I just was introduced to linux last night by a buddy of mine. I had thought that it was simply a coding-based OS that only nerds use. But he showed me that there are gui's, and other cool things. But I don't know what to do. I downloaded slax, and booted it. I played with it a little, but didn't get anywhere substantial. So, what do I need to know going from windows to linux? If there is a link on this site, i looked for a good hour, and missed it, so links are acceptable too

Thanks guys for helping out a hopeful convert.

-nitroguy

Welcome to the world of *nix.
Start using linux instead of Windows.......very soon you will start facing new challenges in the form of problems which is a way towards learning.
In this site go to tutorials to learn things.
here

regards

You could read through RUTE: http://rute.2038bug.com/index.html.gz It's a bit longer but if you have the patience, it will help you.
Or, you could start with a hands on guide and a must-read, the Linux file hierarchy.
Oh, and welcome to LQ and have fun with Linux.

Yeah, some Linux distributions are pretty basic, and leave you asking, "Okay, what now?" upon first boot-up. Others, OTOH, are loaded with lots of stuff to experiment with and click on.

I recommend you try out some Knoppix based liveCDs, like Knoppix, Overclockix, and GamesKnoppix. They use disc compression to cram in a LOT of software on a CD (even more on a DVD, if you have a DVD burner).

Knoppix is nice and popular, and it offers a variety of desktop interfaces to experiment with.

One nice feature of Knoppix based liveCDs is that they can be installed to the hard drive. You can even use the LiveCD during the install! This is great for newbies who hate to wait.

welcome to LQ, nitroguy

here are some links:

http://loll.sourceforge.net/linux/li...al/Beginners_/

If you have a weekend of free time try installing gentoo or slackware. Once you are done you will have learned quite a bit.