this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2023
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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What I did back in the day when I started Unix was mostly explore.
I looked at what was in /bin and read their manpages, or just browsed manpages to see what did what (your desktop manager will probably have a help browser nowadays that makes this much easier, in KDE it's the Help Center), and generally experimented with stuff.
Poking at things to see what they do is probably the best way, especially on a system that's not production. Also there will be a lot of reading involved, although it will mostly be to get a feel of things, as in the end, you'll essentially have to be proficient in finding information rather than memorising it for the most part.
And don't get too hung up on the whole distribution thing, in the end they all install the same stuff anyway.
Wow, I've planned to learn linux by exploring and doing. Any suggestions on exploration?
Create a VM on your current machine, install it, install software on it, try use it as your daily driver. Don't forget to take snapshots of your vm incase you break something.
But.. Then again, if it does break, nothing like reinstalling again to make sure you know what you're doing ;)
I was going to do this, but ended up happening across the Orange Pi 5 upon release and managed to get an order in.
I had it running Ubuntu 22.04LTS, but there were some OPi specific issues I just wasn't capable of troubleshooting myself at that stage, I've since switched it to 23.01 non LTS and is much better suited to me.
That said, even after discovering gnome extensions I still dont like gnome that much. I'm trying to get a better handle on CLI so I can abandon the desktop all together later.
But yeah, having a whole device just for experimenting with has been huge, very much helps keep me from distractions, I usually will just swing my monitor towards my bed and play twitch while I mess around.
Edit: it's also saved me the issue of adding to my already chaotic daily filesystem, all my projects are on GitHub, I've gotten more proficient at getting a distro going, the urge to hop around a few more is really growing now.
You're going to suffer if you run a machine without a desktop.
Gnome is a bondage and discipline desktop, so you may not enjoy their way of doing things (if so too bad, because their way is the right way). Just try something else, like KDE or XFCE, or whatever. Or just run a window manager. Even tvwm is more comfortable than a plain terminal.
Cheers for the info, I'll have a deeper look into it.