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I want to learn Linux so badly but I'm so pathetic, I don't understand a thing such as "sudo" "apt" or even directories. Also, I'm a slow learner but I'm patient and I can go through the hardship just to learn it, I think I need an idiot's guide for this. I prefer the very very basic of everything. Please help me to find the best resources.


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5 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

Ubuntu. Although it is not my favorite distro, I recommend it for any new user. The documentation available on their website is topnotch. Just install it, and refer to their website as needed they have all the needed information for you to do pretty much anything you need on linux.

Good-luck & welcome to the penguin club friend.

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Thanks! I'll check it out. Anyways, I'm not a penguin, I'm more of a chicken! –  domanokz Jun 10 '11 at 7:57
And should you have any Ubuntu-specific questions, you can ask those on askubuntu.com instead of superuser.com –  Lekensteyn Jun 10 '11 at 8:50
Linux Mint is a distribution based on Ubuntu that is following a slightly different development route, for example they aren't using Unity. Personally I would find it a slightly more comfortable environment to use when moving across from Windows than Ubuntu. –  Turix Jun 26 '12 at 9:20
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I wrote the following for my friends once, and hope it would be helpful for you. It is meant for an audience with a Windows background.

This is only useful if you already have a UNIX/Linux environment at hand. I am going to write or point to some other useful things in case you do not have that later. I know the sequence of writing should have been different, but if you do not have a UNIX/Linux environment at hand you are probably not in urgency of it either.

Introduction The commands in Linux and UNIX are almost the same, even if they are not it is much easier to find the other one if you know either of them, so I am using UNIX/Linux in this article everywhere.

The most important command in UNIX/Linux environment is man. If you do not know what it stands for and what it does, type man man at your UNIX/Linux console. If you do not understand how to browse through the help page that has just opened press 'h'.

The man is useful if you already know the command name, but in case you do not, then using the command apropos in conjunction with 'man' might make you feel like a master already. I am not going to answer the following questions: 1. What does apropos do? 2. How to use it?

because the answer to them is given by man apropos.

Part I: Windows/DOS to UNIX/Linux (Beginners)

Section A - Command to Command translation

If you know and have worked on DOS console. So that you feel more comfortable if you look for Linux commands mapped to a DOS command.

  1. Here is a small table for starters. Just to feel good for the rest of the day after you have spent time arranging a UNIX/Linux machine for yourself. http://unixhelp.ed.ac.uk/DOStoUNIX.html

  2. The following site gives quite a comprehensive mapping of UNIX commands for DOS users. If you can keep up the interest or the need is such then the website also maps GUI programs for Windows to UNIX/Linux. http://www.yolinux.com/TUTORIALS/unix_for_dos_users.html

Section B - Task Oriented

Have never used DOS console. The commands are arranged in terms of what you want to do.

  1. This one is a starter. http://www.scrounge.org/linux/doshelp.html

  2. This one is quite comprehensive, will help more if you know more and more about configuring computers in general http://www.faqs.org/docs/Linux-HOWTO/DOS-Win-to-Linux-HOWTO.html

Part II: UNIX/Linux to Windows/DOS (Reverter)

This might be a rarer event, but in some cases you are moving to or have moved to a multi-platform environment, and then you need to have some commands at hands for all Operating Systems in use.

  1. The following website has a direct mapping from command to command and some more http://www.ai.uga.edu/mc/winforunix.html

Part III: Linux Reference Manual

  1. Here is a quick reference manual for UNIX/LINUX commands http://files.fosswire.com/2007/08/fwunixref.pdf

Part IV: Multiple flavors of UNIX/Linux and Windows/DOS (Intermediate)

  1. The following website has a lot of information, however in this case its more like "the more you know, the more you get from it" http://www.wilsonmar.com/1opsys.htm
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I started with IBM's tutorials for LPI

THey are free and damn good (: I'd recommend them. You just need to register.

You could start from the very beginning - Foundational concepts, go through Intermediate to advanced topics and reach expert level.

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Thanks! I'll try! –  domanokz Jun 10 '11 at 7:51
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You can find more books on LINUX here

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These are all about programming, not basics. –  slhck Jun 10 '11 at 8:04
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if you only want to learn to use linux, it is not necessary to learn all the commands. Why not to choose some beginner distro like Pclinuxos or Mageia . Both are designed to be easy so you do not have to use command prompt, you can use mouse and click - similar as in Windows. Of, course, later you can go more deep in it and learn to use the console too. :-)

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