Q for Ubuntu developers/programmers...

[Moozillaaa]

How much has Ubuntu changed since Gutsy? I'm retired, and want to learn Linux from the ground up.

I have Mark Sobell's Ubuntu Bible (almost 1,200 pages), circa Gutsy, and I wonder if it has info that still applies, since it's 3 years old...

I posted this in 'Programming', since developers or programmers would probably be able to answer this question better than anybody else on the boards.

[foxmulder881]

I guess it depends on what part of Ubuntu you're exactly referring to. That question is so broad it can't be answered in whole like you're expecting.

I'm guess that the majority of it is the same. Although obviously there will be some changes/updates. And it may also change again when Natty+Gnome Shell arrives.

[matsuzine]

You know, if you really want to learn linux from the ground up, there are a couple of other distributions that can really help. You've got to be willing to get your hands dirty and edit some configuration files, though.

One is Arch Linux, which basically starts you off with a bare-bones system, and you get to install and configure what you need.

I used Debian for years, and learned a lot because it's not as point-and-click as Ubuntu. But it was the base for Ubuntu, so there is a lot that is similar.

If you really want a Project, take a look at Linux From Scratch. You build a basic linux distro from the ground up.

I use ubuntu day-to-day because it just works (mostly), but I learned a lot from using other systems that get you under the hood of the distribution.

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The core gnu system is pretty stable between upgrades. Some other parts of Ubuntu have seen massive change over the past few years ( xorg, grub, plymouth, etc... ) Parts of your book will no longer be very applicable.