresh OS copy isn't an option; MS is paranoid of piracy. I'm wondering if Unbuntu is an option? Or Mint as you were saying. Being a "backup" PC, if shit hits the fan, no biggie, I'll recycle the laptop. As far as functionality goes, how far off is it really? Does it play well with most programs? Does it communicate (networking) with Windows? Is it RAM hungry? This PC, if fixed won't do any "heavy lifting", my main PC is the workhorse; Photoshop, etc. I think that's how I screwed the OS up. Too much heavy lifting with Photoshop. Asking way too much from that 2GB of RAM. Plus laptops overheat quickly and more easily, which also leads to diminishing performance.

You say Mint is very easy to use but how hard is the installation? I'm smarter than the average bear when it comes to PC's compared to my friends and family, but I'm no expert. Many times I've been roped into being their IT guy.

I just watched the first 5 minutes of this video.

You Tube

You Tube

He was talking about a lot of stuff that went over my head. Mint looks sort of familiar, but very different at the same time. There are many different version of Mint. This guy was saying he rolled back. How will I know I have the best version? It's all a bit alien to me.

Sorry for the mini-book and the many questions. Thanks in advance.

Vice

[cylnz]

how to fix your old lappy.

max the ram and get an SSD drive. whabam, nifty cheap laptop. (until the psu dies, or screen dies, or fans die).

want to try Mint XFCE? no installation necessary (in fact, I dont load an OS until I know all the hardware in it works)

every Mint installation image is a complete bootable system that runs from thumbdrive

as long as your laptop can boot from usb drive youre golden. If not then you can burn a dvd and do the same thing with a live system on disc.

Personally, I have a single 32GB thumbdrive that has anywhere from 5 to 10 OS's on it at any time.

mint cinamon, mint mate, mint xfce, debian, raspbian, LFS, gentoo, fedora, win7, vista, xp, winpe.

all in a grub setup that allows you to start whichever one you want.

I recommend Mint+XFCE for anything more than 3 years old since it's ultra light but still functional. (there are other even lighter desktops but i find they are light, not useful).

http://lifewire.com/create-uefi...nt-usb-2202084

that will show you how easy and guide you thru making a bootable drive

Try it out, no need to install (YES, it is a lot slower than a proper install, but you can get an idea and make sure all your hardware works.) hit me up any time for a bit of help if you have crunchy bits.

[cylnz]

http://pendrivelinux.com/instal...ve-in-windows/


this is the program i use to make my multi OS drives, real easy.

As far as which version depends on you laptop.

sometimes linux changes to keep up with hardware like 32bit vs 64bit etc. figuring out which version of linux will work best is usually about 1 year after the computer model was released (all the bugs will have been worked out by then or never will be)

some models have/were specifically buggered against linux by microshit. (it was actually argued in court that linux was piracy because only microsoft was allowed to make operating systems) some will never ever work because the bios was engineered to only allow phone home to check windows versions (ha! fuck them we hacked the bios's) lots of printers STILL dont work. (i had a nifty samsung all in one that was total fail in any linux because linux didnt allow the printer to send a copy of everything done to samsung)

yep, that sucker went out into a parking lot at warp speed. (wtf is that copy2mfr shit).

oh well,, it can go on and on lol