I have Linux, Now what??
 

Ive recently installed ubunta linux on a dual boot with vista. I was wondering if anyone had any of idea's on what i should do now. Im new to linux and could use some help. Any tricks, Anything interesting, I should know and learn ??

im not trying to be an ass, but when i first started i kinda had the same question but it was more of"ok so whats different, right now it just seems a little different"
just figure it out on your own, i believe half the fun of switching is learning all the new things you never experience with windows, such as command line

You could try to use only Linux for a couple of weeks... for the same things you use Vista...

1) Recognize Linux is NOT windows.
2) Go through the RUTE tutorial
2b) For Ubuntu, be sure to go to http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu_Edgy for ways to install common things on Ubuntu.
3) Google "linux newbie"
4) Browse through some of the things on the Linux Documentation Project. I'd poke through things like "Introduction to Linux: A Hand's On Guide" and "Bash Guide for Beginners".


The way I learned was that I created a project for myself. For example, I've installed linux and now I want to burn a CD. Then I figured out how to do it.

Or I really want to see this video from somesite.net and it doesn't play, and then google around to figure out how.

Or I want to make a simple webpage, how do I install and configure a simple apache server.

My last really big project was to buy a TV card and then install MythTV (a Tivo-like PVR). It's taken some fiddling but it works...

Heres a little hint-Ubuntu is driven for beginners, if you want to become very adept in *nix based systems, learn what you can an move on. In other words, once you want something else, just take a look at something like Distrowatch.com, find a distro that suits you. It takes a while, I have been through over 15 distros, and Debian is my favorite. The same cannot be said for everyone.

Also, what do you want to do with it? Program? Web-design? IT security? Pick something closer to what you want to do. If regular computing is all you need, you can stick with Ubuntu or check out other distros that are like it.

Customize! Its open-source, do what you want!

<edit>Also, check out my signature for the basic Linux questions, it has helped quite a few people.</edit>

I agree, what do you want or need to do? Try some of your every day tasks, there is likely a program or tool that will do whatever you need. When you run into a task that you don't know how to do or what to use we'll all be here to help. ;-) After you've done a little searching ofcourse. ;-)
Good luck.

I kind of agree. But firstly if your login screen lets you easily pick a desktop I would play around with the different ones to see which ones I liked. KDE and Gnome seem most popular and Ubuntu uses one of those by default I think.

Gnome is default for Ubuntu. Also check out KDE and Fluxbox. KDE is somewhat bloated however...

What did you do when you used windows? Do the same with Ubuntu.

You might find that
- you need to setup internet connectivity
- you need to setup your email account
- while surfing, you need flash
- you want a higher refresh rate or resolution
- you want to listen to MP3s or watch DVDs (codecs)
etc
etc
etc

try to play every possible multimedia files(videos and sounds including watching tv) on your linux ... either on disks locally or with an internet-browser networked ... read all those man pages and documentations(sometimes on their web sites) concerning the apps or utilities that you are trying to apply ...


//they are all tightly inter-connected ...


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Oh, the above suggestions are BORING. There's fun stuff to do in Linux! Play around with the games that come with Ubuntu (I don't know which ones come with Ubuntu, but there should be some).

One fun thing is to run "xscreensaver" and set it to do random screen savers. Believe it or not, it's fun just watching all the random screensavers.

Another fun thing is to play around with different themes (this may be more fun in KDE than GNOME; I find GNOME kind of boring).

Unlike a fresh Windows install, a fresh Linux install will typically have oodles of software included. Experiment around with random software. Use Ubuntu's package management system to try out new software. With Linux, it's fun to have the computer find and install software rather than having to do it all yourself.

nope ... linux is not for fun ...

if he want to get the best of all worlds ... he will still need (or be better off) doing it himself for some crucial parts which is important for casual desktop users(those sreensaver types ^_^ ... i'm kind of can relate to that personaly) ... normally he only need to do it "once" and can safly forget about how he managed in getting them working and just run them on his own machines ...


//btw ... maybe initially chossing an ideal distro is important in this case ...


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When I read "I have Linux, now what?", I couldn't stop remembering an old military instructor that used to say "Shove a coupla fingers up you-know-where and think about me"...lol

Anyway, it looks like you installed linux just for kicks. Now what, you ask... Now you play with it, just like you play with Windows, or at least it's where all the previous responses are pointing at.

In the end of the day, Windows and Linux are just two different operating systems; With one extra flick or one less click, they both do what you need your computer to do. Discussing which one is better is a bit like discussing which colour looks better in your car, and that is the realm of your personal preferences.

One thing must be said tough: Forums about Linux are well more active and efficient than Windows ones.

Keep going!

A very important part of the learning process is solving your problems by yourself, if at all possible.

www.google.com is your friend. www.google.com/linux is your best friend.