What is the best way to learn Linux?
I say get down and dirty with it.
There’s no other way than to use Linux and the apps bundled in the distro you’ve chosen to work/play with. It’s the only way you’d figure out if Linux would meet or solve your needs and wants. It’s also the only way to let you learn if you could use it for day to day tasks. It’s true that no one distro is able to give you everything you need but at least you have a better idea of what’s with Linux. Reading the manual, scouring forums and mailing list archives will be part of the deal, that’s for sure. Especially for those who are considerably shy and less social than most Linux users/newbies. Going to a friend for a more personal approach sounds good too. For someone like me, that’s what’s more effective. Sometimes I don’t know how to learn about the technology and there are moments when I get frustrated too.
A blog entry on Echoes talks about what the blogger thinks is the best way to learn Linux. One of the things mentioned on the blog:
I think keeping asking questions rather than reading manuals and tutorials first will get you out of trouble for the moment, but there will always be problems in the future which need to be taken care of.
I think that the point raised is valid. Because as users we mainly want something that works. We want something quick. What we need to learn that from the questions that we ask today are things that we need to build upon. If we think that we only ask other people to fix our problems, then we won’t grow in knowledge. And that seems futile doesn’t it?
Not everyone has the patience to learn through reading man pages. But we need to do that. There are other learning materials now. There are also videos on YouTube. There are also comics like Hackett and Bankwell, as I blogged about before.
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2 opinions for What is the best way to learn Linux?
dandellion
Jun 26, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Getting one’s hands dirty is the only way. You cannot learn to swim out of water.
But, here’s the another thing that makes problem with learning Linux (or any other OS if you already use computer). Learning Linux for somebody who already have some knowledge of living with Win (most usual combination) is learning something you already know. We all know that can be quite boring. It is walking the same path again. There come all those RTFM situations. People tend to ask questions and need quick answers when they need to do something they already know how to do in the system they got used to.
Other momentum is that, when you already use a computer, you have habits and expectations how things should be done. So many of my friends are feeling quite fine with Gnome on my box, but they need time to get used that menus and clock are on upper instead of bottom bar.
Boycott Novell » Links 27/06/2008: Migration Stories (to GNU/Linux); A Look at KDE4’s Folderview
Jun 27, 2008 at 3:10 pm
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