3lade Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 I've been messing about with Linux for a while and getting used to it and trying to get more and more people to try it. But reading through this board and bits I realise I need to know more, things like compiling, kernels and the guts of the system. Bare in mind I'm a M$ born user and c:/windows/system was always a no go, programs installed (well some times) and the system was just 'there'. Where's the best place to look, or boxs to buy. The best I found was the dummies guide to linux in a local pc shop, next to 100 books on windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 I suggest O'Reilly's "Running Linux" and of course, "Linux in a nutshell" is a great reference book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyv Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 best place to look is a google search. If you really want to learn, a LFS system might be for you RUTE is a good doc http://linux.tnc.edu.tw/techdoc/linux-books/rute/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 If you have a broadband connection, GENTOO! Learn alot hands on. :mystismiles: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted June 10, 2003 Report Share Posted June 10, 2003 If you have a broadband connection, GENTOO! Learn alot hands on. :mystismiles: yeah, that is a good idea too..sorry, i was more thinking books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonMage Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 Heh.. yeah.. the best lesson comes from experience.. I think I learn much more about linux when I was playing with slackware back in the late 90s. Mandrake really spoils me right now, but I don't want to change because I will lose my broadband soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lade Posted June 11, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 The whole Gentoo thing sounds a bit much. If I can put together a spare PC at home I will give it a try. Until then we keep searching and absorbing as much as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phunni Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 Gentoo really isn't that difficult - just follow the install instructions to the letter (and feel free to ask for help here). The only thing I would say is to practice compiling your kernel a few times. Again, not really difficult, but it'll take a few times to begin to get it right and before you feel confident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 3lade, sounds like you were a 'fair weather windows user'. You know, if it stops working reboot and if it still doesn't work reinstall. This is largely normal for windows users becuause it just isn't documented but that is areally big difference in Linux. The ultimate documentation is considered the source code but that doesn't mean its all thats out there. Ive seen a book called Linux for Windows users but I haven't read it so I can't recommend it, perhaps you could find it in a bookshop and take a look before buying.... In reality Linux is much simpler than windows, it's just a different way of doing things that you have been conditioned to do one way. The Windows registry for instance is a real scary place for a normal user as is playing with windows/system. The difference in Linux is config files are usually plain text and almost always in a directory /etc. I suggest learning the directory structure first, it will let you understand what is what. By this I mean /etc configuration files (aka registry and .ini files) /bin executable files for the system windows dir ? /sbin special executables usually for root only (windows system) /var logs, spool files, things that change all the time (temp) /usr user installed files (program files?) Subdirs especially X11R6 is the X windows stuff, not considered the core operating system therefore its here. /home personal documents etc. (My Documents?) but also like a desktop profile with .kde etc (a dot in front of a directory makes it 'hidden' but if you type ls -a you see them too) It may sound complicated but as everyone keeps saying putting the system together from scratch is the best way to learn. I'd recommend start off by using tools for configuring stuff (use the Mdk control centre, or linux conf or webmin) but then look through the files and try and work out what stuff is. You'll learn incrementally. typing man <command> will usually bring up the instructions. You can also use info <command> or look for documentation. /usr/share/docs contains a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 Something else that I realized after posting, but since windows 3.11, I have always had a computer that I could crash without losing important data. With linux, dual booting a couple of distros, or even the virus magnet xp, enables a user to have safe data and to play at the same time! So I would encourage you to consider having a linux distro to experiment with, without worrying about lost data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulSe Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 Instead of going the gentoo 'root' (get it?, huh?, get it?), why not start by recompiling your mandrake kernel? It sounds complicated, but it isn't really and it will teach you so much about the core linux system. There are many good books out, but I would personally save my money and make use of the many great websites dedicated to educating Linux users. The Linux Documentation project springs to mind.... I consider myself to be a perpetual newbie, constantly reading and learning. I still have a long way to go... it's the journey, not the destination (zen linux philosophy... or a heap of crap I came up with :wink: - should start a website for it...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 SoulSe has an excellent idea. Compile a kernel. You will learn more than you want trying to figure out what all that stuff means. And you can keep your "good" kernel, so that you don't need to worry about destroying your system! :wink: (I am a destruction expert! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aru Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 I agree in the fact that gentoo is the BEST distro to learn. Take it this way: while you are waiting for EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM to be downloaded, compiled, and installed, you get BORED. And this is the best way to learn, because you are SO BORED USING GENTOO that you find FUN READING THE MANUALS, BOOKS, HOWTOS... Then you LEARN. Understand this post as a troll against you "gentoo-ill" users Ofcourse you can read the manuals anytime, you don't have to install gentoo to do that. But while many distros are evolving to make the user/admin life easier, some of those users/admins forget (or don't care) to read even the basic manuals/docs/howtos. I promise you that every distro includes those basic manuals, books..., and if not you can always find them in www.tldp.org IMHO the best way to learn is try to. No need to go to any exotic or bizarre distro (another thing is that you want to have fun building every single app from its sources by your own) ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 damn garu trolls! but he is right-you don't _have_ to go to gentoo to learn, however, i found that it _forced_ me to learn-since I lack motivation to do it on my own sometimes.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aru Posted June 11, 2003 Report Share Posted June 11, 2003 :lol: That's the same reason that lead me to install slackware in my bedroom's PC :mrgreen: But if I'd have to choose a distro I'll select mandrake because it rocks and it is bullet proof. If you think it is too easy for you, then don't use their config apps (I never do), edit the config files by hand, follow the standard howtos, read books, read tutorials, build your own configuration apps if you need to, create your own updatemdk scripts (vs mdkupdate), install tarballs instead of rpms... do what ever you like... Make your distro to fit your own needs. After all, at the end, you are looking for fun, aren't you. If you put your hands in the mud, you'll learn. No matter what distro are you using (every one runs a kernel, gnu apps, other apps, and X) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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