How do you guys learn to tweak your Linux?

[ReviewSpin]

I see Bearyl (however you spell it) and 3D Desktop ( like it being in space)...and I wonder how it's all done. How do you go into the terminal and learn all of that? Is there a site, or do you guys just mess around with it? Just wondering...

[SunnyRabbiera]

Its mainly done by exploring, there isnt any real technique you need to know in my opinion as someone elses way might not be for you.
but me personally I got some good kickbutt simplistic themes that work wonders though i break out beryl too.

[igknighted]

Haha, honestly? Reading various things online. I found compiz last summer when using Suse, I browsed a few Novell how tos and eventually figured it all out. Then I had to relearn how to set it up in Ubuntu. But the point is, most knowledge comes from the people who make this stuff. The rest of us are just various degrees of good following their instructions, and that just comes with time and familiarity as to why and how things happen in linux.

[Wight_Rhino]

Best way to learn (anything) is try it!

What's the worst that could happen?:)

[corstar]

In my first few months of Linux, I killed X soooo many times. Not to mention breaking every other aspect of it.
But, That's how I learned to memerise a whole bunch of commands.
Another great way to learn is randomly look at man pages (not pages with Men in them) but by typing for eg:
man ls
man grep

and so on.

It's a good way to learn

[beercz]

I tend to learn how to do things on linux after I have broken something!! I find Google and these forums are really helpful. Fortunately I have access to other pcs to enable me to do this should I break my linux box!

Another way is for me to try and see what happens - that's when I usually break stuff!!

I suspect there are others who operate in a similar way.

[nu2this]

I tend to learn how to do things on linux after I have broken something!! If find Google and these forums are really helpful. Fortunately I have access to other pcs to enable me to do this should I break my linux box!

Another way is for me to try and see what happens - that's when I usually break stuff!!

I suspect there are others who operate in a similar way.

Good to know that I'm not the only one that does that!

[fuscia]

all the things i've learned have been based on a thorough understanding of the reinstallation process.

[ddaedalus]

MAN pages. This things are godsend. But its sad that there are constantly less new projects with good manpages.

[tigerpants]

If you have a spare drive, download slackware and the slackware manual, and play with that. You will learn everything you ever need to know about linux from playing with slack.

[DirtDawg]

I hate breaking things. I tend to read through these forums a lot, find random tricks, and try them out. But when dealing with anything that can do damage, I obsessively read as much as I can about said process and anticipate everything that might go wrong. Re-installing is not my idea of a good time, especially considering the amount of time spent installing codecs, cool software, tweaking menus, etc, etc, etc, etc.

[dorcssa]

I hate breaking things. I tend to read through these forums a lot, find random tricks, and try them out. But when dealing with anything that can do damage, I obsessively read as much as I can about said process and anticipate everything that might go wrong. Re-installing is not my idea of a good time, especially considering the amount of time spent installing codecs, cool software, tweaking menus, etc, etc, etc, etc.

This is my way two. But many times I'm just too afraid to break something, so I don't even try it. :) Well, I'm just want a normal os, not to many fancy things. Fortunately I never killed X, and don't ever want to.

[pay]

If you have a spare drive, download slackware and the slackware manual, and play with that. You will learn everything you ever need to know about linux from playing with slack.That or go through the Gentoo Handbook and install by hand. Also the Gentoo documentation is very good. You'll learn alot about how Linux works, not just Gentoo.

[kerry_s]

google, read, read some more, then try and try again. :)

[fuscia]

That or go through the Gentoo Handbook and install by hand. Also the Gentoo documentation is very good. You'll learn alot about how Linux works, not just Gentoo.

that's a good idea. i never thought of reading it in application to another distro. hm!

[delfick]

well, to install beryl, the beryl wiki is a good place to start :D http://wiki.beryl-project.org/wiki/Main_Page

(note that the "envy" program is fantastic for installing drivers http://albertomilone.com/nvidia_scripts1.html )

like one person already said in this thread, i learn how to fix things when i search for specific problems i have on my computer (google is my friend :D)

.... :D

(oh, yeah, always have a livecd handy in case you make a big mistake :D.....like i removed a partition i wasn't using and had to change the boot paths for grub (in /boot/grub/menu.lst) and i forgot to set the default path to the right partition........then just yesturday, i updated the kernel, and when you do that it resets the paths in /boot/grub/menu.lst to the default path (hence it went to the wrong partiton, and wouldn't boot (giving me an error message)

so after searching google for help with that error, i found out that it's something to do with pointing to the wrong partition, so i booted the livecd, mounted my linux partition and edited the /boot/grub/menu.lst file to point to the right partition.... :D

(and i'm new to linux for about a year :D)

basically, if you want to know how to fix an error, search google, you'll usually find some forum or wiki or something that tells you how to fix something.....and if it tells you to do something you don't know how to do (like mount a partition or whatever) then search google for how to do that specific thing, etc :D

and hang in there, it is worth it in the end when it all works :D

(and the ubuntu forums and ubuntu documentation found on the ubuntu website are good places to search for help)

[justaguynpc]

Good old trial & error, with outstanding support from the folks here on the forums.

And yep, a re-install or two ................ that's the fun part.

It's all worth while, in my opinion! :)

[spamzilla]

I hate breaking things. I tend to read through these forums a lot, find random tricks, and try them out. But when dealing with anything that can do damage, I obsessively read as much as I can about said process and anticipate everything that might go wrong. Re-installing is not my idea of a good time, especially considering the amount of time spent installing codecs, cool software, tweaking menus, etc, etc, etc, etc.


This is my way two. But many times I'm just too afraid to break something, so I don't even try it. :) Well, I'm just want a normal os, not to many fancy things. Fortunately I never killed X, and don't ever want to.

Thats why I used a program called reconstructor (http://reconstructor.aperantis.com/index.php) to make a LiveCD of my current system, so if I break something, I can reinstall Ubuntu with all of my current configuration :D

[Crashmaxx]

Thats why I used a program called reconstructor (http://reconstructor.aperantis.com/index.php) to make a LiveCD of my current system, so if I break something, I can reinstall Ubuntu with all of my current configuration :D

Or better yet. Burn a copy of System Rescue CD and learn how to use partimage. Once you get the hang of it, you can make a partition ghost image of your current stable install and save it to another partition or network drive or whatever.

Then you're set, if you ever break anything and can't fix it. Just load up the System Rescue CD and reload your partition image. In like 10 min you are back to the working image.

Also, having all of your personal files seperate and backed up is very important. Breaking your setup is one things, but losing all your stuff is so much worse.

[FaceorKneecaps]

I learn the most when I try to fix my f**k-ups. :) Thats how I learned things in windows, because a reinnstall is as boring as it is. And on Ubuntu I want to learn from my mistakes so I dont reinstall even when it is really easy option. Surfing the web while installing an OS, how genious is that :) ?

[ReviewSpin]

One day I will mess around with Linux with a computer that is both mine and I don't use as my main machine. But I really, really want to sometime. :-D

[insane_alien]

make a new ubuntu partition(some people have seperate machines dedicated to this) have a clean install, go look at all the system files that look interesting and fiddle.

you'll break something very quickly doing that. try and find various ways of fixing it. and repeat. you'll learn fast.

alternatively, you could try installing gentoo from scratch. (take around 10 days for this.)

[muguwmp67]

I've been thinking about the same question today. I've installed beryl and can use the features in it (3D, visual effects, etc).

My problem (and maybe the poster's too) is that I'm simply not that creative when it comes to artistic design. I see beautiful desktops on the gallery here, youtube and other places, but don't even know where to start as far as docks and desktop applets are concerned. Even if I did, I'm pretty sure I'd end up with something that looks like hell.

Does anyone know of a good howto when it comes to customizing your desktop? I'm looking for something more than basic eyecandy available in the eyecandy wiki article (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuEyeCandy#head-a9c752793436165a0e39f1438314ffc93a197f7e)

I guess what I'm looking for is a consolidated guide about the various options and techniques you have for customizing gnome. A list of available docs, window managers, benefits and tradeoffs of each, etc.

Should I write my own? And if I start, whats the best way to start a how-to that can evolve based on what I learn and input from other ubuntu users?

[beercz]

I hate breaking things. I tend to read through these forums a lot, find random tricks, and try them out. But when dealing with anything that can do damage, I obsessively read as much as I can about said process and anticipate everything that might go wrong. Re-installing is not my idea of a good time, especially considering the amount of time spent installing codecs, cool software, tweaking menus, etc, etc, etc, etc.
Although I often break things, I have never had to reinstall.

Reading, reading and reading is also good of course, something that I do but forgot to mention. (I usually read after breaking something!)

[kamaboko]

I
Another great way to learn is randomly look at man pages (not pages with Men in them)

That cracked me up! :lolflag:

[jcconnor]

Best way to learn (anything) is try it!

What's the worst that could happen?:)

If the answer to that is that no one will die - then everything else can be fixed!!

John

[der_joachim]

One thing that helped me greatly in tweaking my system to near perfection, is browsing the HOWTO subforum once in a while. A more direct approach is using both the official ubuntu Wikis and doc.gwos.org.

[raptros-v76]

one thing that is useful is the abs-guide. its in the repo's, and it taught me most of what i know about bash. being able to fiddle with bash scripts is a useful skill