What's the best place for learning how to use Linux?

Discussion in 'all things UNIX' started by DesuMaiden, Jan 7, 2014.

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  1. DesuMaiden

    DesuMaiden Registered Member

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    I want to learn how to use Linux. Can anyone give me some good websites for learning how to use Linux? I'm currently watching Youtube videos on how to use Linux, but they are not very helpful. That's because I follow the instructions on the videos, but I still end up failing because of trouble-shooting issues. I want to learn how to use Linux.

    So I really appreciate if you guys can help me find some good forums and/or other places for helping me learn Linux.
     
  2. Kerodo

    Kerodo Registered Member

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    IMO, the best way to learn linux is to just jump right in and download and install a variety of distros. Then start playing with things, get things working etc, and learn by doing. Hands on is the best way to go.... Each distro usually has it's own forum(s) where you can find others with similar issues and problems and get answers pretty fast.
     
  3. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    What Kerodo said +1.
     
  4. Wroll

    Wroll Registered Member

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    Install a distro > play with it > if problem found > internet search. Repeat last 2 steps.
     
  5. The Red Moon

    The Red Moon Registered Member

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    Thats exactly what i did.I know nothing of linux but wanted a change so i downloaded and installed.
    So far its been a very good experience.
     
  6. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    There is the right way and the wrong way. I think Mrk has shown the right way to learn Linux. Which for me personally is too time consuming. If you want a quick and dirty way then just download Ubuntu and if a problem is found start page search "problem +ask ubuntu." There is a large library of information of already answeared questions which most of the time involves terminal. Slowly you will learn how to make things work. If you go the Mrk way, then you will learn how to understand how Linux works and then patch the holes. But then again depends how much patience, dedication and energy you have. Me personally, I want my Linux to work out of the box with minimal effort on my part. I am a lazy ex-windows user.
    If you want to have some more fun, then I would suggest you start with Ubuntu and then try different distros such as Linux Mint, Linux Mint Debian, Fedora, PC Linux, etc. Each time you do something new you will learn something new.
    Most importantly have fun with Linux. I have, for the past 6 months.
     
  7. Baserk

    Baserk Registered Member

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    That's easy. Just using linux means trying it.
    Don't think there's some huge learning curve. That only starts when you want to master linux/parts of it.
    Got a spare computer/laptop? Burn Linux Mint on CD/DVD or use Unetbootin to copy on bootable USB, install, have fun.
     
  8. accessgranted

    accessgranted Registered Member

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    Go for Ubuntu. Use it as a live cd (or live dvd) for a while, not installing anything on your HD. When you feel comfortable, go for dual boot, giving you the opportunity to decide which OS to choose every time you boot you computer. Mess around with Ubuntu, you'll learn a lot very quickly and get addicted before you know it. I switched all 4 family's computers from various MSWindows to Ubuntu over the last few months. Never looked back. My wife knows nothing about computers, and only used XP or W7 for email, office work, photo viewing or multimedia. Even she now is on Ubuntu without any learning curve. If I could do it you certainly can, too.
     
  9. Krysis

    Krysis Registered Member

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    Agree with others who say - just use it!
    I'd say start with Linux Mint or Ubuntu (because you can find most info on the net about these)
    I didn't have a clue when I started – but got the hang of basic usage within days.
    Plus, it's a great learning experience. :thumb:
     
  10. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    I would suggest Ubuntu over Linux Mint. Ask Ubuntu has a huge database of answears and it is so much easier to learn that way. Then after a month maybe two go after Linux Mint which is also Ubuntu based.
     
  11. PaulyDefran

    PaulyDefran Registered Member

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    Being Debian/Ubuntu based, a lot of the Ubuntu answers will work on Mint. I ran 11.04 and 13.10, but switched to Mint 16 Cinnamon, and like it a lot better. But everyone is different, so try both! :D
     
  12. 031

    031 Registered Member

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    Using linux is not any kind of rocket science so don't be afraid :D. If you can use windows, you can also use linux for sure :thumb: :thumb:

    Just download any beginner friendly linux distribution like ubuntu/linux mint and boot from usb/dvd to try for yourself.
     
  13. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    did you read 1st 3 sticky threads :)
     
  14. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    Well I don't know... just look at the https://www.archlinux.org/ website. They call themselves A simple, lightweight distribution but on their front page the amount of extra work you gotta put in.... lol.
     
  15. 031

    031 Registered Member

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    Well Arch is not for beginners actually (though it is awesome) and no linux user will ever suggest Arch to beginners. It is always better to start with ubuntu/mint to get along with the basics.
     
  16. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

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    It is not that hard. Of course, it's not easy when you're used to a GUI
    during the installation process but there is an excellent wiki, which is
    very comprehensive. You should find several ways to a solution in case
    of difficulties. I printed out the installation guide from the Arch wiki
    and I prepared the partition on another Linux distro using gparted. The
    only thing I had to do is mount the partition when installing Arch
    (Parabola, to be precise). Then you can strictly follow the guide. I
    borrowed a book on Linux from my library in case I got stuck during the
    installation process and because I prefer reading in a book to a
    computer screen.

    I think lightweight and simple means that you don't have a lot of things
    preinstalled. You decide what you need and what you want. There are
    packages with the basic stuff.

    Once you've booted to your desktop environment you've chosen and you're
    able to connect to the internet, everything that follows is installing
    the basic stuff, reading and trying out. What I really learned to
    appreciate is that you know what is on your computer. You don't need to
    do everything in the terminal, there are lots of alternatives/extensions
    with a GUI. It is not an out of the box experience but that's the
    beauty of it. You can build your individual operating system. I still
    have to install little stuff that I only notice missing when I need it.
    For example, today I wanted to import part of my music collection which
    is stored on a 128GB SD card. I wasn't able to mount it because the file
    system is exfat. All I had to do is install two packages and now the
    problem is history. The same applies for getting read & write access
    on external hard drives. I had to install ntfs-3g and everything was
    fine.

    I am learning a little everyday and I've gotten used to the basic stuff
    already. What I really fear is the day when an update ****s up my
    installation. But that's what backups are for. I am experiencing some
    minor problems (that seem to be connected to my graphics card driver) but
    all in all I am pretty happy with my system right now. I did miss
    foobar2000 at first but I found that DeaDBeeF works quite well
    (important because I use an USB DAC).
     
  17. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    No it probably is not as hard but it does require a lot more work than other distros. It is just not my cup of tea. Although I do have respect to those that use it.
     
  18. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

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    No problem! Of course, I do respect your opinion as well.

    I've got to admit that my view towards several things regarding
    operating systems has changed over the last few months. You can adjust
    Windows so that the common behaviour (for example regarding updates,
    programmes running automatically when starting the computer, and a dozen
    other things) suits you best. Nonetheless, every time I boot up Windows
    it's not only taking a while but also doing a lot of stuff over the
    internet. Most of the time it must be checking for updates but I don't
    know exactly. Sometimes it takes several minutes until the HDD LED and
    the internet activity light isn't busy anymore. I know that I can
    probably prevent this with firewall rules but I still don't know what's
    happening in the background.

    Starting Parabola takes about 3 seconds and that's it. No HDD or
    internet activity. Another 5 seconds and I have established a VPN
    connection (sometimes takes a minute on Windows). Every other day I
    update my system via the pacman package manager. That's it. The
    installation is defintitely a lot more work than with many other distros
    and maybe getting everything to work the way you like is a little more
    work as well, but once that is done, it's pretty simple.

    Re: DeaDBeeF

    I have to correct myself, "works quite well" is an understatement.
    Actually it works great (in some ways even better than foobar [e.g.
    "cue"]) and there are nice plugins as well. I found my music player for
    Linux.
     
  19. 0strodamus

    0strodamus Registered Member

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    If you really want to learn, go with a more hands-on distribution like Arch. Start with a Virtualbox installation and plan to spend some time reading online. The Arch wiki has everything you need to use their distro. The biggest offline aid for me in making the switch to Linux was the book, The Linux Command Line. I'm half-way through my second book, but it's more like a college text book and not as approachable to a newbie.

    Regarding using the GUI, my experience with Xfce has been pretty much on par with the Windows experience. Be prepared to change some habits though. For example, you'll find that some applications won't support drag-and-drop with certain file managers, along with other minor inconveniences. All have been easily solved though by either replacing those applications or altering the way I used to do things.

    @Balthazar: I'll second everything you wrote comparing Linux and Windows. My experience has been identical!

    Parabola looks interesting. I see several "manual intervention required" notices on their Latest News. That sounds like it makes Arch an even more hands-on distro, with having to remove or update the system due to licensing changes. Is it? I'll have to take it for a spin in Virtualbox.

    I was using DeaDBeeF for awhile too, but I couldn't find a way to seek using the keyboard so I switched to Audacious. Since then I've found a few other things I prefer over DeadBeeF too - you might want to give it a try if you haven't already. I've still got DeadBeeF installed and agree with you that it does work great.
     
  20. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    It's my default laziness that comes into play.
    As for Linux booting up super fast yup I love it too. I have side by side Linux and Windows machines both with SSDs and LM16 boots in 3-4 seconds while Windows keeps working and working and working and then after it boots it keeps working even more. And why are Windows updates hundreds of megabyteso_O

    Actually with Windows XP you can create your own installation CD and install Windows without a lot of overhead services and other unncessary stuff (ie no system restore, no IE, etc...). You can also manually close down all the ports besides the ones required by the browser. And of course do all the other stuff to make it more secure such as LUA, SRP etc... There is a guy in here noone_particular who does that and claims to make XP very private and secure. Supposedly Windows 7 no longer allows you to clsoe down those ports, which makes some people stay on XP so that they can have full control of their system.
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2014
  21. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

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    I don't see why anyone thinks running a distro like Arch means learning Linux.
    Mrk
     
  22. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

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    Well, that depends on how you would define "learning Linux"?
    ComputersRock was asking about "how to use Linux"? I think you will agree with me that there are distros more suitable for beginners as well as distros for more advanced users.
    Personally, I think you can learn Linux (by that I mean the stuff that you can find in educational books) on any distro, including Arch Linux.
    If your emphasis is on "running" rather than knowing what you are doing, then I think everyone would agree with you. But with regard to the comments in this thread, I think that would be splitting hairs.

    @0strodamus & mattdocs12345
    Thanks for your comments, I'll respond later.
     
  23. mattdocs12345

    mattdocs12345 Registered Member

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    Again as the above poster said. Learning how to use Linux you can do on anyone including Arch.
    What is the difference between Arch and Ubuntu? Both are Linux.
     
  24. 0strodamus

    0strodamus Registered Member

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    As a new Linux user, I know that using Arch required me to learn many things that I would not have needed to bother with had I settled on one of the other more complete distributions. I think you learn more by building something yourself than being handed something that is already made.
     
  25. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

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    I don’t think Mrk had something to say other than a snippy remark. Some people feel the need to belittle other people’s efforts. It makes them feel good. I can live with that.

    Until now, I didn’t have to remove anything in Parabola. I stick to the free software and I have the "your-freedom" package installed. I even became a member of the FSF in order to support their efforts. I have Audacious installed on Crunchbang but didn’t take a closer look yet. I will do that soon and see what the differences are. At the moment, I don’t feel the need to switch.

    @mattdocs12345
    Talking about laziness: It was only after the NSA scandal that I felt the urge to try out Linux.
    I read a few threads about making XP more secure. It is interesting but I haven’t been using XP for years now and I like to stick to Linux.
     
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