Hello, I'm new to the forums
 

Hi there, I'm Ahad, a student developer wanting to learn *nix environments and how to hack on a linux/nix box. In the coming months I'll probably be gleaning as much information as I can from this forum regarding installing, configuring, and customizing a variety of linux distros.

Hopefully I won't be too much of a bother and can learn alot from you folks.

I'll be first off trying a command-line linux distro, slackware and I'd like to dual boot it to my XP SP1 box. If I could get any information regarding how to go about this, that would be very helpful, thanks.

I wanted to get started off with some documentation or simple how-to's, if possible.

I didn't take the opportunity to buy a book on nix this morning (and regret it) but in the mean time, if anyone here who's read many of these books knows which one(s) are best, I'd appreciate it if you can list them for me and comment on how useful they were, how easy they were to read/comprehend, and how much you value them as opposed to others you may recommend.

Also, if you could list any sites with good how-to's or FAQs, I'd be very grateful.

I won't get much of a chance to read the replies tonight (though I'll try) but I appreciate any posts I may get thrown my way.

Thanks in advance

http://www.tldp.org/tldp-redirect.php?url=/
and www.futuredesktop.org
have fun

Ahad, welcome to LQ. :)

I always recommend Running Linux from O'Reilly as the first book. It is a really good read, and goes through basically everything you would need as a Linux sys admin. Doesn't do it in any detailed manner, but it does prepare you really well for any further reading and experiences in the Linux environment.

Slackware is a great distro, of course. I would also recommend that you take a look at Gentoo. Since you are looking to really learn and work at the command line (which is, frankly, very unusual among new users), Gentoo would be a great place to start. The installation is very long, and simply going through it will force you to learn much about the system.

LQ has a very active Slackware forum, and a Slackware-Installation forum, as well. Dual-booting Linux with Windows is covered about ten times a day in various threads. Using the search function here you'll be able to find a lot of information regarding the installation and initial setup, as well as day-to-day running of the system.

Regards,

Well thanks for the replies, I'll be sure to check those websites out.

Yes, I want to go through the command-line interface because a) it's just better to learn things the old-fashioned way and b) i want a strong familiarity with the unix environment background

I'll be sure to search through the forums initially, and I'll check out that book by O'Rielly. (half.com usually helps)

Is there any detailed books you would know of that pertain specifically to either slackware or gentoo?

thanks for the tldp links, I remember reading that somewhere else to (most likely Devshed, from infamous41md.. I wouldn't know what his name here is)

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Member Introductions and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Welcome to LQ :D

As for Gentoo, you wouldn't really need a book. The biggest issue with it is installation, which is very long and complex. Gentoo provides a very detailed Installation Handbook on their web site.

don't stress yourself out, stick with a distro with a good blend of command and gui like debian or fedora and always buy a book, ecopies can get really tiresome

Ah, sorry it was in the wrong section, thanks for the move.

Yeah, I enjoy eBooks once in a blue moon and prefer real, tangible books.

Right now I'm in the middle of "Absolute Beginner's Guide to Databases" by Peterson (Que Publishing) @ work, but I'll look up the Installation Handbook link @ home (and bookmark it, I'm sure) and check out Fedora or Debian. Still, I really would prefer Slackware or Gentoo - I'm really a command-line freak and prefer the interface over GUIs. Plus, I downloaded Slackware 9.1 yesterday.. speaking of which, is 9.0 better than 9.1? I read something to that effect yesterday.

I use notepad to code - that might give you a peek into my preferences. I think I'm just old fashioned but I do enjoy a good app once in a while, like Flash MX Professional and Adobe Photoshop 8. Then again, somethings are best kept simple, and I stick to MS Paint :p

Thank you all for your replies, and thanks for the warm welcome. I'm sure I'll be popping in and out of here at random. ;)

I have never had any problems with 9.1 (also with Slackware-Current). You don't have to load a gui with most distros - just don't select the gui options when you install.

Good luck with whichever you choose. Check out our Reviews Section for opinions on different distros and carry out a Search of our boards for even more opinions. Also, give Distrowatch a visit for lots and lots of reviews.