teach linux to a boy
 

I have a 12 years old son and I plan to introduce him the linux world. He started to learn English already and knows what is a browser and mouse but that's all. Do you have any idea how to start it?
Simply installing a distro and admire the GUI is not a goal.

I think at first you need to have a more relaxed approach to it. Just let him use it. Show him some apps that might enjoy (you know what he likes). He needs to get interested in it otherwise he'll get discouraged soon. Any systematic approach (at the beginning) is likely to fail. Kids (well, a 12 year old is not really a child any more:)) learn best by playing. Try to find some project where programming is taught through some fun/enjoyable activities.

Additionally, think about Arduino or Rasberry Pi

HTH

A great approach to the power of linux is a free book called Unix for the beginning mage.
http://unixmages.com/
Since your son is just learning, this will help him along the path that will most readily prepare him for the power of Linux.

Cheers

Hmm, according to our proxy, that's a "neutral porn" site.

I would say books are totally the wrong way to go, generally very little appeal to anyone not directly hungry for information let alone a child. As a slight modification to Sycamorex's suggestion -

1) install web content filtering software and a decent firewall ruleset
2) let him play use it

First and foremost you need a willing student. If you preinstall an OS and say "use that, no more windows" and pass him a book, you will almost certainly have an unwilling one who will abandon GNU/Linux at the first chance he gets. I'm sure that's not what you've intended, but just checking...

If he only knows what a browser and mouse is, then I'd guess there's no real passion for computers there? Have you explained the pros and cons of GNU/Linux over windows? It's often hard to get younger people to understand that what may seem like an OS that "cannot play games" or run the common proprietary software many people take for granted is somehow better than windows.

The best approach is to show him what it can do first to get his interest - "plant the seeds" as it were. When it comes to kids you probably won't get far with e.g. fluxbox or icewm, you'll need one of the latest DEs with all the 3D shiny stuff enabled. That's the only way to get it through to some people that a GNU/Linux OS can be pretty much anything you want it to be.

Good luck

£0.02

Hi caravel. You are right, he should be somehow interested, but he used only windows until now. I'm really tired of the problems with that XP. From the other hand we have a model railroad which was partially planned with XtrkCAD on my linux. Also we played with other tools also. So he already saw my linux in use several times. He mainly uses his XP for facebook and fifa11, but I want to force him to do something more useful.

Try not to force him. Encourage him in smart way. Btw, fifa's support on Wine seems ok:
http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManage...estingId=57556

Yes, you understand me, I do not really want force him, but actually he must be forced to not sit in front of the monitor by different tools, like k9 and time restictions. So the question could have been: how to encourage him. He knows a few words about IP addresses, about bits and bytes, but would be better to step further.

Sorry if your proxy shows it as a neutral porn site. I have to say that I am not even sure what a "neutral porn" site is. :-)
Here is a quote directly from the website:

Unix Mages started in the summer of 2005 with the purpose of teaching Unix and Linux by using stories of wizards, mages, magic, and spells.

The biggest part of this site was the book, Unix For the Beginning Mage. It received rave reviews and is still frequently downloaded. It has been used by people of all ages for, both, personal use and as official classroom material.

This is a very small downloadable book that was a great deal of fun, even for an old guy like me. It is not your traditional Linux book. It is engaging and it teaches.

I do not own the site, and have no divested interest in it.
I just personally read thru the book and followed the 'spells' written in it. And, I had fun doing it.
Peace

My first suggestion is to explain to this adolescent how a GNU/Linux operating system is organised. This helps him to put things into perspective eliminating the mystery factor.

I would explain a GNU/Linux OS as follows:

A GNU/Linux OS starts like this:
motherboard firmware --->> bootloader --->> kernel + initrd.img --->> init --->> 6 virtual terminals + 1 special to hold desktop --->> desktop manager --->> desktop/window manager

Give him some information about each of these and how they are interrelated.


Also this might help further put things into perspective:

kernel ---->> libc6* --->> other libraries --->> system + user software

So, the foundation is the kernel which provides the thread scheduler and manages hardware resources like disks, network, memory, etc. libc6* provides a base of subroutines which can communicate with the kernel requesting it to do basic tasks like reading part of a file system. Then, one has the user and system programs.

OOPS, I forgot the bootloader.

Kids are smart and they will do what they want. If he sees you using Linux and it appears faster than Windows, that will generate curiousity anyway. Don't force the issue, if they don't want to use Linux then don't make them - It's about freedom of choice.

Your linux knowledge is good.

You also seem to posses the knowledge on how to discourage 99% of teenagers from getting into linux.

Well done:)

Start him with basic commands and gradually add some cool command-lime programs like mplayer ffmpeg etc and then teach him basic shell scripting using the commands he learned.

That's how I learn linux. Good luck

I hate to say, but I think that much of the advice you've gotten is backwards and upside down.

Don't try to turn Linux into some kind of academic discipline. He gets enough academic hockeypuck in school.

The issue isn't teaching Linux. The issue is using Linux--the learning (and the teaching) will come organically.

Find a used laptop. Throw a friendly distro on it. Show him how to use the menu, open the browser, use a chat program, send and receive email (if he does email), open the word processor (if he does word processing), and use the help function.

Then say, "Here, here's your new computer. Have fun."

He'll figure out how to use the programs he wants to use. Then he'll come to you when he needs and wants help (and games).

Can you tell me how having knowledge discourages adolescents?!

You are treating GNU/Linux just like a black box system. Lack of knowledge and understanding is what discourages youths from experimenting with another system which does the same thing like Windows. Why should a youth struggle to use a completely new system of which he/she has no understanding if there is another one which perfectly does the same thing? My post was aimed to help remove the mystery factor presenting Linux in an understandable way. But, alas, because I didn't share your approach, you chose to attack me personally saying I have no knowledge of adolescents without even bothering first to know me.

Why didn't you explain why my approach discourages this youth? I suspect, the reason is because you are incapable of deciding... And, your arrogance, because you are a senior on this board, appeared enough to attack a post presented in a sensible way. This only shows you are a product of manipulation and that you don't use your head if you have any! You are brainwashed and think that luring youths into something they otherwise don't want or don't see the need to do, is the way to make them accept doing it! My approach is to tell this youth straight away what GNU/Linux is and then, he should decide whether he wants it or not. It is ridiculous to think that today's youths can be tricked into doing something they don't want to do. This is totally different from drugs and alcohol, because these give pleasure, and it is known that some people have to struggle to keep clear from these.

So, my approach would be to treat this youth like a young man respecting his intelligence instead of using the old-scumbag-method-of-the-olden-days of luring him into something he doesn't like or want to do. Give him knowledge little by little empowering him to experiment, modify and use the system.

Finally, if he doesn't want to use Linux, accept his decision but do it in a way so that he remains open to use it in the future.