Where To Start?

Here I am, a forced Linux convert who left the precious comforts of Window. I'm completely new to Linux other than an almost successful install.

(Read my last thread, explains the almost part)

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=998432

Background Story (Helps make this all this seem less random)

This de conversion starts with my Highschool. It's a Leadership and Entrepreneurship College Prep Highschool. The Junior year highlight is an Internship you start second semester. Based off of my possible career choices, I got matched up with a local company called Open Sourcery.

http://www.opensourcery.com/

PS: I live in Portland Oregon, I don't know if that means anything at all.

Open Sourcery, for those too lazy to click the link, is a company that wanders around Portland setting up and managing an open source base for their technology. Once the base is established, they go through Linux and fix it up to fit the business/corporation/whatever.

For example, my schools technology is completely based off of open source. The servers and everything runs off of linux. The only shred of windows you'll find is on a teachers' laptop. What the business does is whenever the students get into mischief (mess around with linux or something) they're called up to patch up the problem. We can't access the games anymore... :(

I now have an interview with the company coming up. I've also gotten to meet he CEO. He actually gave me a challenge: Wipe Windows and get everything working with Linux. (Apparently there's no way they allow any windows machine on their servers. I guess it's too unstable and either way I'll need to at least dual boot it)

[SIZE="4"]Anyone who skipped the story should start here.[/SIZE]

He told me to do a couple of things. One of those things is to familiarise myself with the command prompt. (I don't even know if it's called that for Linux.)

I need to learn how to use Linux really well now. I don't know what to say to help me get started, but I'd like to figure out how to install software. (all types) That's something I'm not used to.

The company I might intern for also uses mostly Perl. I want to get a head start in learning it. This is all short notice (even for me)... I have till late December or early January. :D

So... now what?

Here's the help... Go to this site to familiarize yourself with the powerful ubuntu linux https://help.ubuntu.com/8.10/index.html

On a normal scale, I'd say "Congratulations on making the switch!" but the fact that you're being forced to convert isn't cool of the people who forced it on you. =/

Either way, congratulations on taking up the challenge. Not many would. Although still, being forced to use only one thing sucks (although at my school's case, it's Windows that the district is forcing us to use, even if the school is sorta' half defying it).

To install things, you have two choices:

The more familiar GUI-based way with clicking on buttons and the like can be done by Synaptic. At the top left, click on the System menu, click on Administration, and then click on Synaptic Package Manager. Since this involves installing things/removing things, you need to put in your password. It should start up.

Synaptic to put in the best Windows analogy I can think of, is a very very extensive Windows Update. You can install more than just what's on your computer, since it'll have 'packages' (which are the equivalence of Windows .exe files, though by no means do they run the same way) that you can download and install (ranging from Firefox to OpenOffice to Banshee Music Player [think iTunes-style], etc.). It's extensive. You won't be running around downloading .exe files from the Net as much, since Synaptic will do most of your work for you (although you may download .deb files here and there that are packages to install). Generally though, you will have 'repositories' (places that just house a bunch of packages) to download packages from.

To work Synaptic, you can click on the Search button at the top, type in a term like 'firefox' and it'll show you a list of things. If you're interested in installing them, read the description, click the box to the left of the name, and click to say you want to install it. It may ask if you want to install additional packages with that - do so, since they are dependencies that the package you selected will need to run. When you're done choosing what you want, hit Apply at the top and it'll download and install it all for you.

The Terminal way, which while is faster and later on at times potentially preferred, is a lot harder to get used to at first when you're new to Linux from Windows. If you're interested in learning this instead, make sure you have an idea of how all this packaging works.

Hope this helps.

two things really helped me learn ubuntu. the ebook Ubuntu Unleashed, and this website http://linuxcommand.org/

This will help -

http://www.linux.org/lessons/beginner/toc.html

Also come join us at #ubuntu @ irc.freenode.net, there are tons of people who will be more than willing to come help you out.

Welcome :)!

(Btw tons of other Linux distro's are residing on the IRC network as well)

First, welcome, even if it has been forced upon you (so far). It appears you have quite a bit of help as far as command line homework goes. As far as Perl is concerned, it's a fairly advanced language, but the basics are easy: Perl Documentation/Introduction/Tutorials Programming Talk Sticky Thread on Programming Tools/References Perl (From LaRoza's Programming Wiki)

Buy (or backorder) "Ubuntu Linux Bible 8.10" and get VirtualBbox, http://www.virtualbox.org, and run windows through that.

I like hard copy books around for reference.

here are the two best ubuntu linux books i've ever seen or had.

1. _Beginning Ubuntu Linux: from novice to professionals_ by APRESS

http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Ubuntu-Linux-Novice-Professional/dp/1590599918/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1_rsrsrs0

1. _Ubuntu Linux Toolbox_ by WILEY

http://www.amazon.com/Ubuntu-Linux-Toolbox-Commands-Debian/dp/0470082933/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228288087&sr=1-1

(This one is all command line bash commands and stuff. Out of the two if you can only get one, then get this one. Especially if you are working for a company like that with linux servers. This book has a little bit of cool Linux security tricks too.)

oh, p.s.: try to join a nearby Linux Users Group or Ubuntu LoCo Team. They can really help. http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=345

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamList

First have a read here: http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm -- just to get a few basic things correctly about what to expect

Then have a read here: http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/index.php -- that will give you a brief introduction

Then go here: http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Intrepid -- that will have more stuff

You should have now the basic concepts etc. at your disposal.

Now for the command line I recommend http://www.linuxcommand.org

Als a good point to get info is the ubuntu wiki: https://wiki.ubuntu.com

iron.duck said: Here I am, a forced Linux convert who left the precious comforts of Window. Embrace the challenge :D

I do the same to all my apprentices (so far: 10 apprentices in 8 years). I force them to wipe away their Windows and install Linux and to do everything in Linux. Being mean and evil as I am it's likely that I am dissatisfied with the way they installed their Linux ("Wooot? No separate /usr? No separate /var? No separate /home? What do you mean you did not read the article about "Filesystem Hierarchy Standard" that I sent to you?? ...") so they have to do it again ... and again ... and again :D

They complain a lot at first but later they're quite happy and thankful. Especially when they find nice jobs as UNIX admins somewhere somehow and all of a sudden earn far more than their peers who only got some lousy Windows job ;)

iron.duck said: PS: I live in Portland Oregon, I don't know if that means anything at all.

It means that you have been blessed more than you will ever know.

I, myself, live in Houston, Texas, which is at the opposite end of the spectrum. And here, our "public" schools are actually run by for-profit corporations. Seriously.

You probably think I'm kidding, but I'm not.

Obviously, people who support the idea of gutting the public school system and turning it over to for-profit corporations are decidedly pro-business.

So it's highly unlikely we will see much support around here for anything so "communist" as opensource.

Of course, we are trying to get our family out of this freaking corporate Sodom and Gomorrah, but unfortunately it looks like we're going to be stuck here for awhile.

And our daughter is stuck in a pro-corporate-establishment school, but I make-do by home-schooling her with alternative ideas, like opensource, among other things.

Oh yeah, you betcha she's learning how to do everything she needs to do on Ubuntu.

Anywho, kudos to Portland.

And welcome to the world of opensource. Maybe think of it as medicine that you've been forced to take that will make you better in the long run. ;)

Hi,me too I'm new to Ubuntu,and among the others suggestions,you can use the "System Help".This is the analog of Windows help,you can get it by the icon on the left of the top panel or by selecting the Menù System->Help and support. This way has the advantage that you don't need to be online to be used; you can also find on the advanced section of the help any common command to be used from the prompt ( or more properly by the shell:Application->Accessories->open a terminal or something similar)

Enjoy using and experiencing the Ubuntu way):P.