If there is another way than this to remove myself from this list can
someone please let me know.
Thanks
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
Behalf Of Larry Marshall
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2000 11:56 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [newbie] Learning Linux?
"Daniel J. Ferris" wrote:
> Three methods I found:
While I would agree with your methods to some extent, I'd modify them
just a wee bit.
> 1. Loose X windows for a little while and learn some command
> line
This is where I disagree. There is nothing better when learning than
to have 2-3 xterms open. One holds man page lookups, the other the
actual working commandline and a third....just in case. It's sortof
an analog to the days when I had a commandline and a whole bunch of
manuals open on the desk :-)
> 2. Take a class :-)
> 3. Buy lots of books and learn to use man
A good start on the books would be Running Linux and Linux in a
Nutshell, both by O'Reilly press. Linux in a Nutshell is the best
reference around and the other one provides some good insights into
how Linux works and why.
A fourth "method" I'd add to your list is "Don't forget everything you
know about Windows." I know that's probably heresy here but I'm
watching two Linux newbies now and if they'd just think, "What would I
do if I were in Windows?" they'd be less confused about some of the
stuff. If you view /mnt/windows as equal to C:, it's not so wierd to
have to either click on an icon to get there or cd /mnt/windows to get
there. But one of my newbies asked me what the difference between
these two were and yet he's comfortable at the DOS prompt as well as
on the Windows desktop. In short, yes, Linux does a lot of things
different from the way Windows does them (and better too) but file
handling and stuff like that is very similar.
Hmmm...I'll add a fifth method. If you're coming from Windows and run
into a problem with Linux, ask "Do I know how this is handled in
Windows" before you start chasing your tail. Don't accept an answer
like "I just run CD Creator." Rather, using that example, when you
start trying to write to your CD-writer, ask "Do I know how CDs are
written under Windows?", "Do I know the difference between CD-RW and
CD-R writes?", "Do I know what is going happens when I answer that
question at the end of CD-Creator where it asks me whether I want the
CD-R closed or not?". If you can answer yes to these kinds of
questions under Linux, it's a simple matter of finding the analog
tools under Linux. If you can't, you need to read some about the
actual process. This "fifth method" helps send you down the right
road.
Cheers --- Larry
>
> Look at me, I still don't know that much even after 2 years :-)
>
> Dan
