Learning Linux

Joy

@scottalanmiller yes exactly I have a goal for learning Linux.

Joy

@scottalanmiller I am thinking to install Centos into my laptop so that I can use it daily

scottalanmiller

On your laptop use Fedora 20 or the latest OpenSuse, not CentOS. CentOS is a server distro, not good for desktop use.

scottalanmiller

Even the latest Mint would be okay on a laptop.

Joy

@scottalanmiller ahh I see. so I will do it tonight

scottalanmiller

I would say to get Linux Mint and choose the Cinnamon option. That will be best for getting started.

scottalanmiller

Be aware that using Linux as a desktop will do very little to teach you about running a Linux server. But it sure won't hurt.

thanksajdotcom

@Joyfano Mint is great. Ubuntu is still nice if you rip Unity out and put GNOME back on where it belongs!

Dashrender

@scottalanmiller said:

Doing a project, like making a wiki, is a great way to learn because you have a goal and something to actually strive towards. Otherwise you install Linux, look at it and.... what else?

this had always been my problem, I've installed them before and just sat. There staring at it.

Joy

@scottalanmiller Its ok. it will teach me how to use. At least I will have an idea how to work with Linux server.

scottalanmiller

@ajstringham said:

@Joyfano Mint is great. Ubuntu is still nice if you rip Unity out and put GNOME back on where it belongs!

I would not do this, ever. All the badness of Ubuntu for no reason, plus all the issues of being new to the OS and having to "rip out" the intended interface and then, when you are done, having Gnome 3 which is still hard to use and will turn someone off from trying to learn Linux. All bad. I only think Mint is acceptable because Cinnamon is native, works out of the box and you never need to deal with changing things around. It's the only condition that I'd ever recommend a Debian based system for someone new to Linux and only if I thought that they were really focused on using it as a desktop. Ubuntu is a general no-no for new users because it is unnecessarily confusing and will make Linux seem much less friendly and useful than it is.

scottalanmiller

@Joyfano said:

@scottalanmiller Its ok. it will teach me how to use. At least I will have an idea how to work with Linux server.

It's just like Windows - you just need a "reason" before you do it or there is nothing to do. If you install a Windows Server at home and have no goals with it, it will do nothing too.

Joy

@scottalanmiller I see. So I have a goal for this. That's why I need to learn from very basic.

scottalanmiller

@Joyfano said:

@scottalanmiller I see. So I have a goal for this. That's why I need to learn from very basic.

Just be aware that using it as a desktop can make that harder because you get caught up playing with the graphics and stuff rather than actually learning Linux.

Joy

@scottalanmiller " playing with the graphics and stuff rather than actually learning Linux."
what do you mean? my brain is not working...

scottalanmiller

@Joyfano said:

@scottalanmiller " playing with the graphics and stuff rather than actually learning Linux."
what do you mean? my brain is not working...

Meaning people who use Linux as a desktop tend to spend their time finding cool applications to install, changing the wall paper, worrying about where the buttons are, etc. The same things that normal people using Windows do. But those "normal" things don't really teach you anything about Linux - not using Linux as a server. On a server you are really doing completely different tasks and when people say "learn Linux" it is the server tasks that they mean. Using it as a desktop encourages you to use it as a "end user" rather than as a "systems administrator." Nothing wrong with having a Linux desktop and it makes working with servers even easier (wait till you see how sweet the terminal integration is.)

Joy

@scottalanmiller ahh I see. now I know

scottalanmiller

Mint is very different than CentOS, but is a great desktop. Fedora is an okay desktop but is basically identical to CentOS. So it is a tradeoff. Fedora is better for learning, Mint is better for using.

Joy

@scottalanmiller I installed Centos here. but I haven't really a chance to use all the time

RoguePacket

Few thoughts—

Various tutorials, http://www.linux.org/
http://www.professormesser.com/linux-plus/linux-training-videos/

"Linux" is one piece. Usually there is scripting and getting to know the commands/programs, e.g. rsync. Straightforward project is using VirtualBox to run a Windows 7 VM on the linux distro of choice. Try a trial version of VMware Workstation for Linux to see how it is different than VirtualBox. And so on.

Find Linux magazines and take note to which projects/articles you read rather than skip over. That is an indication of what you want to do &/or know. Not advocating buying these, but let yourself get a gauge of what to fuel your motivation—

Just a few thoughts.