Best way to learn Linux

[Woodchuck2000]

Having been a Microsoft troll for far too long, I think it's about time I try to get to grips with a new OS. I'm planning on installing whichever distribution you guys recommend on an old P333/192 until I'm comfortable enough to install it on my main rig.

Basically, I need some recommendations on:
1)Best Distribution for someone who's done very little linuxing
2)Any good websites/FAQs for linux beginners (I googled it but there was way too much information
3)Any handy hints to guide me on my merry little way

I'm particularly interested in the networking side of things - running a web server/firewall/file server etc...
A friend of mine built a very effective firewall using Redhat 8.0 recently, It seemed that he had much better control over exactly what was going on than I would using ISA server.

 

[Mucho]

A good place to get started is Linuxnewbie.org

 

[civad]

I think you might want to start with Mandrake.

It is an excellent distro with some good GUI tools and pretty neat documentation. Essentially Redhat and Mandrake are based on the same package format (rpm), but Mandrkae seems to be more user-friendly. Oh and its installation is more user-friendly..

I still use Mandrake...

Good Luck!

Websites? umm...too many to mention. Cant think of a good one for beginers....will scratch my bald head for a while....

 

[Woodchuck2000]

Thanks a lot for the links guys - I'd managed not to run into Linux Newbie before...

How did you guys learn to use linux? It's kinda weird because I learnt DOS when I was young, moved through Win3.1, Win95, Win98, Win2k and now WinXP. I've got quite a lot of experience with MS stuff, but I started with something incredibly simple to set up and configure and bits and pieces have still applied right up to XP.

I installed RedHat 7 a while back and had a play. While it was fun for playing around with, I realised that I didn't have a clue what was going on under the hood or how to tweak it. Is there a relatively simple distro around that I could tinker with while I get the general Idea of how linux works or is it best to start with a full distro?

edit for spelling

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Running Linux from O'Reily publications I hear is a godsend to learning Linux.

 

[Workin']

How did you guys learn to use linux?

I was in the same situation as you are. Wanted to learn Linux but where to begin? So I bought a retail copy of Red Hat 5.1 for $20 (this was a few years ago ) and muddled my way through to a not very satisfying conclusion. Although I could get Quake to run, doing everything was just too hard. I more or less abandoned Linux for a while, although I tried Mandrake 7 and Red Hat 6.x and 7.2 it just didn't "do it" for me.

Then I wanted to set up a server, and I didn't want to buy or pirate a MS server OS, so back to Linux I went. This time I decided to say the hell with any lazy-boy hand-holding GUI - I've tried that on all those past distros and I didn't "really" learn a damn thing about HOW it all works.

So I went with Debian. Although the installation is a bit intimidating if you just dive into it, there's tons of documentation for it and lots of helpful people here on AnandTech. To top it off I had to compile a custom kernel to work with my RAID card before I could even get started! But the nice people here helped me do it. After that it was off to the races - my server now has dual CPU's and a 160GB RAID 5 drive array, and works as a web server, e-mail server, Windows file server, Macintosh file server, and a secure FTP server. The only time it's ever been rebooted is when the power is out long enough to drain my 900VA UPS. the last time that happened was 77 days ago.

Oh, and Debian has what I think is the absolute best package management system right out of the box - it's called apt and once you have your machine set up, it makes maintaining it (or adding and removing programs) so simple you won't believe it. It's even easier than Windows. And I do everything on that machine from the command line. Once you understand how things work and have actually set it up yourself the feeling of power is awesome.

Getting there can be a challenge - but you asked what's thebest way to learn Linux, not what's the easiest way to get a machine up and running with Linux.

 

[Buddha Bart]

the best way is to give yourself projects. pick the tried and true things that linux is known for so you'll have plenty of examples and support. after you've installed a bunch of the more common stuff, you'll begin to understand how things break down, permissions, init scripts, etc.

Most of what I learned came from the fact that I started out as a web developer, and wanted to be able to run my own webserver. If that sound at all appealing try this.

- install redhat
- install apache (go with a 1.3.x, 2.0.x itself works, but dealing with the module issues is probably more than you want right now)
- setup a basic site, show your friends
- setup apache to work with PHP
- complicate your site
- setup mysql
- make your site database driven
- setup sendmail (postfix will probably be easier, either one, your call)
- make some web forms that can send emails (be careful, don't become a spam relay)

In the process of doing all that you'll have to wind up learning permissions, daemons, init scripts, and bash. After that, you'll be far enough that its mostly up to you where you want to go.

bart

 

[Shamrock]

I used RedHat Linux 7.3, and i bought the RedHat Linux 7.2 Bible, and READ it...ALL 1078 pages of it, very informative, and teaches you command line, as well as GUI interfaces.

 

[Netopia]

I used RedHat Linux 7.3, and i bought the RedHat Linux 7.2 Bible, and READ it...ALL 1078 pages of it, very informative, and teaches you command line, as well as GUI interfaces.

I had 7.2 and have about 200 pages to go in the exact same book. The book is HUGE and excellent. Currenlty, it's the RedHat Linux 8 Bible. It's not cheap by any means, but it has TONS of info.

The other two books that I read that helped me with Linux were Linux for Dummies to get started, and one of the best sections I've ever read on the shell and the command line interface (CLI) was a section on BASH in the book The BeOS Bible... which you probably can't get anymore... but check your library.

Joe

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

The other two books that I read that helped me with Linux were Linux for Dummies to get started,

He He...I got that one too :Q

 

[Electrode]

How did I learn Linux? 3 things:

1. VMWare
2. Slackware
3. A friend who knew a thing or 2 about Linux

Almost everything I know now about Linux I learned by experimentation. I've found that 'user-friendly' GUI-centric distros like Mandrake and Redhat are more of a hinderence than anything, so I would only suggest that you use them if you have already learned how to use a 'real' distro like Slackware or Debian, and just need to get a Linux system up and running ASAP.

 

[NorthenLove]

Originally posted by: Woodchuck2000
Thanks a lot for the links guys - I'd managed not to run into Linux Newbie before...

How did you guys learn to use linux? It's kinda weird because I learnt DOS when I was young, moved through Win3.1, Win95, Win98, Win2k and now WinXP. I've got quite a lot of experience with MS stuff, but I started with something incredibly simple to set up and configure and bits and pieces have still applied right up to XP.

Same way you learned DOS and Windows.....in other words through trial and error and countless re-installs and untill you get everything just the way YOU want it to run. After that you have two options. One is to just use it or you can continue playing around with the countless and I mean countless things you can do with Linux.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Install Linux on the second machine. Install Seti on your main machine. Remove the monitor from the main machine and dont touch it.

The projects idea is also pretty good. As far as documentation, take a look at our Linux FAQ thread. Traffic has died down a bit on it, but some more stuff is coming. Ive been working on some documentation for work that I plan on throwing up here eventually.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

just get a few people's AIM screennames and start asking questions

i just installed redhat 8 (excellect EXCELLENT installation process, but a bit bloated.....)
everything is hard till you learn what you are doing just read online guides (www.tldp.org) and HOWTOS and ask questions

 

[Need4Speed]

Originally posted by: Buddha Bart
the best way is to give yourself projects. pick the tried and true things that linux is known for so you'll have plenty of examples and support. after you've installed a bunch of the more common stuff, you'll begin to understand how things break down, permissions, init scripts, etc.

Most of what I learned came from the fact that I started out as a web developer, and wanted to be able to run my own webserver. If that sound at all appealing try this.

- install redhat
- install apache (go with a 1.3.x, 2.0.x itself works, but dealing with the module issues is probably more than you want right now)
- setup a basic site, show your friends
- setup apache to work with PHP
- complicate your site
- setup mysql
- make your site database driven
- setup sendmail (postfix will probably be easier, either one, your call)
- make some web forms that can send emails (be careful, don't become a spam relay)

In the process of doing all that you'll have to wind up learning permissions, daemons, init scripts, and bash. After that, you'll be far enough that its mostly up to you where you want to go.

bart

thats some good advice right there and it's exactly the way I learned it as well.

 

[lowtech1]

I'm particularly interested in the networking side of things - running a web server/firewall/file server etc...
A friend of mine built a very effective firewall using Redhat 8.0 recently, It seemed that he had much better control over exactly what was going on than I would using ISA server.

You might want to try RH 8 since you have a friend that is running it you can ask for help if needed. There isn't a need for purchasing any book because the downloadable RH 8 man page in PDF form is excelent. (I purchased the RH 5.1 and RH 7.0 bible which were a good buy, but I print out the RH 8 PDF for reference because I found that it is just as good or better than the bound books.)