Benscomputer.no-ip.org
Getting Started With
Linux
Part One
Through
various forums and people I know, I have seen
many
people start using Linux and then give up, whether through frustration
or any other difficulties. I thought I should write an article on what
I believe the best strategy is to begin your journey into the fabulous
world of Linux.
First a bit of History, for those of you that don't know, Linux does
not refer to an operating system as such but a kernel. Windows 2000 used the NT kernel, SUSE uses the
Linux kernel. I won't go into too much depth on that issue, but it is
worth noting the difference although most people will refer to a Linux
based Operating System as Linux.
The most important thing is to evaluate why you want to use Linux, it
is an alternative not a replacement for Windows. If you are wanting to
use Linux for its benefits - stability, Open Source ethos,
configurability - then you are making the right decision. If however
you are wanting to use Linux because you are fed up of Malware, fed up
of MS or similar issues, whilst these are not wrong reasons to use
Linux you may encounter a few difficulties. This is purely because it
suggests you are planning to use Linux on the basis of having heard
rumours, and have not really evaluated the pros and cons.
Before installing Linux I really encourage you to do a bit of
groundwork, try a live CD such as Knoppix. A Live CD is an Operating system that
runs entirely from a CD (or indeed a DVD), it does not require you to
save anything to your hard drive, although many do have the option to
save settings to a USB drive.
I also recommend buying a Linux magazine, try to read through it as you
will gain a better understanding, Linux Format
is particularly good. Many magazines also come with coverdisks
including software and Distributions. They do not always include Live
CDs but the information that can be gained from within is invaluable
none the less.
A live CD will allow you to play around with the OS a bit before making
any changes to your system. If you have a specific distribution in mind
(i.e. Mandriva,
Ubuntu, or even Gentoo) then I would
also recommend trying to obtain a Live CD of that distribution. All
three mentioned have live CDs although if you are starting out on Linux
I would not recommend jumping straight in with Gentoo, wonderful as it
is, it can be very intimidating. Trying the live CD of your
distribution of choice will allow you to decide whether you like that
distribution. I usually recommend either Mandriva or Ubuntu for people
starting out, to me they are the most 'newbie friendly.' I heavily
recommend trying Live CDs of various distributions before deciding
which to install, most importantly remember that the distro is running
from the CD/DVD so it will run far more quickly once you have installed
the distro onto your hard drive.
You may wish to try taking a distro choosing questionnaire such as the
one at Zegeniestudios.net,or the one at Voidofmind.com.
These questionnaires in particular seems to be capable of quite amazing
accuracy, answer the questions honestly and it may well suggest the
distro you fall in love with. It is also worth looking at
www.distrowatch.com to get more information about various distributions.
Once you have tried a live CD then you will most likely want to install
a distribution onto your hard drive, this article is not written to be
distro specific so there are only a few tips for this section of the
article.
If you intend to keep windows on your computer (a
very good idea for the time being) then defragment your hard drive in
windows, several times is recommended
backup any important files
pay close attention to any help tips
the
installer offers you
The backup is important in as much as whenever you make any changes to
your system you should always ensure you have a backup first, trust me
I have been there.
When offered the packages you want to install try to avoid thinking
"well I may use that at some point" its far easier to just install it
later if needs be, there is nothing worse than sitting waiting for an
installation to finish
OK so now theoretically you have Linux installed, but now what do you
do? The easy answer is play! The mistake that many people seem to make
is expecting it to be like Windows, it isn't. Try and find a task to
do, even if its just word processing a quick document. I once read that
regular drivers make better drivers, the same goes for Linux users, if
you boot into Linux to tinker once in a while you will develop your
skills far more slowly than if you regularly use Linux.
The way I committed myself to using Linux was to say that all my GCSE
(OK so it was a while back) work was going to be done on a non-MS OS. I
struggled at first, but everyone does. Don't let setbacks dishearten
you, it is a new system and it takes a little while to adapt.
Linux does have both benefits and drawbacks (as does Windows and any
other Operating System).
Package Management is a major benefit for many users; Most Distro's
have a package management system whereby you select a package (i.e. A
Media Player), click install and then the system installs not only that
package but any dependancies (Packages that your package requires to
run properly). Packages can often be installed in minutes with just one
click. Easy huh?
One drawback you may experience with Linux, is that not all distro's
support MP3 playback out of the box (most do though), you may have to
install support. The reason for this is not a fault of Linux, it is a
licensing issue, The MP3 format is owned by the Fraunhover institute.
Installing support is usually quite easy however, there is a good guide
for doing this on Fedora here.
Similarly no Linux distro ships with support for DVD playback, this is
due to contraversial laws such as the DMCA in the US, and the amendments to the Copyright, Designs and patents act in the UK. The
library (Decss) used to decrypt an encrypted DVD is perceived as a
circumvention of an effective technical measure and is therefore
illegal in the UK and the US. This is why no Distro ships with support,
however the library is easily installable and available. The library is
widely used, and no one I have ever heard of has been prosecuted for
its use, its legality is more the result of over zealous Media
corporations lobbying for the change in laws.
You may think differently, but for me the best way to learn was to try
and learn the commands for everything rather than relying on the GUI's.
That is however just my learning style, I prefer to go in head first
and try to sort out my broken neck later, if you prefer to ease
yourself in take that method.
Just try to find yourself tasks (even if you have to invent nonsensical
tasks) to do from within Linux, and gradually increase the difficulty
of the tasks. Below is an example of a list you could use
Word process a document
browse the internet
Listen to music
view the network settings of your
computer
Set up a webserver - easier than it
sounds
Configure your printer - again can be
easier
than it sounds but not always
View the boot parameters for your system
Install updates for your system
Now at first glance parts of that list are very intimidating, however
you need to rememeber that there is a vast amount of resources on the
Internet, Google
searches are invaluable, as are forums such as those on Linux
Format. In the same way you relied on information from other people
when you first used Windows you can do so with Linux.
You will find the online community very helpful and supportive so long
as you do a bit of the work yourself, that means read any relevant
available documentation before posting a question to a forum. If you
cannot find a question then ensure you post the question to a forum
where it will not be Off-topic (asking about a graphics card in a
Discussion forum when there is a Hardware forum readily available, is
not a good idea), and include any relevant information you have, these
should include
Details of any hardware (especially if its
that you
are having problems with)
Which Distro you are running (i.e.
Gentoo,
Mandriva, Fedora, Ubuntu etc.)
Which Desktop Environment you are
running
(i.e. KDE, Gnome, XFCE etc.)
The results of running uname -r from a
console
Details of the problem, including any
error
messages you have got
Ensure your post has an informative
title or
it may not get read
Try to avoid saying "it should work
like it
does on Windows," this will only irritate people
The Linux community is here to help you, however you do need to provide
enough information when you have a problem that someone may better be
able to help you. A good (if rather arrogant) guide to how to ask
questions properly can be found here. The forum that is most likely to be best
able to help you is the forums for your distro, Ubuntu, Gentoo and
Mandriva all have their own forums. Many other distros do as well,
although you may find that it is also helpful to ask on a non distro
specific forum such as Linux
Format. Before posting rememeber to search the Forums with relevant
keywords in case someone else has experienced the issues you are
experiencing.
Many people are put off using Linux by stories of "Linux is really
difficult to use", its not so much a case of being difficult to use as
being different. When helping someone start with Linux I usually
categorise them within one of three groups
Basic user
This user uses the Computer as a device, they do not know or care how
it works overly, they just want to be able to boot up and use a word
processing application, listen to music, or browse the internet.
Power User
This user knows exactly how to use Windows, they can configure IIS,
change user settings, manage acocunts and much much more. Generally
these users proclaim that they know exactly how to use a computer when
asking for help.
Advanced User
This user knows exactly how a computer works, they can explain what an
IRQ is, know how to resolve IRQ conflicts whether through the OS or the
BIOS. They can use Windows to the same or higher level as a Power user,
but they have a good understanding of computer technology.
Of the three the person who suffers more when migrating to Linux is the
Power user, s/he believes they know how to use a computer when what
they in fact know is how to use Windows. They often get frustrated and
say things like Windows can do it why can't Linux? 99% of the time
Linux can but they are trying to do it in the way you would with
Windows. Before using Linux you need to understand that Windows and
Linux are very different, Linux is
an Alternative not a replacement.
Many have said that Linux is not ready for the Desktop, this is not
true, I use Linux on all of my machines, servers and Desktops alike and
no longer even have Windows installed. There were a few setbacks on my
journey through the world of Linux it is true, in fact there were a
number of times I gave in and just used Windows, but I persevered with
trying to find a distro I like. Once you find a distro that just kind
of clicks it is easy, for me it was Gentoo. I have to admit though the
experience gained through using other distros was invaluable, trying to
use Gentoo without a basic knowledge of Linux is very intimidating
although the learning curve does do one good.
To Summarise if you wish to begin using Linux there are a number of
things you should do.
'shop around' for a Distro that you like, Live
CDs
are particularly useful for this.
Once you have installed your distro of
choice, set yourself tasks to do, this will allow you to get used to
the system
Make good use of the resources
available
whenever you encounter difficulties
Don't be afraid to ask questions
Remember that Linux is not Windows!
Above all, persevere!
I hope this article has been of some use to you, and that you enjoy
using Linux
Shifty_Ben
Getting Started With Linux Introduction - Why use
Linux?
Getting Started with Linux Introduction Part 2 -
Hardware
Getting
Started With Linux
Getting Started With Linux Part 2
- Installing Software
