new to ubuntu.. tips?

[pandox]

hi everyone!

im new to ubuntu and i was wondering if there were any tips you guys would like to give me..

thanks a lot!!!

[allforcarrie]

dont drink downstream from the heard.

[Mike'sHardLinux]

Depends. What do you like to do?

Games?
old school: emulators, or check the repos for remakes of classics
modern: FPS (Nexuiz, Tremulous, etc...), RPG

Development?
Python, C, C++, Java, PHP/MySQL, etc...

Graphic design?
GIMP, Inkscape, Scribus, Xara, Blender, ....

There's so much cool stuff you can do, and most of it is free/open source.

Are you new to Linux, too, or just to Ubuntu? I came from more of a Redhat/Fedora background, and it took me a little getting used to, but the changes were all positive for me - the differences were mostly just command line stuff, like getting used to "sudo" instead of "su - root".

[ZapalacX]

Train your tongue : Think sweet and eat something bitter. Soon, bitter things will begin to taste sweet. You've succeeded when everything tastes sweet.


To be serious, try the beginners forum. Tons of hints for the new folk. Best o' luck t'ya. And don't ever be afraid to ask ANY of us for anything about your problems. You our BOY/GIRL!!!:guitar:

[SomeGuyDude]

Don't be afraid of your terminal, and realize that despite using the command line you're not doing anything more "dangerous" than you would be via a GUI.

[Martje_001]

Always keep in mind that it's NOT windows. :)

[Theo Venter]

learn the basic commands first
then the more advanced ones:KS

[pandox]

o thank u all!!

yes im new to linux in general. mike: im interested more in games (modern) so il check some of the stuff out.
and im actually learning to love terminal.

[Jhongy]

o thank u all!!

yes im new to linux in general. mike: im interested more in games (modern) so il check some of the stuff out.
and im actually learning to love terminal.

I've got some tips:....

Install some of the "decent" programs (use Synaptic to search for and install them):

Amarok (for media -- install libvisual for visualisations), K3B (for CD/DVD burning)

Stick to Synaptic (or apt-get) for installing things. If the program you are looking for is not in the Ubuntu repositories, don't look for a download & double-click version (= grief), look for its Ubuntu or Debian repository that you can add to your repositories list and then download through Synaptic -- you'll soon realise how beautiful the repository system is, when your whole system is kept up-to-date.

Don't worry where programs are installed - Synaptic or apt manage all that for you.

Don't create a root account and log in as root. Use sudo instead.

Remember that most "drivers" as you know them from Windows are included deep within the Linux kernel. It's a big blob that does everything, not like Windows where the kernel is small and you must install drivers for all hardware. So, in Linux, hardware either "just works" or it "just doesn't". Sure, you can download kernel modules to add new drivers, or compile a new kernel (and manually fret every time updates come out) -- but, it's not recommended. In general, consider sticking to hardware that works until you get more experience.

Search for Linux compatibility before you buy any hardware.

Realise that, although on these forums, people love to post command line solutions, the solutions can almost always be achieved via point and click instead -- it's just more efficient/powerful to post that way.

[mrgnash]

Stick to Gnome, and its native application suite as much as possible and you won't go far wrong.

[Trail]

Tip: Take it kinda slow :)

[Praadur]

One of the things that helped me early on was the mantra 'man is your friend'.

If you ever come across a command-line utility or such and you just don't know what it does or which options to use with it, then 'man command' is often a good first place to look and it's usually a lot less confusing that what Google would offer on the same topic.

Beyond that, use your first few weeks to really explore the platform, experiment and try new things. If you have important data then keep it backed up, so that if you happen to explode the OS it'll be a learning experience rather than a tragic one.

Oh and remember, if all else fails: Ctrl+Alt+F2 (and Alt+F7 to get back out). From there, you can kill problematic processes, restart the system, and even start up a new Gnome desktop (gdm) if you need to.

That's about the best I can think of, really... Linux is a bit of a wild frontier, let that intrepid adventurer aspect of yourself guide you. It'll always take you to new and interesting places.

[black3ug]

1. careful of "rm"
2. careful of scripts that you download
3. "ctrl+alt+backspace" works like a super fast reboot in windows (former windows junkie, sorry)
4. do get compiz working ASAP.
5. don't push Ubuntu to non-techies unless you are always around them (then again, it could be annoying...)
6. get the t-shirt :guitar:
7. keep up on the latest in Ubuntu from the web
8. aim for constant internet connection for updates
9. if you need an app, search for it from google with "ubuntu + whateverappyouwant".90% of the time, there is something for you there.
10. the remaining 10% is readily answered in the Ubuntu forums so "bookmark".