On Wed, 10 Dec 1997 12:28:12 +0300, cs51wcs wrote: > I'm looking for a good file for that will be able to answer some of my = > questions about Linux. I've read all the included how-to's, but still = > have many questions. I currently only have e-mail access and am not = > able to browse or ftp.
Hi Scott, You pose a common, yet unsuspectingly complex, question. Being fairly new to Linux myself, I may, or may not, have a decent take on your perspective. I'm going to take a stab at your request, in a roundabout way (this is long, sorry). While I've been somewhat new to linux for the past six months, I was only freshly new to Linux for a relatively short time, perhaps a couple months. The initial adjustment is the most difficult transition. Slowly, piece by piece, you'll probably get to know Linux better, and soon you'll feel like part of the Linux crowd, and have gaudy .signature file exalting Linux. :-) Well, maybe not that last part, but you see where I'm going with this. Now to the brunt of the matter. It's difficult to answer your question straight out, even with ftp and web access. Incidentally, there is a way of getting ftp access via e-mail (sorry, I forget what that package is called), assuming the file you want is within your quota, but I gather that you're looking for a sort of quick-start guide, or a tonic for early Linux woes. The HOWTO's are an excellent resource, however Linux is very dynamic, and some of the HOWTO's I've found tend to be a little bit general or technical in nature, and often slightly out of date, and most of the information you're going to desire to configure your system may be somewhat more personalized and current, and may need to be translated to a different level of understanding. By the way, make sure you have an easy way to read those tarball howto's, either with a shell script such as that found in the Tips-HOWTO, or else using FileRunner or MidnightCommander. Your understanding of Linux will continually improve everytime you apply your knowledge, so it would be difficult to write a beginner's quick start guide, because by the time you were half way through, you'd be at a higher skill level(assuming you practiced along the way). Also, Linux is a sufficiently vast and unlimited domain such that you can use Linux for a long time and still have many deep and wide chasms, even if all Linux development were to completely cease, and surely that will not happen anytime soon. Clearly, a fresh beginner's needs differ markedly from those of a year-old beginner. So, where to start a beginner's guide? One of the best ways to become acquanted with Linux is to pick up a good book. I know they don't give them away, but there are a number of excellent Linux books out right now, one of the more popular ones of which is Running Linux. (My copy is currently 7 inches from my keyboard, as are a couple other O'Reilly books.) The reason I recommend a book is because it takes the information you and I require and packages it in an informal, almost conversational, style, which you and I can usually come to terms with. It's also indexed, can be read at lunch or on the bus (or before muster on the ship, as the case may be :-). You might look for unix books at your library, I found a good number, even at local libraries. While I sub-consciously curse the volume of the mailing lists, which is ever-increasing, I find the ideas and examples and conversational, practical, up-to-date questions and answers very relevant, so I save favorites in a folder, which I can call upon when needed by using my e-mail client to search for a keyword. Over time what I save has changed remarkably. You might already have a Linux folder setup and be doing this, it's a common practice. By reading the mailing list, I not only solve problems and manage day to day issues, but I also learn the language of Linux that books rarely yield. This might not seem very important at first glance, but it is actually invaluable to me because it is a sort of catalyst or bonding agent that melds all the information into my ideas which are then able to be recalled when needed, and which will form the basis of how I personalize your Linux box, as well as other future departure points. Lots of little bits and pieces. With windoze, one often does not have so many choices, but with Linux there are many choices to be made with regard to window managers, editors, e-mail clients,.. and with Linux one is presented with the task of administering services to users, and one's configuration files become increasingly valuable, so backups become more of a requirement; in essence, Linux requires more on the sys admin side. It takes time and effort, but the reward is knowledge and skills which afford more agility and might for computing tasks, all at a price which cannot be beat (unless you buy microsoft's claims). So, where to start a "beginner's guide"? I wish I knew. Familiarity with shell commands is probably important. Classic programs like vi and emacs deserve a once-over. But who can survive without dialup-networking or web-browsers (even if you use a text browser like lynx)? How does one choose an e-mail client or mail transport agent? An X-window window manager? That's why I like the mailing lists, it's like an all-you-can-eat buffet--there's always more than you could ever want. :-) One of my favorite resources is the ubiquitous FAQ. It has always seemed odd to me that FAQ's are often the MBD's (most buried documents). Indirectly your question brings up the larger questions of the direction of help for linux users, and a common system administration interface. There will probably not be a common help interface very soon, a good part of which is due not only to the numerous document formats, but to the simple fact that many Linux users do not use X-windows, which is in ways limiting. Common system administration interfaces are likewise challenged. Fortunately, Linux developers work at the speed of caffeine, and improvements are just over the horizon. One of the key concepts I had a difficult time adjusting to with Linux is the "try it out and see if it works" approach. This is about as comfortable as leaving the womb, but it is often the best (or only) way to learn. One other difficulty I had was becoming familiar with the documents which were already on my hard drive, but which I was unfamiliar with. If you installed the linux gazzette packages, you probably have some pleasantly informative reading ahead of you. It's in html, which you can read with lynx if you don't have a graphical browser. (I think the lynx package is in the standard base directory, but I've found a few nice packages in non-free, contrib, also.) You might also want to ask for a subscription to Linux Journal as a holiday gift idea. ($24, I think) You probably don't have access to irc, but there are also Linux InterRelayChat channels which are alleged to provide support (didn't for me, though). There are also volunteer organizations which provide one on one support to linux users, but I haven't tried those out. If your isp carries usenet newsgroups, there are a number of linux related groups, try doing a search to see what yours carry. Mine even has the debian groups. This has the advantage of archiving roughly the last thousand messages, with search abilities, without having those thousand posts being filtered by me. Note that Debian is not a usenet group, it is translated by certain subscribers to look like one, I don't know the details. Another concept which still baffles me is the spirit of cooperation amongst linux users and developers. If you've done your homework, there are people that are willing to help you. :-) So if you ever have a problem, and you've done your homework, and you're stuck, post the list. The only difficulty I've had with this approach is that it sometimes requires more patience than I'm accustomed to displaying. At times like those (they're decreasing, as I learn more), I found it useful to take a break, come back later with a better attitude. If you're not getting the response on the list you're looking for, develop a group of people who you can send mail to. There are even LUG's (Linux User's Groups) in most areas that meet for various activities and events. I know this is longer than hell, so I'll stop now. :-) -- David Stern StarOffice 4.0 for Linux Beta Install Guide http://weber.u.washington.edu/~kotsya/ -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .
