Help learning Linux

[tp004a at yahoo.com (Todd Posey)]

Well,
 
I know very little about Linux, so I'm not sure what all I want to be able to do.  At this point I want to learn how to crawl, then walk, and then I might know enough to ask good questions about where to go from there.
 
I can say that a long term goal of mine is to learn how to administer a file server.  Before I can do that, I need to learn the basics.  Security will definity be an issue to consider with a file server.
 
I do know that if you arn't learning the command line, you arn't really learning Linux.  So that is a good place to start.
 
Thanks,
 
Todd
 


Kent Borg <kentborg at borg.org> wrote:
On Thu, Feb 17, 2005 at 01:04:35PM -0800, Todd Posey wrote:
> I have been using windows for a long time and now I am considering
> learning Linux. I don't know C, and I have very little experience
> programing.

That is a big question. It might help to narrow down the answers if
you say more about what you mean when you say "learning Linux". Do
you want to proficient as a casual user? Do you want to be a power
user? (If so, what kinds of "power" do you want? Specific
specializations, or make a swing at learning goddam everything?) Do
you want to know how to administer a Linux computern and install and
configure fancy cool free software to do fancy cool stuff? (If so,
any idea what?)

Not having answers to those questions, let me plunge in with my
answers anyway.

Play with Knoppix. It is a bootable CD that is a nice instant Linux
distribution you can play with without disturbing your current Windows
computer. Play with the cool graphical applications, but also learn
the basics of typing commands at a text prompt.

Hunt around for the distribution for you, possibly play with more than
one. Look at the suggestions that will be mentioned here in response
to your question, also look at a long list at
http://lwn.net/Distributions/.

Get a computer just for Linux, don't boot back and forth between Linux
and Windows, or you will again find yourself staying in Windows all
the time.

Get a good internet connection. These days computers are as much
about communication as they are about computing.

Get a static IP address or use dyndns.org to access your dynamic
address, and then get your Linux computer on the internet, receiving
packets, so you can log onto it from the outside world! (The first
time you ssh into your own computer from some distant location is
really a rush.) Be worried about security so figure out how to keep
it up to date.

Go forward from there...


-kb

		
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