What would you recommend to do to get experienced using Ubuntu?

[Davh]

Hi guys, that's it haha. Which things you've done to know more about this system, installing what, doing what...

Diego V.H.

[MG&TL]

Play. Try to do anything and everything. Use experimental software, run the development releases, get familiar with the terminal. Oh yeah, and prepare for crash(es). :P

What I did. ^^

PS One of the best ways to get familiar is to buy some dodgily-supported hardware and try and use it.

[Davh]

Like it :P!

[Lars Noodén]

Use it as much as possible. What activities are you most interested in? Start with those.

[snowpine]

Help people on the Forums with their questions/problems. :)

[rudihawk]

Break it, then have to fix it.

I can't count the number of times I've broken it (unintentionally/intentionally) I've learnt the most from those times trying to fix my mistakes than just using Ubuntu.

Also try new things! Learn to write scripts, play around with conky etc etc :)

[asianette]

I started using the CL as much as I could, that was a really good way to learn :)

[amauk]

Depends if you really want to get experienced using Ubuntu or using Linux

Replace "using ubuntu" with "driving a Ford"
Driving is more than getting to grips with a single manufacturer's model

If Linux at large, then the best way is to get familiar with lots of different distributions

[speedwell68]

Just use it. You will learn as you go, get it to work exactly as you want. Yes you will break it, but that is all part of the learning process.

When I first started using it, about six years ago, it was daunting and quite hard to work with. Now the same is true of Windows, which I used to describe myslef as an advanced user of windows.

[Linuxratty]

The way I learned was just got rid of Windows...I had no choice then since I was not going to reinstall Windows.

[odiseo77]

I'm not a guru, but I'd suggest to learn the command line and the most common/used commands, learn the Linux file system hierarchy, read tutorials, howtos, guides, etc., try different distros; try distros like Arch and Gentoo (at least temporarily, you don't necessarily have to switch to them if you don't like them, but just try them for a few weeks to see how they work)... etc.

[|{urse]

Break it fix it wash rinse repeat.

[TheFu]

How do you get more experience and learn Ubuntu?
* Stop using all other OSes for anything.
* Do everything you need with Ubuntu
* Learn to script stuff so the computer works for you - not you working on the computer
* Learn how to do everything without a GUI
* Build and run a custom kernel with custom modules that you wrote
* Install a virtual machine and start loading different distributions - Ubuntu is great, but it isn't everything that Linux has to offer.
* Try out lots of server distros - or better, install a plain distro, then build it up to have everything you want, then YOU create a distro DVD/CDROM based on the things that YOU like.

That should keep you busy for a few years. ;)

Learning Linux is a lifelong effort. The first 6 months are pretty steep, but it does become .... easy. I find using other OSes a chore these days. Linux behaves like an OS should.

[Davh]

How do you get more experience and learn Ubuntu?
* Stop using all other OSes for anything.
* Do everything you need with Ubuntu
* Learn to script stuff so the computer works for you - not you working on the computer
* Learn how to do everything without a GUI
* Build and run a custom kernel with custom modules that you wrote
* Install a virtual machine and start loading different distributions - Ubuntu is great, but it isn't everything that Linux has to offer.
* Try out lots of server distros - or better, install a plain distro, then build it up to have everything you want, then YOU create a distro DVD/CDROM based on the things that YOU like.

That should keep you busy for a few years. ;)

Learning Linux is a lifelong effort. The first 6 months are pretty steep, but it does become .... easy. I find using other OSes a chore these days. Linux behaves like an OS should.

Thanks a lot guys!, You really motivated me to continue :P

PD: >You have been using Linux since I was born... hahaha

Thanks!

[rg4w]

Break it fix it wash rinse repeat.
"Good judgment comes from Experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment."
- Mark Twain
:)

Here's what I've found helpful:

1. Understand the lay of the land by understanding the Linux directory structure. There are many sources of great info for that, but IMNSHO I suggest starting with this brief overview, which explains how it became needlessly confusing ("Why do so many folders contain a set of folders just like the one I was in?"):
http://www.osnews.com/story/25556

Once you understand the history behind the layout, it makes using it much easier. For more info you may want to check out LinuxCommand.org (http://linuxcommand.org/), which not only covers the directory structure but is mainly a great resource for learning shell scripting.


2. Use Ubuntu daily. Have fun, just do what you normally do with any computer.


3. Poke around in the Ubuntu Software Center and try out any apps that look interesting or useful for you. There's a LOT there, and more are added regularly, so it can be good to check in with the USC every few weeks to see what's new.


4. I log into these forums almost daily, clicking the "New Posts" link and then reading anything that looks relevant to me, either a problem I've had or one I think I might have. I've learned much of what I know about Ubuntu from reading the very helpful posts here.


5. Shell scripting isn't needed by most casual users, but many of us think it's fun and it's certainly very useful, not only for diagnosing and repairing problems but also for daily tasks like renaming batches of files or making thumbnails from JPEGs or automating routine tasks or darn near anything else you can think of. The afore-mentioned LinuxCommand.org will take you a long way towards learning shell scripting, and there are many, many other great resources as well.

Shell scripting is deep, and few truly master everything. Sed and awk alone are worth weeks of study and practice, and there are so many other commands it can be boggling. Don't worry - just try to learn one new command each day, trying out various options (and of course being careful with potential destructive commands like rm), and before you know it you'll start to feel confident about applying what you've learned for all sorts of things that can streamline what do with your computer.

Tip: use "sudo" only when you fully understand any commands that follow it.


Extra bonus points:

If you do any web development and have another spare computer lying around (who doesn't have an old PC sitting in the closet?), you may consider installing Ubuntu Server on it and learning that side of things. For web development it's a wonderful thing to have a system in your home you can experiment on without disturbing your public site, and even if you totally break it you can just reinstall and try again.

For learning Ubuntu Server I really like Kyle Rankin and Benjamin Hill's The Official Ubuntu Server Book (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0137081332/) (another updated edition will be coming out in May for v12.04), but the freely available documentation is also very good:
https://help.ubuntu.com/11.10/index.html


Lots of fun to be had learning Linux. It's a long road that never truly ends, but a very rewarding journey.

[Davh]

Haha a really good post rg4w, I'm reading the things that you wrote :P.

And guys... What do you think, to learn and familiarize more about Desktop version before getting friendly with Server Edition?

I'm really scared of using Server Edition right know haha, but what do you think? Should I learn these systems separated or together?

Thanks for your consideration and sorry if I have a mistake in my writing, I'm not an english speaker :P

[Lars Noodén]

As far as I know, the server edition is the same as the desktop except for the kernel. Of course it is minus all the GUI stuff and desktop apps, but the underlying tools are the same. If you find your way around the server, you'll also be able to find your way around the desktops, especially remote access via SSH.

You can learn both at the same time.

[Davh]

Yeah, that thing of no GUI scares me, I've been "using" ubuntu since 2010 (dual boot) and I've only used it for easy things like installing chromium hahaha. So that's why I don't have a good experience using the terminal, but now it's the moment, so as you say, I think I'm going to install the server edition and play :P, right...?

[Lars Noodén]

Sounds fun. You might start out easy and try serving up some web pages with Apache or nginx. Or is there some other server activity you'd like to try first?

[Davh]

I prefer starting easy because I have no idea of anything, but a lot of desire to learn this!

So, first objective will be serving with Apache hehe :P

Thanks a lot.

[nothingspecial]

You don't need to install the server edition. Ubuntu will do what the server edition will do.

Just press Ctrl-Alt-F1 and off you go.

[MG&TL]

Once you've turned green, fainted, then recovered again ;) , press Ctrl-Alt-F7 to return to the desktop.

[gardnan]

* Build and run a custom kernel with custom modules that you wrote

That seems really out of place here. I think it is great to compile your own kernel, but I think that writing custom modules yourself is beyond the scope of 'Getting experienced in Ubuntu'. You would have to know C, and then the kernel module API. That type of thing would really be more suited to someone either wanting to know in-depth how Linux or similar OSes work, or someone who wanted to contribute to Linux Kernel development.

However, to the OP, I would recommend learning a programming language, and if you are willing to go in depth, nothing embodies how Linux works better than C. However, if you are not really looking into how things work on a source code level, then I may recommend a scripting language, like bash or Perl.

[rg4w]

What do you think, to learn and familiarize more about Desktop version before getting friendly with Server Edition?
Definitely.

I noted it as "Extra Bonus Points" because it can be fun and if you're doing web development it can be valuable, but not as a first step.

Enjoy the Ubuntu you have, and just know that there are many variants to play with the moment you find yourself bored. :)

[cotcot]

Read the questions and answers on the forum, also the ones you could not reply yourselve.

[Gremlinzzz]

start from the beginning 2004-09-16 and work your way up to 2012-02-02
:popcorn:
http://distrowatch.com/index.php?distribution=ubuntu

[TheFu]

I think it is great to compile your own kernel, but I think that writing custom modules yourself is beyond the scope of 'Getting experienced in Ubuntu'. You would have to know C, and then the kernel module API. .

You are absolutely correct. I was trying to point out that experience and learning Ubuntu can start pretty high level and go as deep as OP wants. The source is all there. BTW, writing a kernel module isn't hard, but writing a solid, useful kernel module is extremely difficult. In a programming class, I wrote a module that replaced certain words in a network stream - in or outbound. After a few days, I'd forgotten that module was still loaded and got into a little trouble with some of the replacements that ended up in email messages.

I should have added one more item to my list.
* learn vi

I'm not trying to start a religious war here, but if OP (or others) find themselves on another system - perhaps a home router or other embedded system - then there won't be any nano.

Vi/vim are difficult for just a little while, then the genius becomes clear and finally, you'll discover that full IDEs are lacking in comparison to features in vim.

Vim is like Linux. Difficult at first, easier as you go, and really deep when you've mastered the basics. jjj ZZ

[techee1]

My dad, at our vacation house, while in the lake with me, said,"Don't go near the water until you learn how to swim."
If a young lady asks if experience is needed to be a waitress, the answer will always be yes. How did the waitresses get experience?
My first legal driving experience with the high school driving instructor was during a blizzard. I learned to drive, and even in snow.
Don't be afraid to jump in!
And you are not alone. The advice someone else gave here is true, help others. The best way to reinforce what you have learned, is to share the help. Mentoring is both giving, and receiving.