15-09-2005 12:39									#1
	Linux tutorials - Advice? Support Apolyton

Could any of you offer links to any good sites, or the titles/authors of any good books, for learning Linux? If the books are used as texts at your college, could you give me a phone number/link to a (college) book store where you are at where I might get a used copy at a reduced price. I really prefer free web resources, both because I'm thrifty, and they are often more convenient than books.

	15-09-2005 15:18									#2
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Hmmm. I know there are a few online books on linux.

Mostly though it's a matter of installing a user-friendly distro (I like Ubuntu) and taking it from there, typically it's easy to google information for any specific problem, and the install guides for distros typically contain a wealth of information.

To be honest I havn't found any general tutorials terribly useful.

	15-09-2005 16:42									#3
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Most major distros have their own forums populated by helpful people. Just follow the usual rules. Their websites usually have specific instructions for installations and FAQs (Except Fedora, but you can find that on the Web elsewhere). Most if not all shell commands have man (manual) entries that you can look at by using the "man" command, e.g. man cp. Also there is the Linux Documentation Project.

Also, don't forget, Google is your friend (usually).

	15-09-2005 16:54									#4
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Gentoo is a linux distribution which you install more or less manually, program by program. This of course takes a lot of time, but they have very well written user-friendly step-by-step tutorials for everything, and by the time you have finished you will have learned a great deal about linux.

	15-09-2005 17:00									#5
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Gentoo is pretty much Linux From Scratch lite. I don't think it is for newbies and the feint of heart. I agree that the Gentoo Handbook is excellent, but a user still needs to be somewhat experienced to begin with.

	15-09-2005 22:52									#6
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The Gentoo forums are also amazingly spectacular.

Avoid the Debian forums if you're a newbie, though--they tend to be filled with RTFMbots.

	16-09-2005 02:00									#7
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http://www.ftlinuxcourse.com/

I haven't had a chance to vet this out, but... it appeared on technocrat.net.

	16-09-2005 06:50									#8
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Newbies shouldn't touch debian - the plain vanilla version anyway. Ubuntu is great, though.

	16-09-2005 06:52									#9
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The fact that we need a thread on a tutorial for an operating system is precisely why it's not going to overtake Windows anytime soon...

	16-09-2005 13:19									#10
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Asher - provide the Linux info (and I know you use it for college) or go stuff a Windows Longhorn DVD where it will be uncomfortable for your boyfriend.

	16-09-2005 13:39									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Asher The fact that we need a thread on a tutorial for an operating system is precisely why it's not going to overtake Windows anytime soon...

Yup. It is a problem that people percieve that they need a tutorial to install & use Linux.

Ah well.

"Windows for Dummies" books.

	16-09-2005 21:27									#12
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quote: Originally posted by Asher The fact that we need a thread on a tutorial for an operating system is precisely why it's not going to overtake Windows anytime soon...

You'd need a tutorial for windows as well if everyone grew up with linux. Personally, I don't really know what shawnmmc wants. Just load it up and you have all your programs there. You don't even need to know about paths when installing programs in e.g. ubuntu. Select from the packet manager it downloads and install. It's actually quite easy.

btw, shawn, the best way to learn is to experiment. Fire it up, search around and when you come to a point where you don't see a way ahead, go and ask.

	16-09-2005 22:27									#13
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For a beginner system, I'd recommend Ubuntu, Beatrix, or Knoppix.

For a mid-level to high-level, I'd recommend Ubuntu, Slackware, or Gentoo.

For a tweaker's system, I'd recommend Slackware or Gentoo.

I'd avoid RedHat, Fedora, Mandriva, or any other RedHat-derived system unless you have to learn it for work--why? RPMs, as a package system, suck (though they were based on a decent idea--it's the implementation, silly), and most upgrades are fraught with lots of pain. Especially if you do a kernel upgrade.

	17-09-2005 07:11									#14
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quote: Originally posted by Q Cubed I'd avoid RedHat, Fedora, Mandriva, or any other RedHat-derived system unless you have to learn it for work--why? RPMs, as a package system, suck (though they were based on a decent idea--it's the implementation, silly), and most upgrades are fraught with lots of pain. Especially if you do a kernel upgrade.

Actually, rpm is more or less superceded by yum, and yum now has a pretty face (yumex). Sure, yum is based on rpm, but it handles the dependencies quite nicely, and also makes kernel upgrade painless.

	17-09-2005 11:43									#15
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Thanks folks.

Been getting a bunch of parts on sale over the last year, I'm now waiting on a cooling fan before starting the install.

	17-09-2005 17:11									#16
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The most comprehensive thing I could find suitable to a newbie : The Rute User's Guide .

	17-09-2005 17:31									#17
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That's a very good guide .

	18-09-2005 11:34									#18
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If I may ask - which distro are you installing ?

	18-09-2005 13:03									#19
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Haven't made up my mind yet if I want Gnome or KDE. I have heard good things about Gentoo and Ubuntu (very little on Slackware). Since I've done programming in the past, including Assembly Language (old IBM 360 in college) I will almost certainly go for a mid+ level distribution. The thing is since Windows 95 I've really gotten away from tweaking my system much, so I know I'm rusty as hell. But I do have many of the concepts down. I'm also going to have to dig out all my old disks and CD's to make sure I have the requisite drivers, etc. for Linux. It will still be several weeks, my job is being outsourced and the contractor walks in as my new employee in about two weeks and things are a mite bit hectic for now. I started the thread early so I could use it as a basis for further research.

	18-09-2005 13:25									#20
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quote: Originally posted by shawnmmcc Haven't made up my mind yet if I want Gnome or KDE.

Most distros support both. Although again most have better support for one or another. For example Fedora is mostly a Gnome disto.

quote: Originally posted by shawnmmcc I have heard good things about Gentoo and Ubuntu (very little on Slackware). Since I've done programming in the past, including Assembly Language (old IBM 360 in college) I will almost certainly go for a mid+ level distribution. The thing is since Windows 95 I've really gotten away from tweaking my system much, so I know I'm rusty as hell. But I do have many of the concepts down.

If you like to do a lot of tweaking Gentoo is the way to go. Slackware is one of the oldest distros that has been overtaken by the newer ones.

quote: Originally posted by shawnmmcc I'm also going to have to dig out all my old disks and CD's to make sure I have the requisite drivers, etc. for Linux.

Linux drivers are different from Windows ones. Most hardware comes only with Windows drivers, although Linux now has support for the more popular hardware.

For example, go to linuxprinting.org for printer drivers.

	18-09-2005 14:51									#21
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UR - I constantly tinker and purchase bargain computer stuff. Over the last I'd say three years most of what I've gotten has Linux drivers. If you go back into the late 90's though you can get into real problems. Thanks for the link.

	21-09-2005 04:04									#22
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I say ditch both KDE and Gnome, and just use Fluxbox.

	21-09-2005 08:32									#23
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A few things about Gentoo:

1. After you finished booting, run lspci and make a record.
2. There is a problem with X Window that it doesn't work with certain hardened components. Use the "static" USE flag to work around this.
3. Pay attention to the USE flag.

	21-09-2005 14:18									#24
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Thanks UR and Q-Cubed.

	21-09-2005 14:51									#25
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quote: Originally posted by Q Cubed I say ditch both KDE and Gnome, and just use Fluxbox.

	21-09-2005 18:57									#26
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The thing about Gnome and KDE is they aren't merely window managers. They also have toolkits other applications use.

So even if you don't use Gnome and KDE, you still want to install the underlying toolkits.

	21-09-2005 21:49									#27
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Luckily with Gentoo, it'll handle to toolkits for you.

Honestly, I'd just go ahead and emerge both qt and gtk-2.