Most desktop computers use Microsoft Windows, but most servers and desktop computers (a growing number) use the Linux kernel, which is part of the Unix family. Initially, learning Linux is quite scary because it is very different from Windows. However, many versions of Linux today are very easy to use because they mimic the look and feel of Windows. Switching to Linux can be very beneficial because this operating system is easier to set up and tends to be faster than Microsoft Windows.
Step
Step 1. Familiarize yourself with this system
Try downloading and installing it on your computer. If you're not sure, know that you can keep your computer's current operating system and spare some of your hard drive to run Linux. (You can even run both at the same time if one is running in a virtual machine.)
Step 2. Test the hardware with the "Live CD" supplied by many Linux distributions
This CD will help if you are unsure about installing a second operating system on your computer. Live CDs allow you to boot into a Linux environment from a CD, without needing to install anything to your computer. Ubuntu and some other Linux distributions also offer CDs or DVDs that allow you to boot into “Live” mode and install them from the same disc.
Step 3. Perform tasks that you would normally do on a computer
Find a solution if (for example) you can't process words or burn a CD. Make a note of what you want, can, and can't do before jumping into this new operating system.
Step 4. Learn Linux distributions
When mentioning "Linux", it is often interpreted as "GNU/Linux Distribution." A distribution is a collection of information that runs on very small programs called the Linux kernel.
Step 5. Consider double speeding
This will help you understand the partitions while allowing you to continue using Windows. However, make sure you back up all your personal data and settings before attempting double speed.
Step 6. Install the software
Get into the habit of installing and uninstalling software as soon as possible. It will be easier for you to understand basic Linux if you understand package and repository management.
Step 7. Learn to use (and like) the command-line interface
This is known as the Terminal, terminal window, or shell. One of the main reasons many users switch to Linux is because Linux comes with a terminal. Therefore, do not be intimidated. Terminal is a powerful ally and without the limitations of the Windows command prompt. You can also use Linux easily without ever using the terminal like on OSX Mac. Use " apropos " to help you find commands that perform specific tasks. Try " apropos user " to see a list of commands that have the word " user " in their description.
Step 8. Familiarize yourself with the Linux file system
You'll notice right away that there's no longer the "C:\" directory that normally exists in Windows. It all starts at the root of the file system (file system root aka "/") and various hard drives are accessed through the /dev directory. Your home directory, which is normally found in C:\Documents and Settings on Windows XP and 2000, is now located in /home/ (your username)/.
Step 9. Continue searching for your potential Linux install
Try encrypted partitions, very new and fast filesystems (eg btrfs), redundant parallel disks which increase speed and reliability (RAID) and try installing Linux on a bootable USB stick. You'll find there's so much to do!
Tips
- Build your first Linux system with specific functionality in mind, and follow the HOWTO document step by step. For example, setting up a file server is fairly easy, and you can find many sites that walk you through each step of the process. In this way, you will become familiar with where, how to use, and how to change things in Linux.
- Use the word "directory" instead of "folder" when referring to directories. Although the two are synonymous, “folder” is a Windows concept.
- Be patient and prepare yourself. If you really want to learn to use GNU. Avoid switching distributions to find one that does everything well. You'll learn the most when you fix something that isn't working.
- Don't forget that only DOS uses a backslash ("\") to delimit directories. Backslashes are commonly used by Linux for escape characters, for example \n is a newline, and \t is a tab character.
- You can get help for almost any program or distribution on the IRC server irc.freenode.net (example: #debian, #ubuntu, #python, #FireFox, etc.). You can also find user communities at irc.freenode.net.
- There are several websites and mailing lists on the internet that provide Linux-related information. Do an online search to find the answer to your question.
- You should have books published by John Wiley & Sons, O'Reilly and No Starch Press to learn Linux. There are also books entitled "In the Beginning … was the Command Line" written by Neal Stephenson and "LINUX: User's Tutorial and Exposition Route".
Warning
- On all *nix systems (Linux, UNIX, *BSD, etc.), the administrator or Superuser account is 'root' (root). You are the administrator of the computer, but 'root' is not your user account. If the installation process doesn't do it, create a regular account for yourself using ' useradd ' and use it for your daily activities. The reason for this account split is because the *nix system assumes that 'root' knows what it's doing and doesn't do anything dangerous so *nix doesn't issue a warning. If you type a certain command, the system will delete all files on the computer without asking for confirmation because the command is asked directly by 'root'.
- Some people can suggest dangerous command so double check your command before typing.
- Also, don't name the file '-rf'. If you run the command to delete all the files in that directory, the system will parse the '-rf' file as a command line argument and delete all the files in the subfolder as well.
- Don't run rm -rf / or sudo rm -rf / unless you are really serious about erasing all your data. Run the command man rm for more information.
- It may be tempting to just blindly type “curses” found on websites and hope that the command performs the function you want it to do. However, this method often fails because you have the latest version, slightly different hardware, or another distribution. Try executing every “curse” with --help option first and understand its function. Then, usually minor issues can be handled easily (/dev/sda -> /dev/sdb and so on), to achieve your goal.
- Always back up your files before you try to re-partition your drive while installing Linux. Back up your files to a portable media such as a CD, DVD, USB disk, or other hard drive (not a different partition).
