[ILUG] Newbie

[John Gay]

On Mon 27 May 2002 06:28, you wrote:
>
> Ok, i am a complete newbie to linux and Wouldnt mind a bit of help. I am
> trying to use linux because i wanna start programming, want more control,
> sick of windows etc.
> 1) I have got DragonLinux and Corel Linux. Which should i install?

As I understand them, DragonLinux is a rather simple, M$Windows based distro. 
I would shy away from these whenever possible. They tend to be old, poorly 
put together and just general trouble. I did play with the first few Corel 
versions. These seemed to incorporate the best of Linux and the worst of 
Windows into one Linux-like system with lots of hidden config settings and 
custom-hacked GUI set-up tools that didn't always work, but could not be 
worked around. I have not seen their latest offerings, so take my advice with 
a grain of salt.

I use Debian, and quite like the easy upgrade tools it provides, but it's not 
the easiest to start with. I've played with Mandrake and it's install is 
quite good! I jsut got tired of the cute childish icons and such. Felt like 
computing in a 6 year-olds room.

> 2) What should i read? (Online books, faq's etc)

linuxdoc is a great place to start! Debian installs a complete listing of 
HOWTO's for reference. Others probably have similar doc's available.

Linux Format magazine is a must (I think). Each cover CD includes an 
up-to-date listing of the HOWTO's from linuxdoc. They also often carry 
various distro's for playing with and lots of app's! It's a very good 
magazine to keep up with Linux with. Linux Magazine seems to cover similar 
subjects, but it does not seem as accessible IMHO. Linux Journal is mostly 
for more advanced Linux users and Admin-types.

> 3) Have you got any advice for me?

Figure out what you want, check out what's available, check support for your 
hardware and be sure you are ready for the plunge! If you have spare hardware 
to play with, it could save lots of frustration from acidently wiping your 
old system before you realise it. Don't be afaid to ask for help, but read up 
on what you are trying to do first. The doc's are good, but can be confusing. 
If you don't understand the docs, lots of people are happy to help explain 
things. If you don't bother reading anything and just ask simple questions, 
people tend to get short with you. Do your homework and people can be very 
helpful!

> 4) Should i get linux drivers for all my hardware before installing?

Most modern hardware is supported by the kernel or the X Server. Lots of 
modems have limited or no support, so check your modem carefully first. 
google search can usually provide you with links directly to sites with info 
about modem support in Linux if you ask the right question. Some newer Video 
cards are not so well supported in X, so check that out too. Slightly older 
hardware can have better support.

> 5) Are there any good gui's or should i learn to use commands? (I loved
> dos)

Unless your PC is a 486, X should perform adequitly. X provides the 
lowest-level of graphics interface. On top of X you can run a window manager 
or a desktop manager. the common desktops use much more memory and such. xfce 
is a plesant exception to this rule. Once you have 64M or so memory, Gnome or 
KDE should perform fine. I use KDE. Many use Gnome. Which one is better has 
been the subject of many flame wars. Just try them and see! either way, you 
will still use terminals to access the command line quite often so your love 
of DOS won't go missing.

As for Programming, kdevelop is a very good IDE for C, C++ and other 
languages. It can create complete projects via wizards that compile to 
running, but limited programs without writing a single line of code. It will 
set-up all the configure, automake and make files as well as setting up the 
general directory structure for your project.

Most editors have some type of command highlighting available, as well as 
bracket and parans completion options. This make coding much easier. You will 
need to take care of the make files yourself if you use a general editor, but 
you will have a better understanding of what is happening. Get to know the 
tools like automake and such to help you. lint is your friend for avioding 
strange bugs. Test your code with it and try to understand what it is telling 
you.

I hope this info is helpful. I am willing to help more. Feel free to contact 
me off-list if you need more info.

>
> Thanks in advance
> Stephen
>
> --__--__--
Cheers,

	John Gay