Learning to Operate Linux
 

Okay, i've been posting a little too much lately. I'm sorry, but i keep having different questions that i'm confused about. First i wanted to know how to learn Slackware. Then i wanted to do a LFS. Now i'm thinking maybe i can learn alot about running Linux without building one from scratch. The thing is, i'm running Slackware with a full install and i don't know much of what i'm doing. I'm wondering if i reinstalled it with ... say ... a very basic install of some sort ... and manually put in programs that i wanted, then would i learn alot? For instance today i went to look up a picture online and to open it i had to pick a program. Well, i know GIMP is great with images but i couldn't find it! I checked /usr/sbin, /bin, /sbin. So if i manually install 'only' what i want, little by little, than i'm sure i'll learn alot.

Well what do you think? LFS or basic Slackware installation?

Thank you for listening to me ramble,
Lance

Hmm... Slackware makes you learn fast, it's certainly taught me a lot since I started. But so have most distros, to be honest. I fear LFS myself, and have little desire to build a Linux distro. If you want a bare install to start with I recommend Debian. You can use apt-get to install what you need afterwards. Or if you really want to learn Linux and end up with a unique system, then Gentoo is probably best.

Ok, I've decided. Do a bare Debian install, it's not that hard once you mess up a few times :p Actually, it's pretty easy, just don't get freaked out by hard questions. Use apt-get to install things as you need them.

But Slackware if its a direct choice between that and LFS. I think you can use pkgtool to run installation scripts again to install things as you need them.

I didn't plan on using the special tools for installing stuff. I wanted to do them manually, atleast at first so i learn. =) For instance, i'd download the software, and unpackage it and everything. That's the 'nitty gritty' i want to learn first i guess. That why i figure i'll learn alot about dependecies and stuff. Also, i'll know where files are at.

I started the same way. Get lost in a maze of dependencies a few times and you'll soon change :p . But, Gentoo is a compile-from-source affair, but has their Portage package management system, so you could have the best of both worlds. And it's more up-to-date than Debian Stable / Testing.

By the way, where is GIMP or some kind of Image program located? I have Slackware 9.0 full install and want to look at some pictures online, but i have to open them with a program and i don't know where it's located.

Um... I think it should be there. I take it you're using KDE or GNOME? I haven't used Slackware 9 for a wee while, but scout about the menus a bit. Failing that, bring up a console, run updatedb (it takes some time) then do locate gimp when it finishes, and it should show where it's installed. But first just try typing gimp at the console. Otherwise use pkgtool to run the install scripts again and install the GIMP that way. Hope this helps. :)

I allready found GIMP anyways. I knew where it was in the menu, but i was looking for it's directory. It ended up being /usr/bin/gimp.

I'm thinking of just giving Slackware 9.0 a fresh install. What kind of installation should i choose? Should i go for a base installation or should i still go full and just do newbie?

I found full installs a little bewildering too at first. They seem to include everything bar the kitchen sink. Yeah, do a bare install, and add things as you need to. That way you know everything that's running on your PC. I still think Gentoo would be good for you, providing you have a working broadband net connection under Linux (using a router or something). What I've done, perhaps by accident, is installed lots of different distros to try them out, hoping they'll work correctly / provide a good learning environment, and learned a surprising amount on the way. Generally I take some stuff from system to system, config files, kernel configs and such, so I don't always start at square one. But slack is definetly good to learn on, as it's rather more UNIX-like than other distros.

Okay thank you. Hmmmm ... now i'm wondering about Gentoo. I like Slackware's idea's though. Simple, Standard, etc. I'll stick with Slackware for now ... just have to see where i want to start with it. I'll do some reading on Slackware's book and see what i want to do. Thanks for the help and i'll reply here if i have another question regarding this topic.

Lance

You're welcome :D. The only problem with Slackware, for me, is that it's not that easy to update. Otherwise, it's a fantastic distro.