ok i got some more questons, my distro is Ubuntu.

1) I would like to install the latest fire fox to my System, however i am still noob at doign this stuff. Do i download it off there site? how do i install it using that? or can i use the shell and type in a cmd to download it?

^^ i would like to know both ways of doing this, as it is the only way for me to learn.

2) How do i check if i have my Nvidia drivers installed? , i would also like to know how to install them aswell ( just incase i dont have them installed )

3) What is the best thing to do to start learning about linux? i would like to stat from the start with like the basics and then move my way up. What is the easiest thing i should learn to do?

4) I have installed xmms (through shell), how do i place it in my start menu (aplication menu), also how do i set it as the defualt Music player programs?

5) Does the 'HOME' folder do the same role as what 'My Documents' does on windows?

That is all the questions i have for now, you do not have to answer them all if you do not know, thx for your help (plz bare with me, im going to be a Noob for quite some time, i have no linux experience)

~ryan

By the command line:
# apt-get install firefox

Using synaptic: (if you haven't installed it, do so: # apt-get install synaptic)
menu -> run -> "gksu synaptic" -> (enter root password) -> `find' (C-f) with input "firefox" and type "name" (not `name and description')

I recommend against getting it from the mozilla site--basically because using the distro tools (apt etc.) makes it easier to manage. But also because I heard that the mozilla binaries are *not* free software.

Btw, do you use free only, or non-free also? I know that ubuntu has something close to but not equal to debian's free/contrib/non-free.

Hm. I guess that answer my free-only question. I wouldn't know how to answer this, though. Sorry.

first: shutting down the machine properly--here's one way:
# shutdown -h now
But I'm sure the graphical login screen offers a neat click-and-shutdown thing--maybe (only maybe???) requiring the root password.

then... well, I found this book: http://www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/...tro-linux.html

Seems like just what you want. I don't know how much it discusses the command line, though, which I recommend *at least* getting comfortable around. At least know these commands on a basic level:
help, man, ls, cd, cp, mv, rm, ln, cat, less, more, pwd, grep, sed, find, locate (and updatedb), tar, gzip, bzip2, emacs, info, mail, wget.
use man and/or help to learn the others, and
$ help help
$ man man
to learn help and man

Don't know about the menu (I use (`run application' hotkey) -> "xmms" which is much faster)
Regarding default Music Player: there is no global notion of default music player. But since you use Ubuntu and you consider yourself a newbie, I estimate the chance that you use Gnome, Metacity and Nautilus at around 99%;

If so, open the Nautilus help and click `Assigning actions to files'. That explains it much better (and faster) than I can.

Yes (almost). See the /home chapter of the above book.

hth --Jonas

followup:

I assume that you plan(ned) to download the binaries. In that case,
1) I wouldn't know
2) Other programs would probably have a different installer.

For source downloads, though, it's pretty standardized:
$ ./configure
$ make
$ (test the program)
# make install
(later)
# make uninstall

Did I mention that I prefer apt-getting binaries? apt-get Just Works and Gets The Job Done.

Try searching for `nvidia' in synaptic--it might be useful.

hth --Jonas

From their website:
Go to the firefox website. Click "Other Systems and Languages", download "linux-686" in your favourite language (assuming you have a i686 system). Unzip it somewhere. Run firefox-installer

Within ubuntu:
Start the synaptic package manager. Find the latest firefox, click install.

I usually prefer installing stuff via synaptic, since it will be automatically updated if there are security issues. If you install from the website, you have to uninstall and re-install manually.

On the other side: synaptic is usually has an older version than the website.

Start using the system for whatever you need doing. Solve any problems you encounter.

In my experience, solving problems you need solved is an easier way to learn than studying some random subject. And more rewarding too

In your home directory, there is a directory called .gnome2 or something like that. Somewhere below that, you'll find some menu entries. Copy one of them and edit to suit your needs.

Don't know how to set it as default, though

Roughly, yes. There are differences however.

On windows "My documents" contains only documents. On Linux "HOME" also contains configuration data (like the .gnome2 directory, above) and desktop settings and stuff. Windows has separate directories for those. I guess it would be more accurate to say that Linux "Home" is more or less like "c:\documents and settings\your_user_name".

Also, Linux is more strict at security. Outside "home" there are very little places you can write files to. On windows, you can write basically anywhere.

Groetjes,

Kees-Jan

thx for all the help, when i get home i will try them out

A very good on-line book:
http://www.icon.co.za/~psheer/book/index.html.gz

The link just stoped working for me, used it acouple of time yesterday and red through some of it. Cant use it today