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i am looking for a book with the most basic info for linux using. i have read several books about different aspects of different distros, and even the book about linus torvalds(very interesting-i instantly identified with him, he sounds a lot like me in many ways). all of the books i find for beginners are lacking in one important area-they offer no examples of how to actually perform the functions they speak about. i know how to download a tarball, for example, but when i try to compile it to install using the mke command, it tells me that i haven't specified the target. i used the -h to get a list of command options, but nowhere do i find out how to actually decide where to put the target or how to use it. i am looking for a book listing the commands i need including the function and syntax used. it took me almost a week to figure out how to pull up a command line. admittedly, i haven't tried the 'for dummies' type of book, maybe the info is there? i am a beginner with experience programming basic, pascal, and cobal from the late '80s, and windows from '98. i used to be a tacfire repairman(ibm mainframe which is obsolete now), so i know the mechanics of computing, but without some sort of guide, i feel like an idiot sometimes when my wife says 'why can't i download pictures?' and i tell her that i need to figure out how to use the program i just downloaded.
Most of the O'Reilley books are good. Start with something basic. And read it in small doses.
When learning a system, I strongly suggest keeping a diary. Write down what you learn, and write down your questions. Once you've written a question down, you won't forget it, and you can choose when to explore it.
I also suggest that you "get acquainted with the forest before you start studying trees." Always try to "get the big picture" first. The Linux system consists of many, loosely-connected parts.
If you have the linux or IT general "mindset", then you'll get on with most of the stuff suggested.
If you're like me, i.e. don't have the "mindset", or don't come from an IT background of some sort, then you might find the learning curve a little steeper than you might have been led to believe.
I've been doing this "linux thing" for about 3 years or so, and documentation still annoys the hell out of me. I found a few things that seem to start well, but then disappear off into the clouds over my head. The authors seem to forget just how much prior knowledge they have or have forgotten.
The nature of the linux world is such, that they don't even entertain the idea of using a professional proof reader and the author often seems to be blinkered by the constraints of their specific project.
It's not a criticism per se, but programmers and developer aren't professional writers. They tend to write for people with the same or similar levels of knowledge as they themselves have.
"Proper" basic stuff is rare as rocking horse shite!
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