[The Great Linux Newbie Questionaire!] -


The Great Linux Newbie Questionaire!

Discuss The Great Linux Newbie Questionaire!


Posted by: chesman

ok, i have always wanted to learn Linux, but never had the chance, but one of the teachers at my school is allowing me to build a rather small computer form spare computer parts there, it is going to be maybe a p1 166, not surte of the rest yet.

But will that be ok for red hat?

and the reason i want to learn it now is that i am going to be competeing in the skills canada IT Support competition in february, and linux is my only weak spot, and i mean WEAK.

lol

so willthis be fine?
hope it is

and do i just install linux on one partition or how does it go? what specs am i going to need and stuff?


thanks in advandce


Posted by: chesman

and a few other linux related questions:


1: what is a distro?
2: can i use windows based programs? or do i have to get linux based?
3: can i use same drivers i have for my hardware now?
4: i can still use the current codecs i have now such as divx correct?

and whatever else you wanna throw in would be geat!


Posted by: nomad

a distro is different versions of linux(redhat,mandrake,slackware)
linux uses mostly different software
alot of drivers supported


Posted by: chesman

ok, can anyone else answer my other questions?

thanks!


Posted by: Shakie

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by chesman [/i]
[B]and a few other linux related questions:


1: what is a distro?
2: can i use windows based programs? or do i have to get linux based?
3: can i use same drivers i have for my hardware now?
4: i can still use the current codecs i have now such as divx correct?
[/B][/QUOTE]

1. A version of Linux, ie. Mandrake, Redhat, SuSe
2. No. You have to use Linux based programs on Linux, unless you use some type of virtual machine.
3. Nope. You do use different drivers for your hardware, but many versions of Linux have them just like Windows does. You may have to hunt one or two down though.
4. You can use divX codecs, but they are for Linux. You can't use a Windows codec on Linux unless it supports both OSes.


Posted by: ADZ

I know slackware will run on your machine, that is to say if u dont have all the fancy bells and whistles and you use a less graphic intensive desktop(cant remeber the proper word for it)


Posted by: chesman

thanks guy, But will it run on a p1 166?

i will be installing red hat 8 i beleive, just to get used ot it because they are going to be useing redhat linux in the competition i am going to be competeing in soon.

and u ahve to buy red hat now, and well frankyl, i aint buying it, lol


Posted by: Shakie

I think it will, I am not 100 percent. A good source of info for the different flavors is distrowatch.com [though it seems they are down right now].

If it does... it won't be 'blazing' fast... lol


Posted by: chesman

ya, i did not think so, lol. But it will be fast enough.

who knows maybe ill hit gold when i am searching throughthe computers at school today.
lol


Posted by: gruntwerk

I dont know if redhat8 will run on a 166 or not...
you can download several distro(butions) from [url]http://www.linuxiso.org[/url]

You may want to check out KNOPPIX - I have not tried it, but it is a distro that runs off the cd-rom - linux experience without the formatting, That way, you can learm about linux without trashing the windoze machines...

You may also want to check out [URL=http://www.cygwin.com/]Cygwin[/URL] it is a unix like environment for windows...GNome and KDE desktops are both available with it...

You can run some windows programs under linux with a package called WINE - runs on most distros..

Linux has drivers lots of things, your current drivers probably wont work..

google is your friend... google search for the codecs and linux you are interested in for more info on them...

Good luck and let us know if you have anymore problems/questions...


Posted by: ADZ

ENVIROMENT. thats the word I was looking for! I'm still learning you young cats linux slang.


Posted by: chesman

ok, her eis a new one:

What is Gnome and what is it used for?

and well i am currently downloading the threee ISO's for redhat 9, and well once i have them burned.

how will i go aobut installing linux?


Posted by: nomad

gnome is one of the GUI(grapical user interface) for linux. You can just pop the cd's in and it will ask you what packages you want to install


Posted by: chesman

THANKS Oberjaeger!!! greatly appreciate the help.
ok to answer some of your questions.

my main reason for instllaing linux is because i am going to be competing in a skills canada IT Support competition and red hat is one of the areas, and well i know nothnig aobut linux, and well here is my chance to learn.

i was planning on installing redhat 9.

and i am going to find out what aspects of it i am going to be graded on in the competition. so i will let you know this later.

but i will be networking it with my windows machine so i may use it as a firewall as well.

i checked out some info on redhat 9 and it will run on a p1.


so any more help would be awesome, like what u think i should do, how to set it up and what not.

any basic newbie resources would also be great!


Posted by: chesman

one other question as well.

am i going to have set up partitions as well to install redhat 9?

i heard that u did not have to and someone in my class did not set them up hen he installed it a while back.

sowhat should i do?


Posted by: chesman

ok now i am VERY confused, lol.

ok i found out what i am going to be gradedon in the competition, and it is basic networking with linux, and most lilly involve haveing to know how to insall linux as well.


Posted by: gruntwerk

did they give a hint on what distro they would expect you to know?
the config files are located in standard standard places, but different distros have different tools to save you from having to edit the config files...
have a look at [url]http://www.tldp.org/[/url] the linux documentation project.. readthru the howtos...


Posted by: chesman

ok, here is a few more.,

i acually manged to install redhat 9 on an old 166, but its slow as ****, so i tried to install it on vmware tonight, and well, it just wont do it. keeps saying it cant copy certain files and stuff.

anyone know how to get around this?


and how can i make a dual boot system with linux and windows if linux cant use ntfs?