New To Linux

[kennyk]

I'm pretty fluent in DOS, but the closest I've ever been to Linux is the terminal window in os x, and I still didn't know what I was doing. Can someone recommend a book, DVD, or pc program I can learn from? And should it be general Linux, or are there angstrom books available like there are for ubuntu?

Thanks for any tips. I haven't received my pandora yet, I just want to prepare for it.

 

[Prometheus]

If you want to learn terminal commands and the like, I think you're better off with something more general, because that way you're learning stuff that's pretty likely to work in most distributions.

I can't recommend a book, but I do think that this is a good resource for those new to Linux, as it explains things quite well. You don't have to follow along with the installation examples early on, you should be able to get the gist just fine without those.

 

[PhillipJ]

If possible, get a virtual machine or live disk. Something you can mess around with and it doesn't matter if you break it. A VM would probably be best as you can then download and install stuff on it. Try downloading the source for a program rather than the binaries and building it yourself.

 

[SomeGuy99]

The only way I learnt the basics of shell use was by using it, and the only time I used commands was when they were needed.

Books helped me a lot, but only real world scenarios helped it all to make sense.

I've learnt more shell knowledge with my Pandora than I ever imagined, because the need to use the shell is much higher to achieve cool things.

B)

But I would have found it a struggle had I not learn the basics in a dry academic way.

I have this book, and like it very much:

http://www.amazon.com/UNIX-Dummies-John-R-Levine/dp/0764504193

UNIX has been evolving feverishly for close to 30 years, sort of like bacteria in a cesspool – only not as attractive. As a result, many different varieties of UNIX have existed along the way. Although they all share numerous characteristics, they differ just enough that even experienced users are tripped up by the differences between versions.
If you’re like most UNIX users, a zealot stopped at your desk, connected your terminal or workstation, gave you five minutes of incomprehensible advice, demonstrated a few bizarre games (like roaches that hide behind the work on your screen), and disappeared. Now you’re on your own.

Don’t worry. UNIX For Dummies, 4th Edition, cuts through all the technojargon lurking in the UNIX command jungle to deliver clear instructions just how and when you need them. This indispensable reference includes sections on

Typing commands
Copying, renaming, and deleting files
Printing files
Finding where your file went
Using the Internet from UNIX
Connecting and communicating with people on other computers

The expert writing team of John Levin and Margaret Levin Young also give you a look at the latest developments with Linux, the wildly popular, completely free version of UNIX – all in a single volume designed to put you in command with a computer system that can be tamed.

No wait, I have this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Dummies-Quick-Reference-Margaret-Levine/dp/0764504207/ref=pd_sim_b_1

 

[sebt3]

Can someone recommend a book, DVD, or pc program I can learn from?

Internet is still the best ressource out there to get tips and such.
I would recommend to go to your local LUG for their next metting. It have been the best way to learn linux I know

 

[WizardStan]

Thanks for any tips. I haven't received my pandora yet, I just want to prepare for it.

Just to say, you shouldn't have to know anything about the terminal. The only time you need the terminal is to fix something that shouldn't be wrong in the first place, or if you're a (so called) "power user" that wants to do more with it than what is currently available (which will be a lot, eventually).
If something does come up where you need to go to the terminal, the commands you need to type can easily just be given to you in the help section. I'd recommend learning to use linux because it's a good idea to learn different things, not because you expect to need to "use" it on the Pandora.

 

[SomeGuy99]

Can someone recommend a book, DVD, or pc program I can learn from?

Internet is still the best ressource out there to get tips and such.
I would recommend to go to your local LUG for their next metting. It have been the best way to learn linux I know

I went to mine several times, and it was rarely helpful.

When I suggested that the meetings could be a place for people to learn more about Linux, I was laughed at. The twenty odd people there prefered to debate Distro choices for an hour, then talk about random crap.

It was fun in a social sense, but not very helpful. YMMV.

 

[Tom`]

A book?
You could try http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/lfs/read.html - if it doesn't completely sour you on the whole idea of "learning Linux," you'll probably know as much as most people here, if not more. On the other hand, it isn't at all user-friendly and so forth - I tend to think you're better off learning basic stuff by just picking a distro and messing around with it.

 

[slaeshjag]

If you're looking after a book to generally learn how to use a *nix terminal, This might be something.

I highly recommend you have a VM with a linux distro running s you can follow along and play around with the examples.

 

[Ratfink]

Meh, books. The only time I've used one for UNIX was when I met cp, cd, mv, and other good friends. Your local library or the Internet can teach you. Why spend money? (maybe there is a great book out there that I'm not aware of; that'd be a reason)

 

[yannv]

Ratfink, why post a fork bomb in a thread about learning about the system?

Personally I am unreasonably fond of The UNIX programming environment. It's an ancient introductory book to UNIX, which GNU is at its core an extended remake of. Programming simply pervades the approach to computing, and that isn't something to be afraid of. The command line is more about building whatever tool you're after for the moment than knowing how to use each and every one, which is why the system contains a multitude of little tools that do only simple tasks.

A quick search did show up an different text with the same name. That also seems helpful. Both of these have some information that won't apply to a Linux system, but the principles match.

While the most flexible tools I keep using are sed, find and xargs, I think the one I was happiest to find is seq:

seq -f "%g bottles of beer on the wall, take one down, pass it around..." 10 -1 1 | sed -e "s/^1 bottles/1 bottle/"

For what it's worth, if you really know DOS, you'll find many concepts similar. DOS did borrow much from Unix, including the very concept of directories, pipes, exit status, and redirection. The main differences are that DOS versions tended to be less usable (command vs sh, edlin vs ed) and Unix is multitasking at its core (so we get job control and pipes run all processes simultaneously).

 

[Prometheus]

Ratfink, why post a fork bomb in a thread about learning about the system?

He didn't. It's his signature.

 

[dnlgreenwood]

well, how I learned how to ue Linux was through personal experience, and following tutorials. I do tasks like network configuration and disk formatting in the terminal. I just look up guides and tutorials on a separate computer when I need anything. I find that just reading books doesn't really sink in as well. though you could try some of those "for dummys" books. they sometimes explain things very well. I own the book "DOS for dummies" which has been a helpful tool in looking up commands, and such. I use it as reference. there is probably a "linux for dummys" or "angstrom for dummys" or "ubuntu for dummys" out there. they make good guide books, and they are meant for complete n00bs. try your local libraries. I picked up a book on C++ at my local library, though I found it better to use online resources.

also: check thrift stores or second-hand stores for these kinds of books, you can get them cheap, I got my DOS book for next to nothing ($1-2).

 

[Bosbeetle]

If you want to learn terminal commands and the like, I think you're better off with something more general, because that way you're learning stuff that's pretty likely to work in most distributions.

I can't recommend a book, but I do think that this is a good resource for those new to Linux, as it explains things quite well. You don't have to follow along with the installation examples early on, you should be able to get the gist just fine without those.

I used that to! very helpfull.

 

[Dead1nside]

I'd really honestly say that a book is the last thing you want. For ages I was trying to find a book for, then Fedora Core Linux. However large subsystems changed inbetween versions and the printed press is always behind the latest version it seems. The internet, and forums are your best bet. You only need a small subset of commands to navigate around in the terminal and you can do everything in a GUI if you like. I used to do everything in the GUI but now I see entirely why people love the command-line so much, it's just efficient and flexible.