Asus ePC4 xandros linux newbie needs 2 know everything
 

Hello everyone. Just got an Asus ePC4 701 for it's light weight as I'm partially disabled. Been using a Mac for 10 years and a work PC. I know OSX very well, less confident with a PC and know nothing about xandros linux (or any other kind either) I have connected to the internet without trouble, and I have no trouble using the graphical interface, but I want to know how to find and download the latest BIOS, (do I really need to?) download and install the latest version of Open Office, look at the equivalent of Mac System Profiler, etc. How do I open a terminal window? Where is application manager and Synaptic Package Manager? Are there hidden files/apps and if so how do I unhide them? What's a good basic book/manual to buy?
:confused:
Thank you, Frances

Welcome to EeeUser! [EeeUser Eee PC Wiki]
http://wiki.eeeuser.com/

Thank you, this will be very helpful.

Hello and welcome to the world of Linux. Expect to have some serious fun :)

Yes, the http://www.eeeuser.com/ site, its wiki and forums provide really good learning material. And help targeted at the particular version of Linux - Xandros - preloaded onto your device by Asus.

For a wider and more general approach to linux, try visiting http://www.tldp.org/, where guides, howtos and all kinds of material written on the subject Linux is waiting for you to read them. Be prepared, though. There is a lot of material! From generic system administration and all the way down to the nitty-gritty of bootloader functionality, file system structure standards and just about anything else you will ever need. Overwhelming and indispensable at the same time :)

Also, try pointing your browser at http://catb.org/~esr/ and http://sourceforge.net/ for a taste of what to find in Linux World. ESR is an avid writer, and will most likely intrigue you. Sourceforge instantiates the potential of open source.

Finally, I can't help but pointing you at my personal pet thingie when it comes to the EEE; http://wiki.debian.org/DebianEeePC

And now; go get it! All of it!

Yours,