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Learning Linux

FN-GM

By FN-GM
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tmcd35

tmcd35

Posted
Posted

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fedora-Red-Enterprise-Linux-Unleashed/dp/0672330490/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234465781&sr=8-2]Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux Unleashed: Covering Fedora 10, Fedora 11 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5: Andrew Hudson, Paul Hudson, Tammy Fox: Amazon.co.uk: Books[/ame]

 

I should get myself an advertising deal with Amazon / The publisher! ;)

powdarrmonkey

powdarrmonkey

Posted
Posted

In practical terms, I always struggled and struggled when dual-booting, because I'd install a distribution, get to the desktop, and then think "hmm, what now" and start Windows again. In the end I took the physical disk out and put it under my bed, and forced myself for six months or so, and never looked back.

 

I also had the advantage of starting a job with a Linux-friendly webhost, so I learned a lot from being surrounded by other users. Consider joining your local LUG, maybe Lancaster Linux User Group - Home is close to you?

 

Pick a distribution with a good package manager, like Apt - Ubuntu is probably a good start, but if you can wait a few more days we're about to release Debian Lenny. Debian is Ubuntu's big brother, if you don't already know.

 

Be prepared to get intimate with a shell, it's where the power lies. And remember you shouldn't need to compile your own software (that comes with its own headaches) if your package manager is up to scratch and has a good repository, which is why I recommend Debian. That and I can help better with it.

 

And don't give up. It will take you more than a few weeks to be comfortable, but it's worth persevering. You've probably picked up elsewhere that I'm less than tolerant of people who won't make an effort, but if you do, I have all the time in the world for you. Just ask.

 

 

Edit: in fact, I'm going to PM you an email address to find me on. I know you and your thread enthusiasm :p

kmount

kmount

Posted
Posted (edited)

I'd urge the OP to install Ubuntu on a spare PC and have a play with it, do the things on there you'd normally do and see how you get on. I wouldn't suggest Debian immediately for a desktop deployment until you've got used to the guts that Ubuntu has GUI's for.

 

It's fun to learn and play, you'll enjoy Tuxracer and find it fairly addictive, everyone does.

 

Most of all, enjoy yourself, it's not supposed to be hard work, but like anything what you put in you get out.

 

I started a long time ago on FreeBSD, moved through Debian > Fedora > Ubuntu and am now quite happy on Gentoo. Just one of those things, spend some time downloading and having a play with the various offerings on Distrowatch.com until you find something you're fond of!

 

Enjoy! There's plenty of us on here to give you a dig out if you find something that winds you up!

Edited by kmount
requested.
powdarrmonkey

powdarrmonkey

Posted
Posted

kmount: Almost, just waiting on an advocation that the DD didn't remember to sign, and has now vanished from the face of the earth :rolleyes:

 

Do you mind scrubbing my name though? Not that I'm secretive, just not going out of the way to advertise myself. In the nicest possible way.

Gatt

Gatt

Posted
Posted

@FN-GM - best way to learn is to install it and get your hands dirty ;)

 

My first Linux experience was with SuSE - (6?) then RedHat

I find Fedora to be a really good Distro, Ubuntu is a good one for the Die Hard Windows user - Mrs_Gatt found her way round Ubuntu (with Gnome) very easily..

Guest Guest

Guest Guest

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Posted

Do a real life project, preferably one which can be expanded on; for example a file server, set up samba, then get LDAP working, then SSO, then backups/snapshots, etc...

 

That way you can see something working and actually use it, build on it, find out what can go wrong, how to fix it, how to customise it, etc. Personally i find that it if just an imagined project it just seems to trail off and you dont really take it past the first couple of stages.

Gatt

Gatt

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Posted

Bloody hell :eek: give FN a chance to learn the damn thing first!!

I think building his own Distro may be a wee bitty too advanced :rolleyes:

Dont want to scare him now :D

EduTech

EduTech

Posted
Posted
Bloody hell :eek: give FN a chance to learn the damn thing first!!

I think building his own Distro may be a wee bitty too advanced :rolleyes:

Dont want to scare him now :D

 

He'll will learn that in a few hours, he'll have scripts for linux by the end of the week :cool:

 

:D

FN-GM

FN-GM

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi thanks for all the replies.

 

I have used Ubuntu and Suse on my old desktop, i gave them a few months each and decided Linex as a client just wasn't for me. I have now use mac (i know they share code etc :))

 

I would like to learn more for a server side operating system. Get to know to commands etc.

 

Thanks

kmount

kmount

Posted
Posted
I'd suggest you consider either CentOS or Debian (or Ubuntu LTS) if you want to play from a server perspective as I find Fedora moves too quickly to be used effectively on a server.
srochford

srochford

Posted
Posted
Do a real life project, preferably one which can be expanded on; for example a file server, set up samba, then get LDAP working, then SSO, then backups/snapshots, etc...

 

Yes :-)

 

If you possibly can, use a Linux machine as your main machine - you'll find out how to do things because you need to and that's much more of a driver than just working through unrelated tutorials etc. If necessary, keep a windows machine under the metaphorical table and just remote desktop into it.

 

My "real world" project at the moment is MythTV - I must get round to writing up what I've done because I've learned a lot with it.

Guest Guest

Guest Guest

Posted
Posted (edited)

Use Putty (or any other good termial app) so that moving between windows doesnt mean having to release focus of the VM window every time you need to read a manual etc. Also means you can copy and paste in long commands, dont over do it though or else none of the commands will stick in your head.

 

And i like WinSCP for file transfers/editting config files

Edited by Guest
Guest Guest

Guest Guest

Posted
Posted (edited)
My "real world" project at the moment is MythTV - I must get round to writing up what I've done because I've learned a lot with it.

 

Oww MythTv, forgot about that.

 

Could be a good way to justify having a physical PC devoted to linux.

 

 

Routers another good one, but you have to be prepared to fix it when it breaks/you break it. Had great fun tonight when my router stopped allowing http through. As it so happens i had mistakenly bought a wireless router rather than an access point and it had arrived today. Worked out alright in the end :D

Edited by Guest
srochford

srochford

Posted
Posted
Use Putty (or any other good termial app) so that moving between windows doesnt mean having to release focus of the VM window every time you need to read a manual etc.

 

Also worth installing Xming - a free X server for Windows; you can then do GUI stuff as well as command line.

srochford

srochford

Posted
Posted
I've just removed the GUI from my 2 linux boxes - no need for a GUI :D

 

Now, I'm old enough to remember editing graphics without a mouse (PXED on a 380z, anyone?) but doing it without a GUI - well, "respec'" is what I think the young people say :-)

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