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Learning Linux

Learning linux from the ground up is really a challenge. As you progress even more you start customizing your OS from how it starts and how it shutdown. As soon as you start on a Live CD your x server is pretty much either gnome or KDE. I mean it looks easy to do, but as soon as you start research how the x server it can get trick. My recommendation is to also learn the bash line or command prompt. if your good with the line commands then reconfiguring your computer shouldn't be a problem, but you just learn the GUI layer of it and not the line commands believe me your going to have hard time restoring your computer. As I ask people around they say linux is hard to install. The easiest way to partition your drive manually is like this.

sda1 /home -- This is where you want to store all your data in case your linux gets corrupted. This space can be as big as you want

sda2 /swap -- Linux is just like windows it needs it virtual space. The swap size depends on your physical ram. For example lets you have 1 GB of ram then I recommend about 1 GB for your swap space

sda3 /boot -- This is where your boot sector is located. Its your master boot record

Linux can be installed with just two partitions it is better if you store your data in another partition.

If you really want to learn linux then install it to a secondary computer or I call it testing computer. Sure you can use VMWare or Virtual Box, but if you don't have enough RAM it is not going to run at full speed.

I recommend install you install linux on a notebook where you can really take advantage. If your're planning to install on it on a netbook I recommend the acer aspire one because the netbook doesn't have a lot features and it simple. Just remember unlike any version of windows where it is limited on hardware access linux will give full access to the hardware.

Comments

Pyxis Studios said…
What do you mean by this?
"Just remember unlike any version of windows where it is limited on hardware access linux will give full access to the hardware." Please explain. I have played with linux in the past, but i find it down right way too complicated. I would be interested in trying it on my little old laptop, but I am not sure its actually very useful. Give me some good ideas for portable use that actually can give me creative abilities and I might go another whirl.
February 24, 2010 at 6:01 PM
Danny Vargas said…
Lets choose wireless cards to explain the progress. Wireless cards have the capability of using all 14 channels, but the U.S restrict using the last 3 channels why I'm not really sure anyways. Linux drivers are not really official drivers there just made in the linux community. Pretty much can interact with with any device as long as you can write the driver for that particular device. Another example to explain it would DHCP. The windows os ip addressing works by asking the DHCP server to see what ip address is available and this assigned. If windows detects a conflict of another computer that a has the same ip address then windows is smart enough to get a new ip address. In linux if it detects ip address comflict its not going to give up the ip address. In a way you have to tell it to get a new ip address. Linux can be complicated, but it can be customize ti your liking. Hopes this helps.
February 25, 2010 at 6:41 PM
Pyxis Studios said…
Wow, thank you! yes, this makes sense. I see how the power of open-source drivers in Linux could really open up your devices to use the full potential of its IO. Does this work across the board for all hardware? like lets say a bluetooth radio module? As mentioned before, I have an old laptop (HP Compaq NC6000) which I have never gotten the expensive little bluetooth chip to fully work properly, even with HP's drivers that where made just for it... Lets say I want to use it to broadcast to multiple devices at the same time? and run two profiles at once, would this be where Linux drives could really work? I am seriously considering dropping Linux on this laptop because even though it is old, i have put a large amount of serious upgrades into it in the past. What flavor of distribution would you suggest? I don't want to hassle with too much command line at this time. but with some coaching, I would love to give it a try.

Thanks so much for your reply.
February 25, 2010 at 8:33 PM
Danny Vargas said…
The great thing about linux is that you have to install Gnome or KDE you can install fluxbox. fluxbox is a very light desktop environment that run on any old computer. You can try this distro "Tiny Core" its about 10MB to download.
February 26, 2010 at 8:57 AM
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