Hi, folks,

I'm a complete newbie to Linux that wants to learn how to have a good understanding of Linux before I move away from Windows. Can anyone recommend a good book with easy to learn Linux. I'm 70 years old and don't know anything about it. I'm using an old Asus computer and have added an extra 4 port USB port to the back. I started on this computer about 5 1/2 months ago and had to stop because of family health issues, and I think I have it messed up enough right now. I don't even know where to begin. I THINK I may have about 4 distributions on it now that I want to get rid of but can't even figure out how to do that. Geek Squad is useless. They can't help me. I want to install Linux Mint Cinnamon on it but the computer has so much on it and I don't know where to start. I Think I'm going to have to take it somewhere to have someone look at it. I'm sick of Windows though and I've been told that I'll have to pay to use Windows in about 2 years. That's a double whammy against them. Any suggestions, folks?

Thanks in advance, Lew.

I'll pose a question back; what 'book' did you use to learn Windows?? Chances are you just started using it, and dealt with issues as they came up, and figured out how to do what you want. That is exactly the same way you can pick up Linux. And how are you 'a complete newbie to Linux', when you've been here since 2015, and installed Red Hat in the past???

You say you've got '4 distributions' on your system...yet can't figure out how to remove them? When you download Mint and create an installer USB drive, you boot from it...when it asks you how to partition your disk, tell it you want to format the entire disk, which will wipe out EVERYTHING on it. Unless you're wanting this machine to dual-boot Windows, then that's all there is to it. If you need local help, pretty much any local shop will do it, as will most Linux groups in your area. And the Geek Squad is useless, since they will only work on machines they can sell/upgrade/make-money-from. Linux won't do that for them...HOWEVER, if you're pleasant to the guy behind the counter and tell them you just want Linux loaded and the whole disk used for it, they may want to do it on the side for you for a few bucks. But there's just no need...run the installer and take the defaults.

Howdy Lew.

Can you give us link on the specs of your asus computer. Or . Does it boot up? Cuz there are linux tools that give system info.

There are some links in my signature for free learning.

You can do a Linux Mint install. It will blow away any data you have on one of your linux partitions and install grub to boot it up.

Hope that helps.

Is there anything you want to save (backup) on your computer(s)?
IF not, a fresh install of a distro (depending on your amount of RAM?) might be best.

Do you have a local library (for books)? Or the web: search LQ for mentions of LinuxJourney

Maybe you can find help or a $20 PC locally on CraigsList.org (yes, beware CL)

Tell us more specific (&clear) details & lots of LQ'ers will help! Best wishes!

I hadn't know if I was posting on here before. I had a username and password in my book, but didn't know if I had actually posted anything. If I did it had to be a long time ago and I don't remember. As far as my computer goes, It is an ASUS CM6830-06. I think the 06 means that it was made in 2006. It did boot up at the Geek Squad, but they said they didn't work on Linux computers. Maybe the guy just didn't want to mess with it. As far as learning Windows, I had a friend help me pick out an HP computer and he showed me how to use it. It was an HP 7370Z. I remember that because a few days later, he showed me in a computer magazine that my computer was already obsolete. He didn't know himself though until he saw the article in the magazine. He said he was sorry for picking that one, but what the heck. I learned a lot from him, but he doesn't mess with Linux at all. I have bought several books online, but they are too hard for me to understand. Like I said, I'm 70 years old and don't understand Linux that well. There is a local LUGS group near me and I might have to go visit them to look over the computer and maybe they can help me with a good book or two. I'm basically lost at this point. I do have a Mint disk that I can put in and try and maybe I'll do that next. I didn't know that it would erase all of the other distros though. That's about all I can try for now. Thanks, Lew

Where are you located? If you are close to me I could give you a hand with your computer. It sounds like you have several copies of Linux installed. We could remove some of them to give you room for the one you actually want to run.

--glenn

Okay, right now, based on your "description," we first need to know: "does this computer, right now, actually 'run' anything?" Does it successfully boot into Windows? And if so, what version?

Then: Is there "anything of value" that you have on it right now – that you can still get to?

And then ... "where do you want to go first?" Would you like to, for example, "wipe the entire sucker clean and install Linux on it?"

Look around on the back of the thing and see if there is any "manufacturer's label" which might suggest, say, "who built it and when?" Any suggestion of what processor it might use? If you see any sort of label, send us "everything that is on it, exactly as it appears."

No offense, just help, intended: it looks like you have totally forgotten the concept of http://google.com!
(And the internet says that there's NO such thing as a "HP 7370Z")

ASUS CM6830-06 is actually an excellent 2013-14 computer with 8GB ram!

It won't run M$WinBloat (well), but most any Linux distro will run as good as a new M$Win10 PC (since Linux is okay with a little as 1/4 of the resources that M$WinBloat gobbles up)

Dive in and enjoy!

Yes, what general area are you in?

I'm 78 and I can understand Linux, so I'm sure you can ! The book I learned most from back in the day is published by O'Reilly and is called Running Linux. It's very old now (the last edition came out in 2005) so not everything they say will still be true, but it will give you the basics. And (if this doesn't get blasted by the mods as advertising) you could try my book, The Charm of Linux.

You can run Mint (or almost any modern distro) live from the installation disk without it affecting your hard drive at all. Just don't click on the "Install" button. When you decide you want to install, you can use to get a list of your hard drive partitions and post it here for advice on how to add a new distro safely.

here is how I learned linux:

- "linux" actually refers to the kernel (the thing that does communication between hardware <-> software, like write 0 and 1 to your SSD). What you want to learn more likely, is how to do some basics on the ubuntu command line. one step at a time
- look at the command line and fall in love after about 10 seconds :P
- preferably find someone in your neighborhood who likes it too and is experienced to show you the basics
- if you are an introvert like me start with youtube and the command line basics.
- this one is important: install IRC chat (xchat) and matrix chat and hang out in ubuntu channels. look at the questions people ask, try to answer what you can and ask your own questions there. engaging with the community is really important. the best way to deepen learned knowledge is to answer other peoples questions.
- books: my first book was the "debiananwenderhandbuch". a good way to start is also to look for LPIC certificate books. you can skip the certification but the books start at the absolute basics.

most importantly: HAVE FUN

Strictly speaking that's true but increasingly it's a lost cause . Everybody nowadays calls the whole OS Linux. No one outside the Free Software Foundation calls it GNU/Linux.
I think it takes a lot longer for a modern newbie, who has never used anything but a trackpad or phone screen (not even a proper mouse!), to fall in love with the command line. I suspect that there are a lot of reasonably proficient Linux users who use the command line only for diagnosing and fixing problems.
I definitely would not recommend this. There are a lot of desperate posts here from people who have screwed up their systems after seeing and following a demo on YouTube by someone who clearly didn't know what he was talking about. How is a newbie supposed to recognise the bad apples?
You don't need any of that! Just come to this forum every day.
For those who don't speak German, that's the Debian Users Handbook. Debian also have quite a good wiki but the Arch wiki is better. It's always my first port of call for a new subject.

Lew,

Forget the Linux books.

You will learn much more by doing, in my opinion.

I would make contact with your local LUG group and ask for assistance in installing a new Linux distribution.

As rokytnji advises, it would be a good idea to install Linux Mint 21.3 (MATE or Xfce) from a bootable USB drive.

Be warned that any existing personal data such as documents and photos will be erased unless they are copied to an external drive beforehand.

Tell the LUG group that you would like a separate Home partition (this makes life easier if moving to another Linux distribution or upgrading in the future).

Good luck.

"How Linux Works" by Briand Ward is a good general introduction that also describes older stuff like SysVinit.

"Efficient Linux at the Command Line" by Daniel Barrett is also a good one.