Re: [tlug] easy ways to learn linux easily and quickly

[Stuart Bouyer <stuart@example.com>]

On 金, 2002-10-18 at 22:54, n wrote:
> I have been trying to use linux for a long time and have attempted sometimes a 
> bit half heartedly several ways of getting more linux power, e.g. Basic Linux 
> Tutorial, Buying a Text book, looking at the on line resources, posting 
> questions to news groups etc. I have not stuck with many of these. It is 
> interesting to me why I give up on them. I don't know but it is because of 
> something like this:
> 
<deletia>

The best way to learn with Linux is the same as the best way to learn
anything - try it!.

By this I mean install linux and play around with the settings until it
breaks or does what you want. The best possible situation is to have a
"test" system running that doesn't matter if you break it. become
familiar with the various places to find help:

1. man - learn the power of man. This is the M is RTFM in most cases. If
I come across a program I don't know the first thing i do is man
<progname>. This generally gives you an overview of the program and how
to run it. pay particular attention to the bottom of the man page where
it suggests related man pages.

2. info - another wonderful tool for information. Again it gives oodles
of info, especially for the core programs (gcc, make, vi, emacs, init,
mutt, pine etc) A little difficult to navigate at first if your used to
windows click and drool, but well worth the effort to learn.

3. Program documentation - Almost all packages come with at least a
README and INSTALL docs. Most come with even more - these are often your
best resource for installing/setting up/using a program as they are
written by the developers. 

4. The Net - the biggest source of information (and disinformation) on
the planet. Notice I didn't just say The Web, I also mean newsgroups,
mail lists, irc as well. I generally lurk for a while before asking
questions to see the style of the group and the level of experience of
the posters.

Three resources that have been helpful and informative for me are:
google (www.google.com) - including google groups,  
RUTE - Rute User's Tutorial and Exposition
(http://rute.2038bug.com/index.html.gz) - an very good introduction to
the basics of linux starting from the base commands and covering all the
topics like compiling your kernel, configuring dns server. A very long
read but well worth the time
LInux Gazette (http://www.linuxgazette.com/) A monthly web based linux
zine, with the motto "making Linux just a little more fun!". A
collection of articles and tips along with a "trouble shooter" section
called "The Answer Gang".

As I mentioned earlier, these resources are best matched with
experimentation and play. Try out the commands, tips you see offered to
get a feel for how they work, then tweak them to serve your purposes.

Sorry for the overly long reply, but once I got started it was hard to
stop :). Another key part of learning is helping others - share your
experiences. This can be by answering questions on a list like this or
writing your own web page. The process of helping others to overcome
problems is as useful as (if not more than) any book or tutoruial you'll
find.

Stuart Bouyer 
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