18 replies to this topic

[Shadow Traveler]

Okay so Iam in search of help on what is the best linux distribution to learn from. I am planning on using a VMware workstation so that anything i do or incorrectly destroy on the system can be fixed in a click.

So in simple what LINUX distribution should i use and where can i find manuals or tutorials on learning the basics.

[Spyril]

Arch Linux will teach you some basic configuration using config files, as well as some command-line tools for networking, package management, user management, and disk management. They have some great manuals on their site.

Arch Wiki
Beginner's Install Guide

Some would also recommend Gentoo, but in my experience it's needlessly complicated, and a lot of the stuff it teaches you is Gentoo-specific and doesn't carry over to other distributions.

[Ohm]

As far as using the system (running programs, installing programs, etc), things are more or less self-explanatory. Installing Ubuntu is easy, using it is point and click and installing software is as easy as starting up the Apt GUI, selecting what you want and hitting install.

But there's always places to go on Linux. Learn the bash shell. Learn how the Linux filesystem works. A good book for this is the Rute book.

[Shadow Traveler]

Ubuntu sounds good ill take a look into it. Also was wondering were to find info on maneuvering through the shell and such.

[dinscurge]

Ubuntu sounds good ill take a look into it. Also was wondering were to find info on maneuvering through the shell and such.

http://www.ss64.com/bash/index.html
there's your basic commands/programs. when you add new programs some of them are bash/cli(command line interface) in which they will be used through the bash shell much like system internal suites for windows and the cmd, in which case just google the program. and personally i would just try any distro you want ive never really had any problems installing anything in vm.

Edited by dinscurge, 03 July 2009 - 07:24 PM.

[jason87x]

linux from scratch sounds like a good idea... step by step instructions that will make you end up learn a lot about how the linux subsystem works and how things fit together... it can be difficult though, i'm wanting to build it for the asus eee but can't figure out if the eee has special kernels floating around and you can't use a vanilla kernel on it. also the eee has a sound issue where you need some special package i can't find to use sound.

[Ohm]

Linux From Scratch won't actually teach you all that much. Unless of course you want to learn about archaic, overengineered and quirky build systems. Oh, and how to MacGuyver an OS together with duct tape and safety pins. Because that's what your LFS system is held together by, duct tape and safety pins.

If you want a real bottom up experience, read "Modern Operating Systems" by Tanenbaum and do some work on Minix. That'll really show you how the OS works, but of course it says very little about how to actually use it. Linux is a very different design from Minix, but that's not really the point. Looking at any OS in detail from the bottom up will give you loads of insight into other, sometimes dissimilar, operating systems.

[tekio]

I'd pick a secondary like Slackware (or even FreeBSD). Which will be more difficult configure, but will force you to learn things that Ubuntu appears to do automagically.

Edited by tekio, 04 July 2009 - 07:29 PM.

[mecca_]

I'd pick a secondary like Slackware (or even FreeBSD). Which will be more difficult configure, but will force you to learn things that Ubuntu appears to do automagically.

I'd have to second this idea, but I'd recommend gentoo instead. If your true goal is to learn linux, then gentoo is good for quite a few reasons:

1. You install everything: Most distributions provide alot of stuff that linux users take for granted. Things like syslog, crontab, and quite a few other things. When using gentoo, you have to install all of that explicitly or your system will not run properly. While this process is hard at first because you don't know all of the pieces that are supposed to be there, it really is a good way to learn.

2. You learn more about actual Open source applications: Another thing that modern distributions do is compile packages with all of the bells and whistles all the time. With gentoo, you have control whether or not packages have certain capabilities, which in turn will teach you more about the dependencies of packages on libraries and such. An example, when I first started using gentoo I installed xfce. I went to set a wallpaper and I couldn't. Turned out that I hadn't built xfce with jpeg support. At the time, I had already been using linux for years and I had no idea about libjpeg. I had taken for granted the fact that all of the other distributions I used just included that with all of their GUI app builds.

3. Great documentation: Gentoo has some of the best documentation out there. They will give you step by step instructions on how to accomplish things, and tell you why you are doing it.

4. Things will break: Gentoo has quite a few bugs. The good thing about this is that running into these bugs and finding fixes for them will teach you quite a bit. I can honestly say that most of the knowledge I have of Linux has come from trying to fix broken things. It's hard and it's time consuming, but again if your goal is to learn then it works out quite well.

All of that being said, remember that you really have to have the desire to learn what you're doing. It's easy to follow guides on the internet to get stuff to work, but it's much harder to figure out what exactly you're doing and why it's working. If your intent is to just learn to use a new desktop environment, don't go this route. If your intent is truly to learn linux then, imho, this is the best route to go.

Good luck.

[Falcis]

I am currently using Slackware 12.2 in vmware player from bagside. The package is nice and I am learning how to use it while at work since I can currently do about 60% of my job from there. In my case, while I wanted to learn to use Linux I still had to be able to do my job. I am learning slower than what you will with the Gentoo idea that was suggested above. If you have the time to learn it without a performance impact then by all means go the way that was suggested above. If you have a business need to do things and want to be able to learn along side of work. I would download an appliance and start learning to use it. In my opinion it is an easier starting point. Although, I would honestly prefer to go the other route and force the learning a little more if I had the option.

Falcis

Edited by Falcis, 16 July 2009 - 02:05 PM.

[zandi]

honestly, I would go with something like debian first. That way you're somewhat gently introduced to linux basics without being dumped into the deep end of compiling everything from source. This way you get a chance to use linux without a bunch of frustration (only a bit). Once you feel you can competently handle your debian system, move on to administering it from the command line. get to know the commands, how they work, pipes and how to use the shell in general. this way if X ever gets broken you can fix it, and if you SSH into another box you can actually do something on it.

once you get comfortable with linux basics with debian, try something like slackware (i'm running 12.2 right now) or gentoo. This way you'll already have a grasp of linux basics, and will have a chance to jump in to the deep stuff without getting too overwhelmed and giving up.

then again, i'm assuming you're a complete linux noob. if you're comfortable with something like slackware right off the bat, that's fine. besides, there's only one way to find out.

[darkstar]

You should start with Ubuntu It is good for starter and comes with Synaptic package manager and It has very large community so you can get help very quickly if something wents wrong + it detects has most of the drivers for your hardware

[eth0s]

If you've never used linux before, I'd go with the most popular one: ubuntu. Then once you're comfortable with the shell and get to know how config files work make an attempt at gentoo. That's pretty much how I did it and realized how pointless the steps for installing gentoo really are in this day and age, besides just for learning of course.

You don't have to go with ubuntu though, anything will get you primed really. Just pay attention to what package management systems you'll be using with them. Ubuntu uses debian style (.deb), fedora uses redhat style(.rpm), freebsd uses ports(source), gentoo uses emerge(omggaylol)....etc...

[Famicoman]

The first distro I bothered to install was in fact Unbuntu, but I don't think I really learned from it. I installed Debian about a year ago without a gui, and I can say that if anything, this helped me learn a lot of commands, scripting, etc.

[Enigma]

The first distro I bothered to install was in fact Unbuntu, but I don't think I really learned from it. I installed Debian about a year ago without a gui, and I can say that if anything, this helped me learn a lot of commands, scripting, etc.

i think for a transition from the windows enviroment Ubuntu's a great place to start. I learned with ubuntu and fedora but my primary desktop has always been an ubuntu box.

[Famicoman]

I completely agree that it was a really friendly way to switch over. I just think for some people, jumping into the deep end can be more useful than gradually wading in. You have to figure out what your comfort level is and go from there; it all comes down to the individual.

[The Batch Lover]

Edbuntu? Ubuntu? I don`t know if you want to use Linux to learn or learn to use Linux. Personally I suggest Ubuntu (Sheesh, That`s the only OS I run.)

[PurpleJesus]

Here's a link to what seems to be some good information on using Linux. It might spare you a few headaches later..

http://www.dedoimedo...x_commands.html

[livinded]

Edbuntu? Ubuntu? I don`t know if you want to use Linux to learn or learn to use Linux. Personally I suggest Ubuntu (Sheesh, That`s the only OS I run.)

How can someone who is the "Batch Lover" and writes batch code only use Ubuntu?