The Pain of a Linux Newbie..

My purposes for wanting to jump into linux are to learn more about the internals of linux and computing, and to learn about linux "the hard way" (don't laugh at me if I sound foolish ). I've been using Ubunto for about a month now, but because it isn't challenging me, I'm thinking about moving to a more advanced linux distro. However, I don't know if I'm ready. What exactly should I be learning from a newbie-friendly linux distro that would better prepare me for an advanced distro?

Thank you.

Killa - If you really want to get to know linux(especially the installation procedure) go with gentoo. Once you get it installed, the base system is stable and I have had very little problems with it. The challenge with it is that the you dont have applications like apt to baby you(although I have become dependent on emerge...) and the fact that it requires you to hand configure most of the config files for the applications.

I use ubuntu and the dev team for it is really great and I agree with the rest of you guys when you say that it is perfect for the transistory phase between windows and linux. Lets just say, I got a box of ubuntu cds and handed them out at my school. I don't know if it was just the fancy cd case it came with, but when I eyeballed the trashcans, I didnt find nearly as many in the trash as I did when I handed out burned copies of knoppix! I do my part, as little as it is, but by sparking the interest of one individual, it makes it all worthwhile.

Nice to know I am not alone in my linux problems....

I have an oldish desktop doing nothing so I decided to make it a linux box and get to know the penguin...

42 hours & several distros later I still don't have a fully working box. Here's a summary of my progress:

1) Debian - installed fine, printers work, no sound and no WLAN

2)Knoppix - far better Printers, sound and no wlan but definately showing potential.

3) Kanotix - revised knoppix with newer packages...just doesn't feel as nice & still no WLAN

4) Suse 9.1. Installed nocely, found printers, no sound, and very odd WLAN working. WLAN works for the online update part of the install then fails to work .


Overall I have mainly been frustrated be WLAN config. My USB WLAN adapter is supported by WLAN-NG project but ether the kernal is too new (Knoppix & Kanotix are 2.6.11), or not adaptable (SUSE) or just to confusing to get working (Debian)

next time I have more time to play. I am sure I will crack it.... till then....

Since my baptism of fire I've also got Slackware to work in a virtual machine under Microsoft Virtual PC. This is quite nice as it means you can install the penguin and muck around without having to dedicate a box to it. It's also really useful to still have a box that works (via its native Microsoft OS) for getting to the internet while you try to get the thing working right. Another bonus is that Virtual PC emulates your 'real' LAN cards and sound card etc so even my WLAN which is installed and working under XP works straight away under Linux without having to do anything extra. Not that this is a real or long-term solution but it certainly is a great way to do evaluations

There's nothing like trying out linux distros under Virtual PC or VMware. Great way to mess about with them if you haven't got any spare PCs lying around.

I think the best way a newbie can go about this is:

Knoppix liveCD, get yourself a bit familiar
Fedora / SuSE / Ubuntu for a first install
Knoppix-harddisk install
Debian
Slack
Gentoo

That would be a pretty good way to get used to installation and how it all works..

By the time you're done with Slack and Gentoo, you should be able to do this in your sleep.

I agree VMWare and VirtualPC totally rule.