I'm a lover or PCs since im a children, i learned to program and a lot of things, all that time using DOS, soon Windows, when i knowed Linux, i started to investigate and i only have readed good things, and i was so happy and enthusiast for know this new philosophy. I installed Linux in my PC, a time ago, and i got stocked in some tasks, like internet and x... I looked in the faqs and documentation and i couldnt fix the problems, generally for a problem of incompatibility or because the configuration file i was searching not was where it is supposed to do, and the scripts can't locate the files becoming useless too. I thinked what that problem was only the distrib and i uninstalled it and back to win ... years passed and i get internet and cd burner so i have the possibility of trying others distrib more up-to-date but i started to fall in the same things... So, what i should know that make me so stocked in these things? is really the linux filesystem so disordered like i think? or in all these config files spread are a order that i can't see?

I really like linux and the open source philosophy, is really a great thing but i cant be in linux without seeing errors en the startup or when i try to do anything a little out of common, the worst of all, errors that i cant fix because get lost on that jungle of lost files and script that not work...

What is the problem? or what is MY problem?

sorry for my english... Thanks

well all we can really say is that you should try again, and as and when you come across problems ask here and you'll get plenty of help. maybe your using a more advanced distribution such as debian, in which case you'd probably benefit from a more friendly distro like redhat or mandrake.

Buy SuseLinux, because they come with excelent documentation.
And when you feel ready try some other distribution.
It`s all a matter of taste.

Well you probably have to just get used to it. Everything is usually placed in a logical location, it's just so different when you compare it to something like windows.
And that it shows you what the errors are is only a good thing. I like the way you can always trace an error in linux. Whenever I run into a problem in windows is when I usually get stuck. No log files to look through, no clear error messages (if any at all).
If you have uncommon hardware it's usually normal to have to do a bit of work before it runs the way you want it even in windows you would have to get exotic drivers.
Just keep trying even if it gets a bit hard, and if you get stuck you can always post your probelms here and I'm sure there is someone willing to try to help out.

The following text seems to sound "elitaire", but I started to get into computers and stuff as I was six years joung. Sure, I didn't do much of coding but I learned DOS and later Windows and thought, that I was an "advanced experienced user".

Then I installed SuSE Linux 5.0 (at this time, SuSE wasn't a beginner distro). I was totally fucked up I didn't understand how all this stuff could work, I didn't saw any sense at all. I remember that I reinstalled SuSE twice a day because I messed something up I didn't know how to repair. But with this way, I learned the system, I understood GNU/Linux.

Now I'm a very happy Slackware user and free of Windows for about five years.

All you have to do is read, read and read again. Autodidact yourself and you can at least make all the things you could do under Windows, but better.

I'm relatively new to linux myself, so I understand what you mean. The current state of Linux is not so great for people who aren't familiar with UNIX-type systems, though it is getting better at astonishing speed. Stick to it, there are definately rewards to learning Linux. Along the way, you'll learn a lot more about computers, networking, and security than you would using Windows. When you have problems, and you WILL have problems, just make sure to ask someone for help. The man pages will help once you've gotten to a certain level of proficiency, but until then, keep trying!

You may want to look over the following files from www.tldp.org; they helped me when I started:
Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide
Linux System Administration Made Easy


A quick tip: if you're having trouble finding config files, this should help...

find / -name <filename>

This will search your computer for any file whose name matches <filename>

Good luck! and remember, this is supposed to be fun. :^)

Or you can type:

slocate <foobar>

where foobar is the text/programm/whatever you want to search for. Warning: slocate searches on a database generated with 'slocate -u'. If you search an application who was installed after a 'slocate -u' you will not get any search result.

If you want more informations, try a 'man slocate'.

I started with Mandrake a few months ago, then I switched to Redhat because I was having problems with mandy. I've been told Redhat is a user friendly distro, but I'm getting so sick of dealing with RPMS that I'm thinking of switching do Debian.

You'll have the same trouble with Debian as you had with Mandrake/Redhat.

Try Slackware

LOL Slackware users are still trying to sell their distro :P

there is a distribution for eveyone.
If you like you computer to do all for you, get Mandrake.
If you like to do all your configuration in GUI, get RedHat.
If you want something very safe, easy to update, with some thing to do in GUI and some to do in text, get Debian.
If you like textmode, "DOS" and don't want to config your system using GUI, get Slackware. (my favorite)

If you are a computer lover, you will LOVE linux, it really get you deep inside your computer, messing with the MBR, playing inside the kernel (yaaah the kernel!), browsing tons of open code
But still it's harder get it works, you will have to ready a huge amount of documentation.

The beauty of Linux is that it is like one big cumulative course. What I mean is that not only do you have to understand what you are doing, you have to understand WHY you are doing it. Everything feeds off your previous knowledge.

In other OS's, specifically windows, your power to manipulate the operating system is limited. When you run into a snag in windows you say-"Okay. How does Microsoft want me to do this." With Linux you can be creative in problem solving. Plus theres all these neat places(i.e. linuxquestions.org) with tons of help and tons of people eager to help. They feel the newbies pain because they were newbies once too. Except for me of course. I was born with Linux knowledge. :

Linux for development

Windows for solitaire

I use Mandrake. I was/am an advanced user/professional when
it comes to dos and windows flavors. Though when I switched to
Linux about two weeks ago, I felt as if I had to re-learn to walk.
lol. Every new operation system or even distro takes time and
requires a variable amount of patience, but if you really want it
to work, just make sure you do not start with something too
difficult, even if you think "that's too easy, it is beneath me", in
a way. Just make it as easy as possible for yourself, by making
sure you prepare each step you take (installation of the OS,
installation of software, tweaking, etc), by browsing through
forums and/or reading documentation. It might take time, it might
be boring, it might be a lot of things.. but at least you'll be sure
you'll do it right and you won't have to troubelshoot too much
on your first day.

rant rant, pardon me.

I'll stop talking now before everyone wakes up with keys imprinted
in their forehead

cya all

yeah... i really think(and want) that is a matter of time to get used with linux and dont neet all that micro$oft garbage anymore ...

I installed debian and have configured some things and started to get familiar with it, but i still get stuck in things, but i know with the time i will fix all(or the most part)... I think what like the other guy what used PC from children(i've started at 8 years), when one learns with the micro$oft stuff become more mind-closed or something, hope that have solution

I heard a really good analogy with Linux and electric cars. They're cleaner, they're more efficient and they're way more advanced.

But in the end, people like SUVs even if they do fund oil conflict and kill children. OK, so proprietary software doesn't do that but you get the idea.

For me its electric all the way.

Dark Knight:

I started programming when I was 12, it
was on an old electro mechanical calculator
with 56bytes of instruction memory :) and
20 variables :}


I have toyed with DOS since 3.x, with
WIndows since 2.1 (and man it was bad)
but never liked them ... the fact that DOS
is easier to fix when screwed up is because
of its lack of security and general lack of
features. :)

I started using OS/2 when 2.0 it first appeared,
and man, I loved it (still do) ... multitasking,
multi-threading, HPFS, ... AMAZING!

Well ... OS/2 was good but insignificant, and
for my networking needs I needed Linux, so
I got it, and learnt the hard way :) ... and it's
worth it.

Linux and Windows ... You may be able to use
Windows instantaneously, but you'll find its
limitations sooner or later (3 days for me,
a lifetime for dolts :D) ... with Linux, you find
your own limitations for a start, but the more
you learn the better it gets ;)

Cheers,
Tink