Learning Linux for solving problems with android.
 

I recently hard bricked my android device. As an afterthought I went to various sites and researched why things went wrong. I was informed that I need to learn Linux. If that is true how should I go about it?

I'm currently also in the same boat, look into LFS (Linux from Scratch) it might be a good start for you too. My problem is a tad different from yours though. I am looking to understand how Linux fits together. My main problem is that i just got a new Laptop and i'm struggling to install Linux (i have a fair idea what i'm doing with Linux) but compared to something like BSD, i feel like for each Distro i'm learning very Distro specific fixes that won't translate to others. They feel like very "one off" fixes.

Thanks for the hint. I would also like to learn Linux thoroughly as I have also planned to install it in the dual boot format on my system. I will check out the site immediately.

Android is a highly-tailored system for phones and mobile devices. Although it is built with Linux, it's not comparable to a typical Linux distro for computers. I would think that the best way to fix your phone would be to contact the manufacturer and ask how to reinstall the system to factory defaults.

Or you could try Cyanogen: http://www.cyanogenmod.com/

Nevertheless, as one who has been described as a "Linux enthusiastic," I think the learning Linux is a good thing.

I would not recommend starting with Linux from Scratch to learn Linux. It will take you quite a while to get anywhere, since you build your Linux system from the ground up. That is "build," not "install." Mind you, it's a great way to learn and I intend to try my hand at it. Nevertheless, it's probably better to get some Linux background before tackling LFS.

I would suggest Arch, if you want a true hands-on install-everything-piece-by-piece-system that will give you a working system in a reasonable time. Gentoo is a good candidate for from-the-ground-up, also, but it requires that you compile everything, so it can be quite time-consuming.

Otherwise, I'd recommend Slackware. It's a damned fine teacher, as well as a solid distro.

Thanks Frankbell for the information. I realize that I have to go about learning android separately. Yet, I saw on some other forum when I went about searching information on the rooting of an android phone that it is not advisable to root a phone but if I still wanted to do it I must know Linux.
When you write about 'distro' I am left in the dark. I generally work on a windows computer and whatever I have learned about windows is by using the computer (trial and error) and so I find it very difficult to understand anything in linux when I come across words like the one mentioned above I am helpless. Is there a place on the net where I can start right at the very beginning and progress in steps?
Then let me also know at what point of time I can move on to learning Android.

Start with a distro that you like the looks of,... Download a handful of Live CDs, burn 'em and give them a test spin on your machine... Pick one and install it.

Afterwards, open a terminal (the command line window,... which can be gnome-terminal, konsole, xterm, or a handful of other terminal apps),... or use Alt-Ctrl-F1 (or one of the function keys F1-F6,... F7 usually being where the GUI "lives").

Start with basic commands like;
ls = lists files/directories where you are
cd = change directory (allows you to move around)
cp = copy
mkdir = make directory
top = a program that lists what you have running on the system (Q quits,...)

Learn to use the text editors, vi and/or nano (I personally hate vi, but it's a necessary evil).

Learn to create simple shell scripts.

After all that, you should be able to navigate around Android's underlying base Linux system (navigate, not master).

I still learn stuff about Linux all the time... even after more than 10 years using it exclusively.

Different flavors of Linux (e.g., Debian, Slackware, Ubuntu) are referred to as "distributions." Distro is shorthand for distribution. All Linux distros use the Linux kernel, but they include may different desktop environments, utilities, and sets of software.

The oldest distros still actively maintained are Slackware, Debian, and Red Hat. Most others are derived from one of these; a few, such as Arch and Gentu, are their own things.

Wikipedia has a nice explanation of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_distribution