Hello all.I am appealing to all you Linux users.I have just got Linux Ubuntu 12.04 set up on my spare desktop?

Question

set up on my spare desktop with very little troubleand have now done several things ie got 2 emails going,got Gramps set up for my gedcom genealogy to send to it,and a bit with Shotwell on photos and just a little bit of tinkering around.I am just a very average Windows user and my knowledge of anything Linux is a big ZERO.So I would like to further my interest in learning abit more about Linux as I bought the book Ubuntu Made Easy which is very good BUT then in part way towards the end it just starts talking and doing things in the command line and other stuff getting very involved.I WAS LOST.Can anyone please help me with what kind of book or tutorials that start at the very basics as it all was a mess to me this actual Linux thing.Thankyou all for being so patient and I hope helpful Bazza from lovely Anna Bay

Answer 1

i think you need to be more specific about what you want to learn. there is information on the linux distributions documentations webpages. for instance, you are using ubuntu, here is the website:

https://help.ubuntu.com/



general web searches are good for results from other websites also, plenty of articles, documentation and tutorials are scattered around the internet, finding it isnt difficult. youtube has some useful video guides and tips also.



http://www.getgnulinux.org/en/linux/



http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/beginner-s-guide-to-linux-where-to-start-1066778



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_distribution

Answer 2

Ubuntu is a pretty user frendly distribution of Linux and has a GUI (Graphical User Interface) application for most things that you would need to do.



If you really want to learn about Linux/Unix I recommend doing it on Windows using a virtual machine. You can download free Windows programs such as VMWare Player or Virtual Box which will allow you to run Linux machines on top of your Windows OS. I recommend learning about the Unix file system and installing a distribution of Linux with command line only (I recommend Fedora). To do this just make sure no GUI options (Gnome, KDE) etc are unticked during installation.



Once you have a command line only version running you can start to familiarize yourself with the basic commands you use, and then move on to more advanced ones.

Answer 3

Don't let using terminal commands scare you. I know it looks odd at first. But trust me, Ubuntu community made a good job, just use your Ubuntu for everything you need. In Ubuntu you have graphical user interface (GUI) software for almost everything you need, so beginners don't need to worry about typing commands in terminal.



For a linux newbie it is enough to get to know some basic terminal commands - check this blog: http://www.webupd8.org/2009/04/basic-terminal-commands-every-ubuntu.html .

You don't even need to know many of these commands, because Ubuntu now has Software Center where from you can install and remove applications. You will get used to using terminal commands later, just need some time.



Ubuntu beginners guide: http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/ubuntu-an-absolute-beginners-guide

Getting Started with Ubuntu: http://ubuntu-manual.org/

Answer 4

Linux isn't as user friendly as windows, it is made for programmer or people that have true knowledge about computers. Linux uses commands for pretty much everything and they are very easy to use. Here is a book i recommend: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593273894/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1593273894&linkCode=as2&tag=noshishu-20