[plug] Newbys guide

[Timothy White]

Christopher Whittaker wrote:

> Speaking as a relative newbie I have had tremendous problems with
> coming to grips with Linux and it is largely due to people like Carl
> who have answered my questions with clarity and an obvious desire to
> help that I have( a) perservered with Linux and (b) still wish to
> learn and broaden my knowledge.
>
> One thing I have found with linux is that there are so any Distros "
> which are user friendly" and every month one computer magazine offers
> a "full" distro free on the cover.
>
> As a newby gets disolutioned with one he tries another and in the end
> is just so confused that he gives up and goes back to Windows.

Almost happened for me. Although I just dual booted and for weeks Linux
wouldn't get touched.

>
> RPMS,? Debian? the same program in i386,i486,i586,i686 which is the
> right one ?, can I use APT on this sysem or do i have to compile my
> own application? How do I do that?.Wheres the sound gone? will KDE
> packages work in the Gnome environment.? Install from a tarWhat? Why
> does Fedora seem to update its kernel everytime I go to make a cup of
> tea?.
>
> Do I stick with Lycoris, Red Hat , Mandrake, Xandros, Fedora Core,
> Ubuntu, Mepis , slackware or one of the other 251 flavours of Linux.?
>
> Which is best for me and Why? I know if I ask a Mandrake user what he
> will say , like wise a Xandros , Red Hat or Mepis user..

When I was a newbie I started with Redhat and Mandrake from a Linux
handbook. These got me started playing and I then bought a few smaller
distro's (seeing as I had a small computer) from LinuxIT and installed them.
I then took the plunge by getting Debian CD's from UCC and promptly
coming to a Monday workshop as I couldn't get past the installer. I went
home and reinstalled Debian the next morning my self because I have to
do it my self to learn how to do it.
I've stuck with Debian since because I like it. I've tried Gentoo and
now and looking in to Ubuntu (for converting my friends) and features of
the CA Distro (to see how more effiecent I can become.)

>
>
> If PLUG is to aset up a newby site then I would strongly suggest that
> in order for it to be properly maintained then like the site intends
> ,it should be simplified and I think the easiest way for this to
> happen is to agree to cover and deal with 1 Distro for the basic Home
> computer.
>
> Then give a step by step instruct on every thing from artitioning to
> installation to installing a package from the internet , updates and
> so forth.
>
> Just about every book I have seen that is a "linux made easy flavour"
> is based on KDE and Mandrake.
>
> So perhaps to offer some other choice that a site pertaining to Gnome
> and  another distro is considered

I would love to see it been Ubuntu because from what I've seen it is
pretty Damn good and they will even send out pressed CD's (including
Amd_64 and IIRC PPC.) It is also one of the easiest distro's I've used
in a long time with out sacrificing power (for those who like to drive a
turbo charged car rather than a mini)
The other advantage is that they have LOTs of software readily available
to install without urpm [1] mirror problems. It also allows them to get
to know the big daddy under the hood if they so wish once the are
familiar with Linux.

>
> Once this choice is made then it is stuck with until such time as the
> information given is sufficient for most users to be up with the
> basics and then ready to move on.
>
> This could also be translated into the installfests so that they
> remain focused and easier to manage.
>
> Given that Pluggers all have a personal choice of distro and use
> varying flavours I do not see how there could be any chants of distro
> bias if the newby site was centred on one flavour.
>
> Then it may also be perternant to offer "general" information such as
> understanding the file system, create and install from a tarball. (I
> have RTFMs on this till I am blue in the face and it is still more
> luck than management on wether it works) and the CLI.

Tarballs. Mmmmm... Ouch. The only time I have got lots of tarballs to
compile and install easily was with Gentoo. Not having used apt-src I
can't comment for Debian.
After 3-4 years of using Linux, the only Tarballs I can guarantee to be
able to get to work are the ones I make (usually PHP applications
bundled up for easy downloading.)
Occasionally I'll get a src application that I can get working (If it's
Java, 99% of the time I can get it working) using './configure, make'
and sometimes make install (after testing the application in it's
current location. The reasons I don't usually do 'make install' is
because the usually isn't a 'make uninstall' or 'unmake'
Dependencies issues are usually the biggest problem and as I've got more
experienced I've been able to interpret the crypt error messages and
workout which Deb packages I need to install to be able to compile.

>
> Being a newby in linux is hard but everyone was a newby at some to
> other and  weall still have had struggles and issues coming to grips
> with the systems .
>
> Even now I still see some of the people I would consider GURUs, given
> the pulgs they answer still having problems with various elements of
> the systems.
>
> Being a newby should not be an initation or a rite of passage it
> should be a fun , educational and growing experience.

I second that comment. For me it was fun possibly because I started
young and I grew up on the CLI. Windows for me was a passing phase and
Windows 3.1 was an application to be used when needed (Fortran GUI) not
an everyday interface.
Windows 2000 and Windows XP for me are just clients on my SMB Domain;
they are toys that let me play with a Domain while still Keeping the
Family happy.

Tim

[1] Does urpm allow easy uninstalling of packages with dependency
checking? Or is it a bit like Gentoo?

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