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Documentation in Linux comes in packages of various
sizes, from the mere listing of command line options to complete manuals.
What is...
whatis command
names the program's purpose. It queries the man page
database (see below), so it only works if the program has a man page. Example:
whatis rm
rm (1) - remove files or directories
The number after the command shows which section its
man-page is in. Type<q> to leave the summary.
Command line options
Most programs supply a switch offering a short explanation
on their usage. Regrettably there's no standard, so you might have to try
some switches:
-
Commands which require options print a help message
if you issue them without options, e.g. 'rpm' or 'tar'.
-
Built-in shell commands like 'alias' use the shell's
help system:help command.
-
System utilities usually take the '--help' parameter.
-
Others will often listen to one of these: '-?',
'-h' or '-help'.
If neither of these work, you have to look elsewhere.
Manuals ('Man' and 'Info' Pages)
Most commands come with either 'man' or 'info' pages:
Try 'man' first since most programs documented in the
info format also have a man-page. These can be quite technical, since they
are often written by the very people who wrote the program and some programmers
are just not very good at writing documentation. ;-) However, they provide
the most competent information about how a program works, which options it
accepts and sometimes even examples on how to use them.
Docs In 'doc' Directory
Many programs come with additional documentation like
README files, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) or even user manuals. You
can find them in the '/usr/share/doc' directory (pre-7.2: '/usr/doc').
Usually these documents are part of the package you
install. There's one notable exception, though, and that's the Linux kernel.
You get this very useful collection of documents either if you install the
kernel-sources package (then the documentation resides in '/usr/src/linux/Documentation')
or by installing the separate kernel-docs package (then it's '/usr/(share)/doc/kernel-docs-[version]').
HOWTOs, FAQs, E-Books
These documents are maintained by members of the Linux Documentation Project (LDP). Some
of them are available in languages other than English.
The HTML version is usually included in ML (except for 7.0) and located in
'/usr/share/doc/HOWTO/other-formats/html/' (pre-7.2: '/usr/doc/HOWTO/[...]').
If you prefer another format (ASCII text, PDF, PostScript), you can download the appropriate package
from linuxdoc.
HOWTOs are written by experienced Linux users and currently cover more than
300 topics, like configuring special hardware, setting up and using software,
transition from other operating systems, troubleshooting etc. If you don't
know how to do something, have a look at them first. Most of them are written
in the manner of my pages.
Even if you have the offline version installed, it's a good idea to pay a
visit to the online
index, since many HOWTOs are updated regularly.
The LDP also maintains other documents, like the guides, which resemble books.
They cover broader topics like security, general administration, networking
and the Linux kernel. Some of them are written especially with users new
to Linux in mind.
A third LDP section contains the FAQ documents with the indispensable,
must-read, can't-do-without Linux FAQ. Many
(and I mean many) questions on Linux in general and in particular are answered
here.
Books
Reading documents on a computer monitor is quite a hard
job for your eyes and your mind. Either you print them, or you get yourself
some 'real' books. Nowadays there are tons of books on GNU/Linux available,
here is a pitiful collection of them:
-
Linux in a Nutshell,
by Jessica P. Hekman et al., O'Reilly, 3rd edition, 2000 is a sure bet.
It covers all the basic bash shell commands as well as Perl, shell scripting,
the editors Emacs and Vi, basic system administration and more. It's the
only book on GNU/Linux I use (almost) every day.
-
Running Linux by M. Welsh,
M.K. Dalheimer and L. Kaufman, O'Reilly, 3rd edition, 1999, is widely regarded
as the best introductory level book on GNU/Linux.
Remarkable: it's fun to read.
-
Linux:
Installation, Configuration, and Use by Michael Kofler, Addison-Wesley,
2nd edition, 2000.
Awarded 'Best of Operating Systems' in 1998, it covers almost everything:
basic tasks as well as KDE, Gimp and LyX. Comes with a GNU/Linux distribution
on two CDs. It's a multi-purpose book: you might as well learn GNU/Linux
with it as - given its size and weight - kill everything up to the size of
a grown-up cat. :-)
-
Consult the Linux Reading
List HOWTO by E.S. Raymond for a larger list. You may also visit the
extensive Open
Source Bibliography by O'Reilly.
Distribution Manuals
There are - of course - Mandrake's own manuals,
available in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian: TheInstallation
Guide and the User Guide and Reference Manual.
You find a local copy in '/usr/doc/share/mandrake/' after installation, of
course it is also accessible via the desktop menu.
Red Hat also provides some excellent documentation in different formats.
These are useful for older (pre-7.0) versions of ML: The
Red Hat Linux Installation Guide v6.0 and the
Red Hat Linux Getting Started Guide v6.0.
More Online Resources
Refer to MUO's Resources section and the Online
Troubleshooting Resources HOWTO.
 section index  top
So, now you know where to find answers. Rather a lot
isn't it ? ;-) You might want to know  how to
use these vast amounts of information efficiently...
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