how do i navigate through this system?? i dont even know how to find my menu or do a download or anything. the guys who installed said it was easy but i cant figure this out by myself. i am not computer smart at all. they want to charge me now cause i didnt pick up the pc after they were done but i cant afford that right now. can anyone HELP!!! TY debra1127. oh ya where do i go to geet the answer?

Any idea what type of Linux it is? What does it say at boot time? If you're still not sure, open a terminal from your desktop environment and see what output you get from:
If all else fails, ask the guys who installed it what they installed. Once we know that, we can refer you to a book or online resources - or both.


Not sure if you're venting or asking for help. That sounds like a customer / customer service interaction problem. Ask them nicely to waive the fee.

linux ubuntu

You may find this to be a useful online resource:

https://help.ubuntu.com/

Once you've determined your Ubuntu version (outlined there), others may have good book recommendations. Personally, I prefer reading a physical (paper) book over staring at a monitor.

Welcome to the forums Debra. Ubuntu was my first Linux experience too. It is a good choice if you are serious about learning Linux.

Here are a couple of good beginner's links for Ubuntu:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=801404
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/

Realistically if you are serious about Linux, it will require time and effort; it is not something you can learn overnight, so be patient and don't get frustrated too quickly.

Hi debra1127,

Aside from the fine pages referenced by anomie and snowpine, I think you will find the free book Getting Started With Ubuntu very helpful. It will introduce you to your new operating system very gently, and you will feel more confident in no time.

Another helpful free book is Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference.

If you want a paper book to learn Ubuntu from then you can buy The Official Ubuntu Book.

There are also some nice video tutorials available at http://ubuntuclips.org/

There is one caveat to consider with all these books and tutorials. The very latest version of Ubuntu comes with a new user interface called Unity, which doesn't look and work exactly the same as the old versions. It would be helpful to know exactly which version of Ubuntu you have. It will most likely be one of these:

• Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx
• Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat
• Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal (comes with Unity)

I'd also like you to know about Ubuntuforums, which is the community forum for all Ubuntu users. LinuxQuestions is a great place, and we're glad to help you here, but I want you to know that you're not alone. There is a very large community of Ubuntu users waiting to welcome you.

So welcome to LinuxQuestions, and welcome to Ubuntu. I hope it will be a pleasant experience for you.

You may also find this useful to read http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm.
As above, just take a deep breath and relax .....
Linux isn't difficult to use/learn, especially a distro (distribution) like Ubuntu. However, as explained nicely in that link, it is similar but different to MSWin.
Loads of people have made the switch, just pace yourself and feel free to ask (specific) qns here at LQ.

Welcome to LQ

http://linuxcommand.org/

http://rute.2038bug.com/

thanks to everyone who answered my ?s very helpful

You're very welcome.

It looks like those guys may have mistreated you. I hope you will find some way to resolve things with them.