Hey guys!!!

I was wondering if you had a step by step procedure on how to learn linux and its programming language???
a link or any documentation would really be appreciated.
thanks

Linux Beginners: http://www.google.ae/search?hl=en&safe=off...beginners&meta=

Learn Linux: http://www.google.ae/search?hl=en&q=learn+linux&meta=

Linux Tutorial: http://www.google.ae/search?hl=en&safe=off...+tutorial&meta=

I just got done TRYING to sift through some of the info in the links you supplied. Alas, I guess I'm too technically challenged to understand any of what I found. I now feel that it APPEARS (to me at least) that you have to be some sort of a C++ programming guru to even attempt to try Linux ?????????????????????

I guess I've used Windoze for way too long

There is a big difference between "learning linux" and "learning how to use linux". If we take Windows for example, if you "learn how to use Windows" you will be learning how to use it in your daily life, for word processing, playing music, watching movies, how to install a game. But if you "learn Windows" you would be learning the internals, how things fit together, COM, API, DLLs, the Registry, windows scripting, FAT32/NTFS ..etc

One is technical, the other is not. I assure you though, Linux has become ever so easy to use and even install. And you do not need to know C++ to -USE- Linux. In my opinion, Linux is even prettier than Windows XP when it comes to GUI (graphical use rinterface). Take a look of these screenshots of the KDE front-end for Linux http://www.kde.org/screenshots/ .l And here is another front-end named gnome http://www.gnome.org/start/2.0/screenshots/ .

As a user, thats what you will see when using Linux (provided you install them ofcourse). You will not need to delve into the command line (loosely equivalent to DOS in Windows) or muck about writing C scripts.

This is quite true.

Those ARE some nice looking GUIs! i guess I'm going to have to dig out that extra computer I have laying around and see if it's complete so I can find and install something Linux on it. I read a bit about Ubuntu/Kubuntu and it seems to sound a lot like XP in the way it's used. Would that be a decent starting point for a [technically challenged} beginner like me? And another thing that concerns me is whether or not I'll be able to run some of my favorite Win based progs on it...like games, my OOOLD Astrology prog, e-mail, Yahoo!, Pal Talk, etc.? Will I be able to use my same hardware? ...E.G.: printer, scanner, webcam, sound card, etc and the[Win-based?] software that goes with them?

You can use the same hardware provided corresponding Linux drivers exist. I believe that wont be a problem as most manufacturers provide both Windows and Linux drivers. As for software programs and games, not really. The majority of games are targetted at the PC/Console market. You will find games specifically for Linux but not the latest and well known titles, same applies to programs to an extent....BUT you do not need to install Linux on a different machine, niether do you have to create a different partition and duel boot, all you need is VMware!

VMware will allow you to run Linux or even another Windows operating system from within your current Windows operating system. It creates a virtual machine where your new OS will reside. If you install Linux on it you would be able to switch between Linux and your Windows operating system with a single mouse click, and nothing on your original Windows will be touched or messed around with (VMware will install virtual network cards so that your Linux virtual machine would be able to share your windows internet connection).

I would suggest a live Linux CD, to "try-before-buying" Linux. It's simpler to get started and requires a smaller investment, WRT hware and time on your part. Kubuntu/Ubuntu, contrary to the prevailing winds, aren't the best live CDs for newbies. Once you've tried the rest, Kubuntu/Ubuntu may, in fact, be the preferred distro for a hdrive install. Why ? My biggest criticism of Kubuntu is the fact that it doesn't mount hdrive partitions automatically. What's mounting did you say ?

Unix and its children are designed around a notion of storage being taken on/off-line regularly. In the '70s, computer centers (where Unix was born) relied heavily on removable disc packs. While our modern PCs are equipped w/ vast (relative to the '70s) amounts of fixed storage, the on/off-line philosophy has changed little. Most distros automagically configure themselves to the fixed storage on your PC. Kubuntu doesn't do this in live CD mode, an unnec hurdle for the 1st-time Linux newbie. (It was annoying for me and I know what I'm doing.)

However, the biggest newbie obstacle WRT Linux, is the fact that Linux is truly a DIY computing environment. There are excellent distros for 1st-time Linux users, but all Linux distros must be approached w/ the understanding that they are offered by many small groups w/ far fewer resources than MSOFT. Consequently, Linux hware driver support is far less universal as compared to Windows. With Windows, you almost never need to visit the cmd-line, whereas w/ Linux it's a near-certainty. If you discover that some odd-ball, but essential piece of hware has great (or at least functional) support under Windows, one may discover there is little, if any support under Linux. And that's where being a DIYer comes into play. Regardless of the distro, you may have no choice but roll-up-your-sleeves and cobble together your own solutions. Moreover, most of the support forums for Linux distros are far less tolerant of little-lost-newbie topic titles like:



Anyway, while I could go on (I disagree w/ our esteemed colleague, WarXChild, about his distinction bet 'learning Windows' and 'learning to use Windows'), I'll conclude a w/ a couple of links to get a 1st-time Linux user going in the right direction:

Knoppix is prob the 1st, widely-used live Linux CD, by one of the best Linux hackers out there. Try this one first, it is excellent !

Slax is my personal fav. Not quite as newbie friendly, but once you get your feet wet, you'll find it's the easiest live Linux CD to remaster, yet extremely powerful. Remastering ? That where you customize your live CD, to add/remove components.

PuppyLinux a good live CD distro for 1st-timers. Very easy to remaster as well.

Freespire is the open-source variant of Linspire, the-distro-formerly-known-as-Lindows, the folks who butted heads w/ MSOFT over their name, a few years ago. Of the live Linux CD/DVD distros I've seen, this is one of the best for 1st-timers who're seriously considering a permanent switch to Linux. It's almost a better Windows-than-Windows. Be sure to check out Click-N-Run....

Finally, there's the LiveCDList. Pretty obvious what that is.

Good luck w/ it....

First, thanx to War for their explanation.

Second, thank YOU roboto for your input and especially those extremely useful links. I'm a sponge right now, so I'll be listening to any and all advice given and visting any and all links provided.

THANK you BOTH, again!!!

I'm totally new to Linux but tried out Ubuntu 6.10 - boy was I impressed. It installed without any headache and then told me all the available updates or additions. I tried it on a separate HD by itself on a system already running XP. I also tried installing it onto a HD with Win 2K. In both cases it installed beautifully and gave me automatically dual boot option on start-up. It is very much DOS with style which took me back to the "good old days". I would have liked a "Linux for Loonies" guide like the "DOS for Dummies" - but there is a lot of help out there for idiots like me.
My thanks to everyone who does so.