Use and Learn Linux 2 -- Basic Information

One of the most daunting aspects of Linux is, unfortunately, the Linux "scene" itself. There are several reasons for this, some of them technical, but most of them relating to the history of computer science.

You see, Linux is -- for all intents and purposes -- a type of Unix. There are many other similar operating systems (Solaris, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Minix, etc.), but fundamentally, they are all (from the end-user perspective) variants, derivatives, extentions, or implimentations of the original Unix operating system developed in the 1970s by Bell Labs. The internal "source code" used to get the various OS's to "do stuff" -- hardware access, internal functions, etc, may be quite different, but from a usage-standpoint, they all hearken back to the original Unix OS in terms both of structure, and usage.

The good news in this is that if you know how to use ONE Unix-derivative (such as Linux), your 'knowledge-base will translate -- will be useful when using another Unix-derived OS. (So, for example, Linux users have a relatively easy time learning and using NetBSD, and vice-versa.) The "bad news" -- if one can even call it that -- is that the various "scenes" related to these OS's -- populations of users, advocates, and enthusiasts for them -- are ALSO, in many ways, derivative of the original Unix-culture.

(I use the term "bad news" advisedly -- there are, in fact, definite advantages to the "unix-cultures". The problem is that these cultures can be relatively intimidating and hard to understand for the neophyte, just starting their inquiries, especially if they come from an OS-culture based on radically different core ideas.")

For starters, Linux -- like Unix before it -- has, up until relatively recently, had a rather strong bias towards a "text-based" style of interface, rather than a GUI (Graphical-User-interface), such as is typical of Windows or Macintosh systems. Many elements of the Linux "scene" have a subconcious belief that the kind of "point-and-click" GUI interface common on other OS's contributes to the "dumbing-down" of computer users. There is a rather strong (and not totally unfounded) idea that a GUI encourages users to not inquire too deeply into what their computer is doing, or how it operates. To many, especially the more "old-school" elements of the population, this leads to a perception that most "end-users" are somewhat ignorant, and a rather strong bias against interfaces that are "cute" or "too easy". As a result, up until relatively recently (the last ten years or so), developers of Linux programs tended not to make their interfaces very easy to use, or their documentation very clear; there was a genuine view that users shouldn't be "pampered", but should instead be required to "work" for their computer-usage. This led to Linux requiring a correspondingly-greater "learning curve" than many other OS's, and thus, having a correspendingly-smaller market share.

Most of those interested in Linux tended to be seen as "techies", and the OS had -- and still, unfortunately, has -- a reputation as somewhat difficult to use. Thankfully this is changing, in that, with most distros, it is now possible to do most routine tasks (accessing disk drives, deleting files, accessing applications, etc.) completely from the GUI. The Command-line is always available, and remains well-suited to many specific "precision" tasks for which a GUI is impractical. This does not mean that the command-line is no longer important: it simply means that the GUI interfaces have matured to the point where even a totally inexperienced person who has had no prior contact with Linux can "do stuff" at least to a minimal extent.

Linux documentation has improved over the same time-period, to the point where there are many great books, videos, and other training materials which you can use to learn more. In the "early days" of Unix/Linux/BSD, information was usually restricted to a set of "man pages" (basic information about a program or command which was accesible by typing 'man' and the name of the command/program.) These "man pages" tend to be rather cryptic, and assume that you know more than you probably do. Thankfully, books targeted specifically at "newbies" have become quite prolific in recent years.

If books and educational web-pages aren't your "thing", there's always a LUG -- "Linux User Group" -- clubs/gatherings of fellow Linux users and enthusiasts who will be more than willing to help you sort out any difficulties you may be having. Another facet of the Linux "scene" (also hearkening back to the 1970s-era computer culture) is a very definite "community spirit" -- willingness to help and encourage.

choosing a 'distro'

One of the most confusing aspects of Linux for "Newbies" is the tremendous number of "distros" -- distributions -- of Linux available. Due to the nature of the licenses used by the vast majority of Linux programmers and developers, pretty much anybody with the desire and skill can put together their own distro, customized and modified in whatever way they see fit. This is done by businesses, nonprofit organizations, individuals, or informal groups, for many purposes.

A very common pattern is for a company, group, or individual to put out a distro, one or more versions of which will be available for "free" -- no financial price to the user. They will then have other versions that cost money and include other "bonus" functionality, phone-support, documentation, or all three for a price (which is the distro-makers main source of funding.)

There are other distros which are done on a purely "noncommercial" basis, for various reasons which are themselves too numerous to list here. A primary example of this approach is Debian -- a distro with a very long history motivated primarily by a comitment to "free software" (in both senses of the term) -- software that is "free" as in "no cost", and "free" as in "legally modifiable by anybody." Debian is SO dedicated to this philosophy that many other distros use their freely-available stuff as a base to create other, custom distros -- some of which are much more 'commercial' and/or "proprietary" than others.

One of the biggest new derivatives of Debian is Ubuntu, a project first launched by Cannonical Corporation from South Africa. This distro's slogan is "Linux for Human Beings", and it is designed to be "linux that just works" -- easy to set up, easy to use, easy to modify. Several other distros use Ubuntu as a base from which to derive their own implimentation.

Mepis is a derivative of Ubuntu which comes pre-loaded with various "proprietary" add-ons to make the user's desktop experience easier and more fun (Realplayer 10, various 'proprietary' media codecs, etc.) One of the versions of Mepis -- "SimplyMEPIS" is free in the sense of "no cost", but the MEPIS project is still viewed by many as "non-free" in the sense that the MEPIS license-terms are rather strict about how and to what extent reselling of MEPIS is permitted, etc.

The best way to learn about the Linux "scene" is to explore, and one of the best places from which to start such exploration is www.distrowatch.org -- a news site dedicated to announcements of new distros, comparisons between various distros, links to varous distros' homepages, etc. Linux is indeed a "Big tent".

From an "end-user" perspective (IE, somebody who just wants to use Linux to 'get stuff done' on a daily basis) most distros are pretty much similar, with relatively minor variations in such things as ease-of-installation, software-package management, software that comes "pre-loaded", etc. Some are much harder to set up and use than others, but when you DO get them operating, they're all pretty similar.

(On a personal note, my distro of choice right now is MEPIS: it's easy to use, easy to install, has great hardware detection, and comes pretty much pre-loaded with most everything I need "out of the box".) However, as you continue in your exploration and use of Linux, you'll undoubtably find your own distro (or distros) of choice, as well.