Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Most desktop computers run a version of Microsoft Windows, but most servers and an increasing number of desktops run Linux cores (kernels), which are variants of Unix. Knowing your way around Linux has always been quite a challenge because it looks very different from Windows, but many current versions are very easy to use, as they are designed to simulate the Windows feel. It can really pay off to switch to Linux as it is very easy to adapt and often much faster than Microsoft Windows.

To step

1. Get to know the system. Try to download and install it on your computer. If you're unsure of yourself, know that you can keep your current operating system and allocate some of your hard drive to Linux (you can even run them both at the same time if you're using a virtual machine.)
2. Test your hardware with a "Live CD" included with many Linux distributions. This is useful if you are not comfortable installing a second operating system. A live CD allows you to boot from the CD to a Linux environment without having to install anything on your computer. Ubuntu and a few other Linux distributions also offer CDs or DVDs to live boot and then install from the same disk.
3. Try out everything you normally use your computer for. Find solutions if you cannot, for example, process word processing or burn a CD. Write down what you want to do, can do, and can't do before you take the plunge.
4. Get to know the Linux distributions. When it comes to "Linux" it almost always means a "GNU / Linux Distribution." A distribution is a collection of software that runs on top of a very small program, the Linux kernel.
5. Consider dual booting. This will help you better understand partitioning and also allow you to keep using Windows. Make sure all your data and settings are backed up before you create a dual boot intent.
6. Install software. Get used to installing and uninstalling software as soon as possible. Understand what package management is and what repositories being helps you really get to grips with Linux.
7. Learn to use the command prompt (and find it useful). This is called "Terminal", "terminal window", or "shell". A major reason why many users are switching to Linux is because the terminal is there, so don't let it intimidate you. It is a powerful tool that does not suffer from the limitations of the command prompt in Windows. You can use Linux just as easily as Mac OSX, without even opening a terminal. With "apropos" you can find the command for a particular task. Try "apropos user" to see a list of commands containing the word user in the description.
8. Get to know the file system in Linux. First you will see that there is no longer any "C: " that you know from Windows. Everything starts in the root (better known as "/") of the file system and the various hard drives are accessed via the / dev directory (folder). Your homedirectory, normally found in C: Documents and Settings in Windows XP and 2000, is now located in / home / (your username) /.
9. Keep investigating the possibilities of your Linux installation. Try out encrypted partitions, new and blazing fast file systems (like btrfs), redundant parallel drives that boost both speed and reliability (RAIDs) and try installing Linux on a bootable USB stick. You will soon find that you can do anything!

Tips

• Build your first Linux system with a special function in mind and use a HOWTO document step by step. For example, the steps for setting up a file server are fairly simple, and you will find many sites that will walk you through that process step-by-step. This tells you where what is, what it does and how you can adjust it.
• Call directories "directories" and not "directories"; although it seems to be the same thing, "folders" are a Windows concept.
• If you really plan on using a GNU, be patient and be prepared. Avoid drifting from distro to distro to find the one that offers everything. You learn the most from fixing things that don't.
• Remember that backslashes ("") are only used in DOS to separate directories, while Linux uses the forward slash ("/") is used. Backslashes are used in Linux especially if escaping character (for example, n is a newline, t is a tab character).
• You can find help for almost any program or distro on the IRC server irc.freenode.net (example: #debian, #ubuntu, #python, #FireFox, etc). You will also find usergroups on irc.freenode.net.
• There are several websites and mailing lists on the Internet with information about Linux. Search online for answers to your questions.
• Books from publishers such as John Wiley & Sons, O'Reilly, and No Starch Press are worth buying if you want to learn about Linux. Also recommended is "In the Beginning .. was the Command Line" by Neal Stephenson and "LINUX: Rute User's Tutorial and Exposition".

Warnings

• On all * nix systems (Linux, UNIX, * BSD, etc.), the administrator or super user account is "root". You are the administrator of your computer, but "root" is not your user account.If it doesn't happen during the installation process, create your own account with "useradd your name>" and use that for day-to-day things. The reason for this distinction between you as a user and you as an administrator is that * nix systems assume that root knows what he is doing and does not intend any harm. Therefore, there is no advance warning of any action. When you enter certain commands, the system will silently erase all files on your computer, without asking for confirmation, because that's what the root ordered.
• Don't type rm -rf / or sudo rm -rf / unless you seriously intend to erase all your data. Enter the command "man rm" for more details.
• Another thing you shouldn't do is create a file called "-rf". If you enter a command to delete all of your files in that directory, the "-rf" file will be treated as a command prompt and will also delete all files in the sub-directories.
• Sometimes people suggest malicious commands so always double check before entering them.
• It may be tempting to blindly use solutions you find on the internet and expect them to do what they say. Unfortunately, this often does not work, because you are using a newer version, have slightly different hardware or a different distribution. Try each solution first with the option--Help and understand what is happening. Then you can often solve small problems quickly (/ dev / sda -> / dev / sdb and so on), and reach your goal.
• Always back up your files before repartitioning your drives in a Linux installation. Put your files on removable media such as CDs, DVDs, USB sticks or any other type of hard drive (not on another partition).

Necessities

• A suitable computer (depends on what you are going to do)
• Linux distribution (you can generally get it from the internet for free)