Garrels's Intro to Linux helped me more than any other publication when I was starting with Linux. It hasn't been updated in a while, but the Linux underneath your GUI hasn't changed much, if at all, in how it works. You can find it in several formats about a quarter way down this page. I still have my printed-out copy on my bookshelf.

There's a wealth of other resources at the same site.

About dot com has a good Linux site oriented towards new and intermediate users. When I first stumbled over it, I was surprised at how well-done it was.

Another useful website + book you can either download as a .pdf or buy:
http://linuxcommand.org/

The best way to learn Linux is to just install a distro, and use it! Just click around....and if you have any problems or questions, just Google it, or ask for info here. Much faster than reading some book (which will almost definitely be out of date, anyway.)

Then, after you see how easy and intuitive it is to use, you can learn somew more advanced things by watching some videos on Youtube.

THE book? Internet, the classroom? Experinece, the helpdesk? right here...

the motto "just do it" hehe

What is your experince level? What is your "dare" factor? How much time can you spend? What is the goal? To learn or to really USE the thing?
From easy to slightly more challenging:

- Ubuntu - complete, safe self thinking, if ***dows was the previous one, and you never saw a command line, this one's propably best
- Bodhi - light, Debian based big repo...
- Fedora - complete, though some stuff can be "broken", eh, you'll learn by fixing...
- Debian - stable like a rock, no nonsense, lotsa command line
- Manjaro - lightningly fast, frugal on the hardware (older boxes welcome) lotsa-lotsa command line...

Welcome
Thor

I remember when I first tried Linux, 4 years ago. I only had one computer, and i use it for work- so I figured I'd install Linux, and slowly learn tyo use it over time, and maybe, one day, be able to migrate away from Windows.

Turns out, it was so easy to use and worked so well, literally 2 days later, after I migrated my data and email accounts, and stuff, I never booted-up Windows again!

The only bad thin was: It was so easy and worked so well, it didn't force me to learn anything. Sure, I'd read tutorials and watch some instructional videos, etc. but without having the need to use the things I'd learn, I'd quickly forget them.

It wasn't until I installed Slackware, recently, that I learned more just installing and configuring Slackware, than I had learned in the past 4 years of Linux use. (Not that Slackware is hard- it isn't; you just have to read the instructions...)

Back when I was first contemplating using Linux, watching videos on Youtube about the various distros really took the mystique off of it all- You see them in use, and you just say "Gee, that doesn't look so different, nor does it look hard! This'll be a piece of cake!".

Hi,

Welcome to LQ.
Look at: Newbie alert: 50 Open Source Replacements for Windows XP

Once you have selected and downloaded the ISO image you can use one of the 'MD5SUM' checkers below to verify a valid download. Then use 'Imgburn' at a low burn rate (setting of 4) to insure a valid burn on your hardware.
Have fun!
Hope this helps.

Okk I understand d first thing needed to be done is installing a Linux distro. BT after dat what should I do as it is completely different from windows 7&8. Please help me here. I really want to learn but I don't know where to start. Please help me out

Start with a 'live' distro first, because it doesn't need installing. Once you have 'imaged' it to a CD or Pendrive, it is ready to boot up & use. As it will have a GUI, it will be similar to use with a mouse, get a 'feel' for Linux by using this to learn. Once you feel confident with this you can install it.

You'll soon see that virtually any Linux distro is more intuitive and much easier to use than the recent Win-D'ohs monstrosities. If you can use Windows, you'll find Linux to be easier...and much better! Whether you use a live CD at first, or actually install it onto your HDD, just boot it up, and click around and explore a little, and you'll be surprised at how simple and pleasant it is.

Just do it! Dive right in. It's not as if you're going from English to Chinese..... It's more like going from New York English to Missouri English- So in NY they call it "soda" and in MO. they call it "pop"....but you still know know what they're talking about; you might not be used to "pop", but you soon realize that it's nicer to buy pop from some lady who calls you "hun" and says "Thank you; come again!" than soda from the guy in NY who doesn't speak English, and short-changes you!

You must be super geek if you found Linux easier than Windows. I'd love to buy you a case of chocolate oranges...

Linux, to me, is a commitment. Many have tried and went back to Windows. Just having to manually edit a config file to get sound is sure more complicated than plug and play. Not editing the file, figuring our which file to edit and what to put in the file... And I've yet to find the right solution on the first try. Windows, you clear the yellow boxes in the device manager and you're 99.9% good to go. I haven't found such a box in Linux...

LOL! Me? A geek? When I started with Linux nearly 5 years ago, I was near computer-illiterate, after over a decade of Windows use.

My first Linux Distro just worked for me, out-of-the-box.

Even if one has to edit a config file....the info on how and what to do is readily available instantly on the web (instead of having to call India, and then being told by some person who is more computer-illiterate than myself, that I probably "have a virus"- which apparently is the only thing they know about computers....)- and it sure is a lot easier editing a file or typing-in a terminal command, than it is messing with DLLs and .cab files and registries and all that nonsense.....

Yeah...plug and play on Windows...maybe it'll work the very first time or two.....after that, only for the week or so after you reisntall Windows, which you'll have to do once every 6 months or so.

Linux is different than Windows...but by no means harder. Anyone who can use modern versions of Windows, should find Linux to be a piece of cake. It really is just a matter of clicking around and exploring, to see where everything is....and coming to forums like this when something stumps you. Different does not equal hard. In fact, in the case of Linux vs. Windows, different equals easier, once you accept that it's not Windows, and unlearn all the bad habits that we've acquired from using Windows.

Not to defend our replacement workers in India, but it's probably a 98% accurate prognosis. The average, personal windows machine I see is infected. My daughter is a virus magnet, that poor child can infect a machine just logging in (sarcasm)...

True- I do see a lot of people like that.... But you know those Windows "techs"- "scan for virus"; "reboot" and "reinstall Windows" is all they know....

I guess (as usual) I'm the odd man out- in over a decade of Windows use, virtually never doing updates; never ran AV....and never had a virus (though I did have a trojan, once). Then again, the type of sites I surf are not likely candidates.... I'd say the AV software, coupled with the way Windows degrades itself over time (planned obsoclescence), are just as bad, if not worse, than viruses.

Seriously, if it weren't for Linux, I would have stopped using a computer. I hated Windows with a passion! Since I spend a lot of time on the 'puter, it was getting to be a big quality of life issue with me. (Got so bad, I almost contemplated buying a Mac! )

What next after installing?

Think of a simple task. Next what are the steps to achieve it. Try to achieve it in Linux. This depends on what you do and your background.

One thing common that every linux distribution is going to have already installed is interpreted python. See if you want to start by learning python. Alternatively some language like c or c++. This will give you practice in editor, compile and make, including libraries (as you go deeper) ...

If you are working in an office, take some simple productivity task that you do in your office and think of the steps and do it in linux.

If you have 2 computers see how to network them.

All depends on what you do already with computers. If you tell more details, somebody may be able to tell more things.

OK

That's a little [read: a lot!] advanced for the average user....and unnecessary for the average user. I've been using Linux for almost 5 years now, and never felt the need to do that.

For the average end-user, with most of today's Linux distros, which have advanced package management, like Synaptic or apt-get and the like, there's no need to get into compile and make unless/until one wants to get into installing relatively obscure/custom software. No need to make things overly complex for a newbie. Ya want to install XYZ? Just open up Synaptic; type XYZ in the search box; click "mark for installation" then "apply", and in a few seconds, XYZ is installed- no need to even reboot the 'puter.

Or, alternatively, type "apt-get install XYZ" in a terminal....and VOILA! The simplicity of Linux!

If anything, once a beginner gets his feet wet, doing some of the basic everyday things the graphical-interface ("like Windows") way, if anything, he should learn some basic terminal commands....as THAT really unlocks the power of Linux/power of his computer, and allows us to do many things quickly and efficiently, without additional software for every task, such as would be necessary in Windows.

Programming languages and compiling from source are for advanced users...totally unnecessary for beginners, or even intermediate users; no more necessary for using Linux than for using Windows. (I don't mean to take you to task, AnanthP; I just wouldn't want a beginner to get the wrong idea and get scared off- because I know if I had thought that knowing programming languages or compiling were necessary, I would never have even tried Linux. )