linuxgeek: Re: [LINUX_Newbies] How to learn Linux

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Re: [LINUX_Newbies] How to learn Linux

On 02/25/2016 12:01 PM, Scott scottro@nyc.rr.com [LINUX_Newbies] wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 11:54:16AM -0600, Michael Sullivan
> msulli1355@gmail.com [LINUX_Newbies] wrote:
> > I've
> > found hundreds of websites offering tutorials for how to learn Linux,
> > but every one of them give a tiny bit of information and no clear step
> > how to continue. Basically, I'm at point A. I want to get to point C,
> > but have no clear idea where point B is. I have been using Gentoo since
> > 2005, but not because it's the "expert" distribution. I use it because
> > it's fairly easy to find software that works with my hardware. I
> > started using Gentoo shortly after I got the PC I'm typing this message
> > on. I seem to have problems all the time, and I'd very much like to
> > learn how to solve them myself. I'm the type that would rather do
> > without than beg for help from strangers normally, but I feel like I'm
> > ALWAYS having problems with Gentoo. I need help, and not a handout. I
> > need a hand-up. Can anyone recommend a (free) website or book series to
> > help me reach my goal: not to be a noob anymore?
>
> You've been using Gentoo since 2005 and consider yourself a newcomer? I'm
> impressed. You already probably know more about compiling a kernel than do
> many, as these days, Gentoo is about the only one that needs it. (And
> Crux, I think).

What about compiling a kernel is such a big deal? You set your
/usr/src/linux symlink, you make mrproper, then configure it, then make
bzimage && make modules_install. My system won't seem to ever boot up
without initramfs, At one point in the past I knew a website that told
me how to manually make it, but that was years ago. Most of the time I
use genkernel when I need a new kernel built.

> Anyway, I don't think there are any be all and end all resources. There is
> scripting, programming, networking, databases...each one requires a book in
> itself. The old Redhat bibles by Negus were good, at least for RedHat based
> systems, they would cover a bunch of things.
>
> The FreeBSD handbook has lots of chapters about doing various system
> tasks--there are differences--for example, the commands to manage users and
> groups are different, but said handbook has a lot of information.
>
> What works for one person might not work for the next, too. For example,
> some people swear by the advanced bash scripting guide, whereas I found it
> to have far too many large gaps.
>
> I suppose most of us just muddle along, learning things as we do them. The
> Gentoo documentation used to be very good too--but, I don't think there
> are too many books that go from step A to step B, in part because people
> would disagree about what step B should be.
>
> --
> Scott Robbins
> PGP keyID EB3467D6
> ( 1B48 077D 66F6 9DB0 FDC2 A409 FA54 EB34 67D6 )
> gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys EB3467D6
>
>