Hello all,

I would like to become comfortable in a Linux Command based environment for real world situations. I am looking for guidance to get to this point. I will list the things that I have already completed and already know (Sort of), and then the things that I would like to get better with. Tutorials and suggestions would be great!

Things that I have done:
Installed Redhat 9 – This was very simple to do. To easy, I didn’t learn anything from it really.
Setup Samba for File sharing
Setup Linux router + firewall

I am pretty good at navigating through Linux, Browsing through directories, deleting files, creating folders, etc…

Things that I would like to know:
I am uncertain of how Linux divides its operating system. – Ex, /etc, /var, /dev, /bin, /usr, Etc… What is put in each one of these locations? System files, Software, Etc….

Perhaps, is there a way to start from scratch, only installing the essentials and then installing the things that I need/want, SSH, IPTABLES, SAMBA, Etc? – Would this be a decent way to learn Linux and understand it?

Is this SCO issue something to worry about? Some people take it as if nothing is going to happen because of it and some people act as if Linux Open Source Community is going under. – The reason I ask this is because I love this idea of “Open Source” I have been using windows my entire life, at age 12 tell about age 19 when I was introduced to Linux. I am now 20.

Thank you for your time in reading this and I await your reply’s =)

--Kevin

The best advice I can offer is to dive into the RUTE User Tutorial and Exposition; it's a lot of reading, but it will answer all your questions and more.

And of course, the best way to learn Linux is to use it on a daily basis!

[http://www.qvctc.commnet.edu/classes...nux_files.html
http://www.debian.org/doc/packaging-...s-toc.html#TOC

there is a couple links for the filesytem breakdown that could probably answer most if not all your questions regarding it ...
also like above mentioned, the rute users guide, is spectacular, and worth looking through ...
as of SCO *ugh*, all i can say is search the fourm for all the SCO rants, and look through google...
and don't worry our open source world isn't going anywheres ;-)

Great! I will look through this stuff.

I try to use Linux on a daily bases but 2 jobs and full time student always interfere some how.

But I talked one of my bosses into setting up a Linux firewall/router to route incoming PcAnywhere requests. =) If all else fails, I will force my self into the Linux world by incorporating it into my job!

Good Times.

--Kevin

I'd suggest www.tldp.org as a good site, once you've read through Rute. It can be really complicated (sometimes example settings aren't really something a home user can use), but there is plenty of info there.

As for SCO, well, judge for yourself. www.groklaw.net has a running list of documents, press releases, and so on, concerning the case. You can read both sides and judge for yourself. Personally, SCO's threats to sue all Linux developers, resellers, and users, as well as other Unix companies and possibly MS and Apple, seem a little far fetched.

The facts: The Unix code in question wasn't written by them, they pay Novell 95% of the proceeds from licenses, the code is taught verbatim in colleges around the world, much of the original code was contributed by outside sources, they actively contributed to Linux themselves not too long ago, the code itself won't run on a PC "as is", and so on. (There are a lot of others, but that's a good list.) SCO is making a lot of loud noises, but their threat to sue end users is something the courts aren't likely to accept, if for no other reason than the flood of lawsuits that might result from setting such a precedent, in all areas of industry.

Could SCO win their argument? It's always possible, but there are too many things to be decided in the meantime, like Novell's ownership and rights, review of the BSD case, whether a company has the right to sue somebody then go "fishing" through mounds of someone else's documents before they can show reasonable proof that there is a problem, and so on.

Also, there's a very real likelihood that SCO doesn't have the money to even get to trial, much less pay for the costs incurred. Aside from "licenses" they've sold to MS and Sun, and "investments" by a few entities dreaming of billions (RBC and others), and some stock manipulation/accounting tricks (one of them is that SCO makes one million for every dollar it's stock DECREASES), SCO is basically out of business. They don't have a name worth a dime, all their money is going towards lawsuits instead of software development, and their users are fleeing from them.

Hope that (really brief) summary helps you a little. For me personally, I'd be surprised if this case makes it to mid-2004 without either being withdrawn, thrown out, or SCO closing down. I hope it goes to court simply so a judge can put something on the books to strengthen Linux (and anybody else, for that matter) against cases like this, but I have my doubts. I think SCO might decide to call it a win, blaming Linux for their demise, and close the doors. That way, the board can walk away without a defeat, still claim they were right, and the door is still wide open for another MS puppet to do the same thing.

In this case, a cloud will remain over Linux's "legality", Darl can move to another company (to milk and destroy it), and MS gets some insight into how the community will handle cases like this, so they can set a strategy to go after Linux themselves sometime in the future.

Still, I think Linux will prevail. There's just something too appealing about an OS that's worked on by people around the world, and is free to use. A court "outlawing" Linux because of some mindless claims would be like the courts telling charities they have to stop doing good deeds, because they're hurting business' potential profits.

Besides, Linux is so reliable and fun to use, that the user base fights things like this with an aggressiveness that most companies can't even comprehend. Lastly, if there was ever an IP problem, Linux users would be eager to remove that code. Not because of legal matters, but because there's a certain level of pride in being able to build a great OS without "help".

Wow, Thanks for the great reply. This makes me feel much better about the whole situation. I have read a few things here and there on Slashdot but not enough to get a handle on things.

Beautiful. =)