Radhil Trebors
Persona Under Construction
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I''m looking into learning some kind of *Nix stuff, to set up servers, as my job will need something of the sort soon.
So the two stupid helpless newb questions are:
1) Where''s the best tutorial for learning it? (I have a mild passing familiarity with the command prompt on a Unix system, but that''s it, no setup knowledge)
2) What flavor should I start with? (I will likely end up using OpenBSD in the end, seems to have some things I need, but I don''t know if that''s the best way to learn)
Thanks in advance, sorry for tainting the board.
Radhil Trebors
Persona Under Construction
Radhil Trebors
Persona Under Construction
Try FreeBSD...
if you have a decent amount of bandwidth, its incredibly easy to isntall programs (you only have to worry about configuration, like where do you want apache''s DocumentRoot to be)
if you want to install something, 99% of the stuff that works on freebsd is in its ports collection (openbsd has ports too, but is far more conservative)
cd /usr/ports/www/lynx && make install
tadaa, you installed lynx... how about wget... hmm, what would that be under?
cd /usr/ports && make search name="wget" | less
ah, there it is
cd ftp/wget && make install
----
you can even get a program called cvsup and stick it in a cronjob to update your ports (or your freebsd operating system source code) automatically
personally, i think fbsd is the admin''s dream OS
----
the only thing that comes close to this kind of functionality in linux is debian''s apt-get (although i''ve heard something about some new distro)
if you have a decent amount of bandwidth, its incredibly easy to isntall programs (you only have to worry about configuration, like where do you want apache''s DocumentRoot to be)
if you want to install something, 99% of the stuff that works on freebsd is in its ports collection (openbsd has ports too, but is far more conservative)
cd /usr/ports/www/lynx && make install
tadaa, you installed lynx... how about wget... hmm, what would that be under?
cd /usr/ports && make search name="wget" | less
ah, there it is
cd ftp/wget && make install
----
you can even get a program called cvsup and stick it in a cronjob to update your ports (or your freebsd operating system source code) automatically
personally, i think fbsd is the admin''s dream OS
----
the only thing that comes close to this kind of functionality in linux is debian''s apt-get (although i''ve heard something about some new distro)
Even if most say that Gentoo is for people who already know Linux / Unix, I recommend you use their distro. It's emerge script is extremely cool and it works fine. Althouth, if you don't have a high speed connection, don't do it as some dependencies tend to take for ever to download on a 56k modem. Especially when some libs are 10MB. Or, you could also get yourself a copy of Mandrake 8.2, it's probably the easiest one to install( yes, even easier than Red Hat ). Apparently, It has a sort of dependencies downloader for RPM packages. That's what they say on their web site but then again, I don't really know. Haven't got the bandwidth to download the ISOs...
Also, another distro even though they don't plan to release any time soon is going to be Xandros. It's based on Corel Linux. Apparently, corel rented them their distro so Xandros could modify it and keep it up to date. ( In case you didn't know, Corel had a distro that could be installed in just 3 clicks of the mouse. And yes, it wasn't that bad but it was missing alot of tools... And it had some problems with some hardware. )
Now, that does it for the easy distro, here's what I really recommend, get Slackware( the best distro to learn ), I concider this the best to learn since you have to do everything and I mean everything. That's how I started. I didn't even know what I was doing when I first installed Linux but after a week of fooling around, I figured out how to do different stuff, configured everything including my 2400 bps modem ( at that time, about 10 years ago ) and managed to get all of the xwindows installed and configured. It's a lean mean Linux distro. Has alot of good apps directly included on the distro cds. Up to about 6 years ago, I ran only slackware, until I found SuSE, I then ran that for some 2 and a half years and finally, I got Mandrake 7.1 and kept with it up to 8.1 since I don't have what it takes to get the 8.2 ISOs, as mentioned above, and Gentoo( 2 weeks ago ) and now I only run those distros. Who knows, I might chance to some other distro later but for now, Gentoo and Mandrake 8.1 ar
"And that's the bottom line cause I said so!"
Cyberdrek
danielc@iquebec.com
Founder
Laval Linux
/(bb|[^b]{2})/ that is the Question -- ThinkGeek.com
Hash Bang Slash bin Slash Bash -- #!/bin/bash
[edited by - cyberdrek on April 19, 2002 9:29:42 PM]
Also, another distro even though they don't plan to release any time soon is going to be Xandros. It's based on Corel Linux. Apparently, corel rented them their distro so Xandros could modify it and keep it up to date. ( In case you didn't know, Corel had a distro that could be installed in just 3 clicks of the mouse. And yes, it wasn't that bad but it was missing alot of tools... And it had some problems with some hardware. )
Now, that does it for the easy distro, here's what I really recommend, get Slackware( the best distro to learn ), I concider this the best to learn since you have to do everything and I mean everything. That's how I started. I didn't even know what I was doing when I first installed Linux but after a week of fooling around, I figured out how to do different stuff, configured everything including my 2400 bps modem ( at that time, about 10 years ago ) and managed to get all of the xwindows installed and configured. It's a lean mean Linux distro. Has alot of good apps directly included on the distro cds. Up to about 6 years ago, I ran only slackware, until I found SuSE, I then ran that for some 2 and a half years and finally, I got Mandrake 7.1 and kept with it up to 8.1 since I don't have what it takes to get the 8.2 ISOs, as mentioned above, and Gentoo( 2 weeks ago ) and now I only run those distros. Who knows, I might chance to some other distro later but for now, Gentoo and Mandrake 8.1 ar
"And that's the bottom line cause I said so!"
Cyberdrek
danielc@iquebec.com
Founder
Laval Linux
/(bb|[^b]{2})/ that is the Question -- ThinkGeek.com
Hash Bang Slash bin Slash Bash -- #!/bin/bash
[edited by - cyberdrek on April 19, 2002 9:29:42 PM]
quote:Original post by Radhil
1) Where's the best tutorial for learning it? (I have a mild passing familiarity with the command prompt on a Unix system, but that's it, no setup knowledge)
1.) Search the web. Tutorials on specific topics are constantly being written.
2.) The Linux Documentation Project. Get comfortable with reading HOWTOs, man pages and info docs.
quote:
2) What flavor should I start with? (I will likely end up using OpenBSD in the end, seems to have some things I need, but I don't know if that's the best way to learn)
For beginners, I continue to recommend Mandrake. From there you will have to try out different distros until you find the one that suits you.
quote:
Thanks in advance, sorry for tainting the board.
That's okay. this time...
[ GDNet Start Here | GDNet Search Tool | GDNet FAQ ]
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Thanks to Kylotan for the idea!
[edited by - Oluseyi on April 19, 2002 9:37:55 PM]
quote:Original post by Cyberdrek
Also, another distro even though they don''t plan to release any time soon is going to be Xandros. It''s based on Corel Linux. Apparently, corel rented them their distro so Xandros could modify it and keep it up to date.
The people at Xandros are mostly people who worked on Corel Linux. One of the higher ups at Xandros did a presentation at my school. It looks like it will be the Linux for beginners or regular home users, plus it has a DVD player. Right now its still in alpha though, so it will be a while.
University is a fountain of knowledge, and students go there to drink.
For linux distros, Slackware and Debian are the best (IMO). Debian has the best package managemnet system of ANY *nix that I have ever seen.
With BSD, definately go FreeBSD. OpenBSD is nice and secure out-of-the-box, but it''s a bizotch to install.
As for help, try http://www.linuxnewbie.org.
rm -rf /bin/laden
With BSD, definately go FreeBSD. OpenBSD is nice and secure out-of-the-box, but it''s a bizotch to install.
As for help, try http://www.linuxnewbie.org.
rm -rf /bin/laden
I thought getting Gentoo up and running was hard...until I tried FreeBSD. I mean, gentoo doesn''t even have a text based installer, but for some reason, I had all sorts of trouble getting FreeBSD to run. At the very least I got Gentoo to boot up with the kernel I had compiled for it. But I never did get BSD running. I''m actually browsing www.freebsd.org while here too, so maybe I''ll learn what''s tripping me up.
I think cyberdrek is right though. Start with a hard distro first rather than an easy one (if you are patient). That''s how I''m doing it too. I''m a noob too, although I''ve had an on again off again Linux box since Mandrake 7. But I''ve learned more about Linux in the last three weeks trying to set up Gentoo, then the previous year and a half.
As for books, Complete Linux is pretty good and covers a wide rane of topics. I''d also recommend a primer on programming with Linux. I currently have two...Beginning Linux Programming from Wrox press, and Beginning Linux Graphics Programming by Norman Lin from Wordware publishing. Skimming through these have actually explained a lot of diffucult concepts. For example, in the Graphics book, I got to see the source code for creating X windows, and creating Event Handlers and dispatchers. The Beginning Programming book covered how Make works and had a whole chapter devoted just to shell programming (in bash).
I think cyberdrek is right though. Start with a hard distro first rather than an easy one (if you are patient). That''s how I''m doing it too. I''m a noob too, although I''ve had an on again off again Linux box since Mandrake 7. But I''ve learned more about Linux in the last three weeks trying to set up Gentoo, then the previous year and a half.
As for books, Complete Linux is pretty good and covers a wide rane of topics. I''d also recommend a primer on programming with Linux. I currently have two...Beginning Linux Programming from Wrox press, and Beginning Linux Graphics Programming by Norman Lin from Wordware publishing. Skimming through these have actually explained a lot of diffucult concepts. For example, in the Graphics book, I got to see the source code for creating X windows, and creating Event Handlers and dispatchers. The Beginning Programming book covered how Make works and had a whole chapter devoted just to shell programming (in bash).
I''ve just read this awesome book recently.
"FreeBSD Unleased" it comes with 4.3(I think?) and 5.0-CURRENT.
Now I know this is a Sams book, and I don''t hold Sams high up in the order of great publishers. But this book is great for the dedicated beginer to Unix and espcially FreeBSD...give it ago if you have the money...definitly buy it over "The Complete FreeBSD" as this book is very outdated...very outdated.
Unleased has it problems..type-os left right and center, but if you try hard enuff you can get thru it.
Covers sysadmin and user land crap
Anyways Dauntless, why don''t you create a thread about your BSD trouble and maybe some of us here can help you out?
"FreeBSD Unleased" it comes with 4.3(I think?) and 5.0-CURRENT.
Now I know this is a Sams book, and I don''t hold Sams high up in the order of great publishers. But this book is great for the dedicated beginer to Unix and espcially FreeBSD...give it ago if you have the money...definitly buy it over "The Complete FreeBSD" as this book is very outdated...very outdated.
Unleased has it problems..type-os left right and center, but if you try hard enuff you can get thru it.
Covers sysadmin and user land crap
Anyways Dauntless, why don''t you create a thread about your BSD trouble and maybe some of us here can help you out?
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