techyphil Posted January 9, 2008 Posted January 9, 2008 Ok, i've always been a Windows person myself because I know it and the tools to use if I want to do something. Now linux is getting easier and easier with reguards to drivers and software applications I'm wanting to use it. Problem is, I feel the only way im going to learn is by formatting my work laptop and just installing it. I have setup vm's in the past with Ubuntu on it, but because its not always there, it's not like I have to use it. How have you guys gone about teaching yourself it and what distribution of Linux would you use? I've tried Ubuntu and I got very impatiant with it... waiting for it to boot then anything I wanted to do I had to sudo it etc etc... With more job descriptions saying "Experience with Linux or OSx" I really need to pick it up :S Thanks for your advice, much appreciated.
Jackd Posted January 9, 2008 Posted January 9, 2008 When i first started out playing with linux i dual booted my machine with Ubuntu and XP Pro that way if i ever needed anything XP i could quickly get to it.
techyphil Posted January 9, 2008 Author Posted January 9, 2008 Ok thanks jackd Are you realistically able to manage network tasks using Ubuntu? e.g "Students come to your and ask for you to open an Office 2007 doc to convert to 2003" or "Enable their user account in AD". "Create some graphics work for a department that needs to be put onto the website." I remember trying to connect a network printer to Ubuntu... wouldnt work though when I tried a test print.
techyphil Posted January 9, 2008 Author Posted January 9, 2008 Jesus your not even 16 yet... silly of me for asking you those questions. Your going to be a bright kid mate! I thought I knew alot when I was your age at school. One of the first to download mp3s when I was in yr8/9 and swapping them on floppy's with me school mate. That was about 7-8 yrs ago.
Jackd Posted January 9, 2008 Posted January 9, 2008 hehe Anyway i know that at least one of those things is possible the "Create some graphics work for department....etc" one that could probably be acheived very easily with GIMP or something. Personally ive never had AD setup while ive been into linux so i wouldnt know the answer to the other two, ive converted my windows server over to the linux side now but im sure someone like Geoff will be able to answer your questions. Ah and the network printer one works fine for me i assume your talking about printing to a windows server hosting the printers, well ive only had it setup with samba but that worked fine with ubuntu using the standard config tools Happy linuxing! (That sounds stupid)
Diello Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 Definitely Ubuntu - It's the easiest way to start using Linux when you're used to Windows. ""I've tried Ubuntu and I got very impatiant with it... waiting for it to boot then anything I wanted to do I had to sudo it etc etc..."" ...think of it as a learning curve - yes, those things are annoying, just in the same way as things are annoying on Windows, you investigate, see if there's a way to get around it etc. Failing that - Fedora Core is pretty good, but not as user-friendly as the Ubuntu range. Initially on a VM on my main PC, now installed in it's own right on my 2nd PC.
techyphil Posted January 10, 2008 Author Posted January 10, 2008 Ok you guys, thanks very much. I'll install Ubuntu again. I've seen some very eye candy versions of Ubuntu with some awesome visual effects applied over the top. Anyone know what distribution that is or would you definitly recommend sticking to the bog standard release and then add things as I go along?
Jackd Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 (edited) Im sure thats ubuntu 7.10 with Beryl/Compiz Fusion installed (i think it comes with it by default, cant remember) id definatley recomend ubuntu had no problems what so ever with it! Edited January 10, 2008 by Jackd
Diello Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 Better to stick with the standard Ubuntu and then play - Kubuntu (KDE desktop) etc., can easily be added later. Not sure on the graphics, but I'd guess at the Beryl 3D desktop. As for the AD/MS questions. I've never found a way to edit it natively and use Remote Desktop to the server, there may well be a native AD editor for Linux, but I've not heard of one. You can authenticate via LDAP for network resources though. Yes - "e.g "Students come to your and ask for you to open an Office 2007 doc to convert to 2003" or "Enable their user account in AD"." - is going to a a right PiTA on Ubuntu - you simply can't do all the support work you need to when you're a predominatly MS environment, and your management machine is Linux. It's just a nice skill to have, and good for the odd backend webserver etc. It's all experience
mac_shinobi Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 Not sure if there is anything for linux that is simliar to RDP ( with os x ) M$ have done an RDP app and I can just remote onto the windows servers and do what I need to do that way. I know there is putty and other apps for linux but I'm defo not a linux guru ( As per above, I think Geoffs ya guy for anything linux related )
localzuk Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 I'm probably a bit of an anomaly but my first look at linux was installing it on a computer that was to become a server after reading about it online. It was then the server for a classroom full of PC's in my dad's electronics room. This was when I was 14, so 9 years ago.
webman Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 With Ubuntu, I believe you can RDP into Windows servers by using Applications -> Internet -> Terminal Server Client. The Kubuntu equivalent is Krdc.
Geoff Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 The underlying command line tool is called 'rdesktop'. It's quite easy to setup a folder full of shortcuts to your servers using it.
openhgs Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 My advice is to forget the dual booting lark, just setup another machine. It doesn't need to be anything too beefy. I'm running FC7 with KDE on a PIII with 512MB RAM and it is fine. Pop along to WH Smiths and get the latest issue of "Linux Format"; there is a lengthy article about running Linux on low power machines. The best way to try Linux is to fiddle. Switch off the M$ box and do everything in Linux. You'll learn the o/s very quickly.
CyberNerd Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 I've been using various linuxes for a few years now, both at home and at work. Some things are easier and some are more difficult initially. We have a lot of linux servers, so its much easier to integrate with those. Probably 95% of things I can do in ubuntu, but I have a permanent rdp session to a MSAD domain controller for things like adding accounts (technically it is possible to do it natively with ldap, but more work). These things will get easier now that the EU has ordered MS to release the documentation of their server protocols. konqueror (kde) has some nice features like smb:// to shares, and email etc is simple enough (I had some issues with dolphin ). Any kids come in with MOOXML or works files then they get a copy of OpenOffice gratis.
Niraj Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 I am in the same boat as you.... and like people have said you just have to dive in and get on with it. I have a machine at work, nothing special with ubuntu, and i understand your furtration with it sometimes, but it does get easier. I tend to just mess about from home, just SSH into the box and off you go. If you get stuck there is plenty of people on here that know *nix inside out, all you gotta do is fire the question.
CyberNerd Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 If you get stuck there is plenty of people on here that know *nix inside out, all you gotta do is fire the question. This really is the best bit! there is no limit to what you can know because all the information needed is freely available, you just have to know where to ask the question. You just can't get to the end of the road like with a lot of proprietry products.
cookie_monster Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 I'd stick with Ubuntu i've been using it for a while now and you soon get the hang of using sudo it's good practice. You can use a version of RDP to connect to a teminal server but to be honest if you're managing a Microsoft network stick with MS management tools or have a management station for changing passwords and so on. It's also a good idea to be running a similar setup to what you are supporting, i'd stick to dual booting or running Ubuntu on your home PC's to start.
ruggie_uk Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 I was in the same boat as you a few months back. Wanted to learn linux, kept playing with VM's but wanted to jump in. Now my main PC at home is Fedora 8, my laptop is Ubuntu 7.10 and my other pc's still run XP. What I did is set up a virtual machine within fedora to host an XP installation(using same licence as was on the machine previously) so that I still have XP functionality available immediately. I keep this open on desktop 2 'just in case'. I really rarely use it as most tasks I can perform in linux now without even thinking about windows. Added benefit is that I can easily ssh to the linux box and perform many tasks remotely with ease. Even from behind a firewall. I have Vista on another hard drive that I can boot to if needed also but I never bother, just takes forever, even on my system which is pretty beefy.
dhicks Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 With more job descriptions saying "Experience with Linux or OSx" I really need to pick it up When learning anything it's always good to have a real task to complete using whatever it is you're trying to learn, rather than just make-work. A suitable task might be "make a home server". I see Windows Home Server based machines are starting to be sold to the home market, so now might be a good time to figure out how to make your own similar Linux based machine. I'm figuring I'll get a fanless motherboard and processor, a silent case and a couple of SATA harddrives and caddies. I'll build a server and install Linux on it, ready to backup my files, be a broadband router, be a wireless access point, be a web server, etc. -- David Hicks
torledo Posted January 10, 2008 Posted January 10, 2008 i seriously think the most convenient way to learn linux is on the eee.... You don't even need to mess around with installing ubuntu on it, just switch it to full desktop mode in less than 5 commands and you've got a fully functioning Xandros KDE install. Plus you've got a ready made restore CD. Take it anywhere, learn linux anywhere and have seriously impessive wifi web browsing on something that ways less than a kilo and doesn't get too hot. It's amazing and the full xandros desktop is a great intro to learn linux for a power user. Even entering terminal commands on the itty bitty keyboard brings a great big smile to you're face....
StuartC Posted January 15, 2008 Posted January 15, 2008 if you want to try linux then my vote has to go to http://www.linuxmint.com/ It's a customised version of Ubuntu (a lot of distros are these days), the current version is based on the latest Ubuntu 7.10. But it's just nicer, better gui, media codecs built in, and looks a little more "windowy" so easier for beginners. However as a geek I find it's good to know a lot of commands for the terminal, but I've had a lot of experience managing web servers so I already had that.
greenfieldsupport Posted January 15, 2008 Posted January 15, 2008 I found the best way to PROPERLY get into linux is to use it everyday, id format your machine with linux, either debian, ubuntu, redhat or suse, one of the mainstream ones so you get the support then install a program called virtualbox which is free, and run XP in that... Its funny but my virtual XP machine starts faster and runs faster than when XP was the only OS on the machine :\ weirds me out thinking about it sometime... Thats what i do here... so i can have my 4 virtual desktops, 3 for working on, and 1 with my Virtual machine always running so i have quick access to SIMS hope this helps..
techyphil Posted January 15, 2008 Author Posted January 15, 2008 Well, managed to get hold of Testout Linux training cd's so I think i'll give them ago first. Get an idea how it all works.
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