Ok. I am what you would call the typical windows user. I use windows in order to play games, chat online, run servers etc... I am just sick and tired of windows (not going to vent). I installed linux (Mandrake 9.1) and have been just fooling around with it off and on but like I really want to learn how to use the OS not like i used windows. yes i would like to Do the usualy windows stuff but on Linux but would also liek to learn networking / using servers/ and basically how to run the OS... I just am totally confused.... help

I'm not sure what part you're confused about. Anyhow, I'll suggest you purchase a book called "Linux in a Nutshell" by O'Reilly.

Ok...

Lets put it this way. I am what you would call a "windows gamer". I am really interested in computers and for college I want to go into Computer Engineering. Every school I looked at said it would be good to learn linux or the basics of linux as well as other things. The major reason I dont use linux is because like I said I am a Gamer and I cannot seem to get my games to work on Linux... By reading all around on this fourm as well as other books and other sites... I truthfully just get overwhelmed. Many of you have been using computers for a while or know a lot about command line etc... Like most of the people in Linux Newbie post stuff that I am stil lconfused about. Like I really want to learn it and how to use it functions, set up different htings etc... but as I said before its just really over whelming for me...

I am really sick and tired of windows and want to move to linux... but what can I say... im a really confused newbie

Please Help?? mabey....

Don't jump straight into setting up servers and doing iptables. Start off slow and just learn the operating system basics. That book I suggested is my best recommendation. Another good source are HOWTOs and tutorials online.

help how? ok, you can't get games to work... maybe if you say *why* you can't get them work in individual cases, *what* you've tried, and *what* goes wrong. Are you expecting someone to go round your house and help you set everything up? ;-)

Good, wanting to learn new things is excellent.
Don't be overwhelmed. Nobody is telling you to learn Linux in a day right?

If you wanna learn it, just use it. Open a console and copy some files, organize your directories. Figure it out and if you can't, use google or post a question here.

Btw if you're worried about your games: dual boot for now, so leave windows on to play your games. Then try to figure out how to get those games running in linux. I know there are some experts in that area right here on LQ so just do a search.

Good luck.
Hope to see you around.

HC

I do Dual Boot... with win xp.... but like I find if Im In Linux and I want to go to windows... i restart go to windows and then i like dont go back to linux for a few days...

As far as my gaming problems.... I installed winex and I get the install to come up for the game but when it goes to play the .wav file it says that I cant read .wav's and i have to abort setup

See... I enjoy all the help I can get but i would also liek to know what I am doing and not have some1 say do this so in the future if something goes wrong i dont have to go oh how do u do this.

Ok, so do as acid_kewpie suggested and post a thread with *what* you wanna do (which game), *what* you have tried and *what* errors you're getting.

If you want to learn it, you will have to do it see

HC

PS When you're in linux you find yourself wanting to boot into windows? ....what an odd sensation that must be..distrubing too ;-)

I'll add O'Reilly's Running Linux to snocked's suggestion of Linux In A Nutshell. LIAN is a great compendium of all (at least most) Linux commands, their descriptions, and their options (kind of like suped-up man pages) but for someone who is trying to find out what is going on in Linux, RL has more explanations and descriptions of what happens, why it happens, and how to make other things happen in Linux.

There is tons of Linux info available online, but if you like to have something to read on the bus/train/subway/beach, these are the first two I'd buy, and possibly the only two you'd need for a long time.

UNIX Made Easy is a great title to help you to learn the CLI and structure of the *nix OS, and it's cheap as toenails if you buy it used. Also, exploring the links of everyones' signatures can help immensely. But by all means, start using if you want to learn.

Andrew

well the best thing for you to do is this..

i'm also still learning linux. what is did is: I installed slackware (not the easiest distro out there), and started playing.. then i f* something up.. couldn't recover from it, so i reinstalled it.. now i learned something because i f* up! Good now i know i shouldn't do that anymore. And just keep going. There are a lot of good books out there if you want to learn linux. just browse through the forums here.. Just read a lot! And if you really want to know linux give slackware or debian a try. That way you learn it the hard way!

btw: the reason for me starting with linux was the fact that i'm working with forums and sites who need some off-line testing (invision, phpnuke). That was my motivation. Maybe you can give that a try to to get you motivated to learn linux?


edit: mmm.. edited the f words anyway.. don't want to get into trouble

(completely off topic)

wow, cool this is the first forum I've ever seen that does not censor swear words

@dryhte

(completely off topic)

"wow, cool this is the first forum I've ever seen that does not censor swear words "

yeah They don't really need to. I must tell you, this forum is well organized. Peoples here has a much higher level of education and maturity then other Win forums I've been long ago....

Well, to learn Linux... that's one thing I would also like to know . Try to see what you need to use and that you don't have under Linux, such as an Instant Messenger? A good player? A Old console emulator? (PSone, Atari, Snes).

Then, you will search after then on Google. Find one you like and try to install it. Learn from everything, compiling from source, installing rpm's... Usually all those programs are shipped with great docs. The only thing hard for Linux is to read the docs .
Trying other distributions may provide you with different tools as well.

When you fall into a problem, then we are all here . If you really enjoy working and understanding the concepts of computers and how they work, linux is a paradise. For games though, I would stick with a Dual Boot .

Good luck

I suggest downloading these and
Linux Newbie Administrator Guide
Rute User's Tutorial and Exposition

# Mandrake links
Mandrake home page
Mandrake Users website
Easy urpmi config for Mandrake
urpmi mini-HOWTO
Easy software management: Red Carpet
Maximum RPM
rpmfind
You didn't install the developmental packages? As root, command:
urpmi gcc

# Linux Gaming
Linux Gamers' FAQ
TransGaming Technologies
The Linux kernel preemption project
The best gaming distro is Gentoo IMHO

You can solve your gaming addiction and dislike of dual booting with another box, of course. But you knew that.

# Linux sytems
Cheap Linux Box
The Ultimate Linux Box - update
Price Watch
Computer Geeks