Where do I go to learn?

big_and_fat_guy · 10-15-2003, 07:25 PM

Anybody have any suggestions on where I should go to learn about how all of this linux stuff works? I've been on Mandrake 9.0 for about 3 weeks now and I feel as though I have learned nothing and don't have any use for my computer anymore. I can't even get apache installed and working correctly. It won't let me delete the contents of htdocs and replace it with my own website. It doesn't make much sense to me. I know almost everything about windows and just can't get this linux stuff working the way I want it, although I like it and it hasn't given me any big errors like windows tends to do. I thought that Linux would be a better system to run my website off of, but if I can't get it working, I see no point in staying on Linux, especially since all of my instant messaging contacts use MSN messenger which doesn't work on linux as of today, as far as I know. If I could understand how to set up linux the way I like, I would probably be much more reluctant to switch back to windows.

michaelk · 10-15-2003, 08:07 PM

How I learned... Books, I went to the local book store and bought a book or browsed the books. Doesn't anyone use the library any more? Searched the web for info. Played with the computer until I figured it out.

No actual experience with MSN or gaim but look here:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...=msn+messenger

What are the error messages when you try to delete htdocs? Are you logged in as root? You might have to change the permissions of the directory.

mysterio · 10-15-2003, 08:08 PM

checkout tldp.org lots of good info there.As far as instant messanger checkout gaim, it's compatible with a few other im's not sure about msn though. hth.

boreo · 10-15-2003, 08:13 PM

First thing, almost any problem you have you could search the forums here and you will find an answer. Maybe you can't replace the contents of htdocs because you don't have the right permissions. About MSN you could use something like Gaim or AMSN on Linux, Mandrake should already have Gaim installed so just set it up, if you don't have it download it from here http://freshmeat.net/projects/gaim/?...C23%2C24%2C150 as far as Amsn get it from here http://freshmeat.net/projects/amsn/?topic_id=87%2C22

Here are some other good sources.
www.google.com/linux
www.apache.org

sal_paradise42 · 10-16-2003, 04:36 AM

For apache find the /var/www/html folder and there is a file named index.html or index.shtml replacve it with your html or whatever file and rename your file index.html, and then in command line type: service httpd start
and then get to your website by going to your local webbrowser and type http://localhost and bingo there it is.

dukeinlondon · 10-16-2003, 07:04 AM

Get yourself a safari account and browse some linux books. It's really not complicate and easier to guess imho than windows, but only once you've got the basics right. Running linux is a very good start.

Also you should be able to find specific howtos, especially for apache. You probably will even find specific ones for the bigger distros.

Also, some distro come with set-up tools RH, Suse, Mdk and I am sure plenty of other that will make getting started a lot easier, whilst you read a bit of litterature.

jonr · 10-23-2003, 06:07 PM

I have learned a lot from

http://rute.sourceforge.net/

It's the complete text of a very large book about using Linux. That, along with these forums, is where I look first for the answer to a problem.

Nimoy · 10-24-2003, 10:22 AM

http://www.newtolinux.org.uk/tutorials.shtml is a very straightforward site - Good Luck and welcome aboard!

unholy · 10-25-2003, 08:19 AM

A book is the best way to start. Get a good foundation from a structured source. Then as you have more specific questions, you'll have the resources and the terminology to find out. You'll know where to post and how to refine your question.

O'Reilly has a great linux book (I think I found a pdf when googling at some stage).

Lakota · 10-25-2003, 11:56 AM

I use Linux almost exclusively now, but am not even a fraction as acknowledgeable in it as I am in Windoze. I believe if you are serious about learning Linux the place to start is Rute. This is a free book in pdf format. It will take you from square one, learning to use the terminal and commands right on in to a point of respectable usability. It seems in Linux to become proficient you must master the terminal, much like in Windoze you need to learn to use dos command-line and to hack the registry or you'll never scratch the surface. Bonus is Linux has less limitation than Windoze, although you need the thirst for knowledge to explore and master it. You can probably find an rpm of rute on your third installation cd, if you don't have a pdf viewer installed, xpdf works great and is found on your install cd's as well. You can find Rute on line to read here:
http://www.icon.co.za/~psheer/book/index.html.gz
And a new document on Windoze to Linux migration link here, pdf also:
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/10/24/224227

Hope I was of help,
P.S. after dealing with this forum for Linux, where can you find a world of people so willing to help with Windoze, I never did !