by Stan and Peter Klimas
Simple Answers to Questions Frequently Asked by Beginners who Install Linux on their Home Computers or Administer their Home Network
Distributed under the General Public Licence http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html Your feedback, comments, corrections, and improvements are appreciated. Send them to penguin@thepenguin.zzn.com
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Intro: We are relative Linux newbies (with Linux since Summer 1998). We run RedHat mostly -> the solutions might not be directly applicable to other Linux distributions (although most of them probably will). Hope this helps, we try to be as practical as possible. Of course, we provide no warranty whatsoever! If you spotted a bad error or would like to contribute a part on a topic of your choice, we would like to hear from you :)
Part 0: For the Undecided
(Linux Benefits)
If you wonder what are Linux pros and cons, and whether Linux is for
you.
Part 1: Before
Linux Installation
What distribution should I use, how to obtain it, Linux hardware requirements,
how to partition your hard drive, about dual boot, and how to login the
very first time.
Part 2: Linux Resources,
Help and Some Links
How to access the Linux documentation, what are Linux help commands,
what are some Linux-oriented newsgroups and websites.
Part 3: Basic Operations FAQ
After you installed Linux, here are answers to some questions that
Linux newbie users/administrators may have when trying to perform every-day
tasks: what are the file name conventions, how to run a program, shut down
your computer, set up the path, add users, work with file permissions,
schedule jobs with "at" and cron, set up the swap space, make your passwords
and system more secure, write a simple script, install a new program ...
Part 4: Linux Newbie Administrator
FAQ
More easy answers to questions that Linux newbie administrators frequently
encounter: LILO (startup) issues, mounting drives, setting up/starting
X-windows (many concurrent X-windows sessions), have a graphical login
prompt, setting up network, ppp (over the phone) connection, printer, soundcard,
remote access to your computer ...
Part 5: Learning with
Linux
To get you started with simple programming and developer tools plus
some info on the Linux tools that can help learn about computers.
Part 6: How to upgrade
the kernel (by Alesh Mustar)
All you need to know to upgrade the Linux kernel.
Part 7: Linux Shortcuts
and Commands
Maybe that should have come first. A practical selection of Linux shortcuts
and commands in a concise form. Perhaps this is everything what a computer-literate
newbie Linuxer really needs.
Part 8: Essential Linux
applications (proprietary or not)
Essential and/or famous Linux applications with some hint/comments
(word processing, spreadsheet, database, tex). Extensive info on how to
set up and use CD recorder to rip/write data, audio, and mixed mode CDs.
Acknowledgments (who helped us+ why we are writing this page).
The master copy of this page: http://sunsite.auc.dk/linux-newbie/ (Denmark, Europe)
Mirror: http://www.linsup.com/newbie/ (Australia)
Mirror: http://linux.umbc.edu/mirrors/newbie-admin-faq/index.htm (Maryland, USA)A Russian translation (ver. 0.10 ) is available here localy or at http://www.college.balabanovo.ru/rider/book/ (Russia)
A Polish translation is available at http://www.wzz.org.pl/~lnag/pl/
A Chinese translation of the "Linux Shortcuts and Commands" (ver. 0.32) is available here.
The Spanish translation is available on the Spanish Esware Linux distribution CD, we were informed by <hfl@hardlogic.es>--please let us know if you see it on line. We were also informed that the translations into following languages may be under way: German "Kaleb Yilma" <KalebY@gmx.de>, Swedish "JonasÖgren" <jonas.ogren@home.se>.The following (automaticallly generated) files are available for reading off-line:
The pdf version of the Linux Newbie Guide is available here.
The pdf zip version of the Linux Newbie Guide is available here.
The postscript version of the Linux Newbie Guide is available here.
The postscript zip version of the Linux Newbie Guide is available here.
The html zip version of the Linux Newbie Guide is available here.
