Becoming a linux nerd

[rabbitweed]

A couple of threads "Bored of Ubuntu" and "best distribution for learning?" have got me thinking...

I've dabbled in other distros but pretty much stuck with ubuntu, because that's the only noob friendly distro I come across (my internets too shit to download much). I've just started setting up a gutsy box now, but here's the kicker; I'm not learning a fuckload. I just read guides on the forums, follow them step by step, with not much idea what I'm doing, just blindly doing shit hoping it works.

I haven't succeeded in compiling anything from source. I've never written a useful bash script. I can't get kernel modules working and I don't get how windows managers work, what they control and what they don't. In short, I dunno much about linux.

So here's my plan; I am going to abandon ubuntu and my beloved fluxbox, and try and get a desktop system working just the way I likes it using Slackware and FVWM. If I can suss this out, linux should be a lot more pleasant for me.

One thing though, the slackware distro i have is pretty old (10.2 I believe, it still has gnome, it's from 05) is this going to be a major issue? I mean my hardware is pretty old and slackware is a do it your fucking self distro, so will this just add to the fun?

[alexander224]

Go for it. Keep us updated.

Why don't you just buy/download a book specific to that distro, and if a book hasn't been written for that one, then follow the documentation.

ubuntu has such a big community, big documentation and several books have been written for it.

Linux in general is not like a windows machine, whereas in windows you can pretty much pick it up and understand the OS by basically just using the system. When you do that with linux, you can only really go so far.

It's really pointless changing distributions, as things will not get any easier. There are only minor differences between distributions, so there will always be a learning curve.

Don't abandon ubuntu, but rather use it as a learning tool. Just configure it to death. Install loads of windows managers..like blackbox,openbox,enlightenment etc. learn to compile software, learn to use the shell.

Then do many more things like that for six months and when the new ubuntu comes around. You can configure it to your liking without having to worry about messing it up.

[rabbitweed]

Originally Posted by villageillness

It's really pointless changing distributions, as things will not get any easier. There are only minor differences between distributions, so there will always be a learning curve.

But with ubuntu, you always go back to the gui tools. And I want to get away from all that.

I also want a carte blanche with startup scripts and the like.

Arch is another option...

Ah i see. Well i guess it would depend on what you actually consider to be a "linux nerd"

Surely your problem is with window managers and desktop environments.

If i understand correctly, you want to learn linux (which you're doing so)..but when a problem arises, you always find yourself solving it by using the GUI, but then that is not the directions you want to move towards, but rather solve it via the command line.

If that's correct i would say get a book on linux, which is not specific to any distro, therefore it will focus more on what linux actually is, It'll also focus on the shell as well. I have seen loads of books on linux, i recently picked up a book from the library called, i think "linux, in easy steps"..
....I have only read a few pages, and already it was talking about the command line and some general commands.

You can always get a book specific to the command line

Also though, books can only take you so far as well. Set up a linux and try to solve the problems that arise, no doubt there will be problems. Google the problem, check the documentation (making sure you understand), then solve the problem. Then move on to the next. I think this practice is very important in actual learning.

I give you one of my own examples...

Recently i set up ubuntu linux on my laptop, (i myself am fairly new to linux and wanted to install for more in dept learning)...RIght away it wouldn't even load, a few hours later i found out it was an acpi issue. I turn it off editing the boot sequence. Then i proceeded to install ubuntu, after install, once again it wouldn't load. This time i had to configure the grub menu.lst. I did that, now it boots up perfectly. As soon as i hit the desktop, my resolution was 800x600. I have 1024 x768 display. So in gnome there is a utility that allows you to change the resolution and 1024x768 didn't even show up. So i had to configure the xorg.conf file, i did that, set it to higher resolution and it's works perfectly.Then i noticed on my laptop that the touch pad mouse control was way too sensitive. I couldn't even move it without it clicking everything in my browser. So once again, i had to go back into xorg.conf change the MaxTapTime setting, now it works perfectly.

I have to say i must of learned more in a few hours on that day about linux, than i did with half a year with suse.

I personally haven't tried slackware, but i am thinking about trying gentoo tho. Maybe you should look into that also.

Hello rabbitweed,

Abandoning Ubuntu GNU/Linux for a another more advanced Linux distribution will be a very progressive decision on your behalf. As you probably know, Ubuntu was designed to introduce the average computer user a viable alternative free operating system (rather than to Linux its self, and as compared to Microsoft's Windows OS's and OS X).

This is an interesting endeavor; however, the path to your intellectual progression in the direction of Linux is not as significant of the matter of your distribution of choice, but rather what you literally -- "do on it" as villageillness strongly pointed out.

I do not know you personally, so I couldn't give you the best advice of my ability beyond providing some ideas that you might be interested in as well as give you some motivation toward achieving your goal of Linux "nerdiness".

How about setting up an IRC daemon on your Linux machine (Search Unreal ircd), an eggdrop bot, manually installing and configuring sshd/httpd/mysqld/ftpd/etc., and play with iptables. There's a million things you can do with a home web server, including phpbb, webalizer, phpmyadmin, blogging, etc. Do you use AIM/MSN/YIM/IRC/ICQ? Check out bitlbee. You could pick up some tutorials on writing scripts for X-Chat in C, Python, TCL, and Perl. Check out KDevelop and visit some tutorials on programming. It's slow and boring at first, but once you get to socket programming the real fun starts. Alternatively, you can use vi or nano with gcc.

Compiling on CLI environment based platforms is easy and most of the time with normal software installations, only requires three commands.

Slackware is a great distribution and I recommend it. Here's a rundown of a few entry to intermediate flavors that I also recommend:

1. Fedora and CentOS - Both are Red Hat based. Fedora is bleeding edge and CentOS is a very stable clone of RHEL. I find these two the easiest to fix and hardest to render to the point of a required reinstall.

2. Debian - Ubuntu is based on Debian. It's pretty solid and has a great supportive community for any and all of the questions you might have. In a nutshell, Debian is like Ubuntu, but without the "n00bness."

3. Gentoo - For a learning experience, Gentoo surely provides you with insight. It's a bit more advanced and you're almost forced to read the installation documentation if you're an introductory Linux user. It's a fun distribution but easy to destroy by accident.

[Prometheum]

Originally Posted by TraiNeXt

Hello rabbitweed,

Abandoning Ubuntu GNU/Linux for a another more advanced Linux distribution will be a very progressive decision on your behalf. As you probably know, Ubuntu was designed to introduce the average computer user a viable alternative free operating system (rather than to Linux its self, and as compared to Microsoft's Windows OS's and OS X).

Linux itself? Linux itself is a kernel. It is a component of an operating system. Gnu is a complete operating system. Any "Linux" distribution is actually a Gnu distribution.

How do you intend to run only a kernel? I mean, there are people that I bitch out for saying "Linux Distribution" while actually meaning Gnu, but you seem to actually be saying Linux meaning Linux. Enlighten us?

By the way OP, there's nothing wrong with using Ubuntu. It's just as complicated as any other distro, even more so in places because of all of the overlay. Don't go wide. Go deep. Understand your system from the top down and the bottom up. That's real knowledge, not just "I can configure X amount of distros into a modicum of working-ness".

there's no diff which distro you use, you wanna be an elite linux geek.. learn C & GNU asm, learn to use the GNU debugger & binutils, read the glibc manual, lots of man pages & the linux src documentation.

.. you can do all of this under ubuntu.

[rabbitweed]

Yes I KNOW, but I never learnt to ride a bicycle until I tried one without training wheels

[alexander224]

Originally Posted by rabbitweed

Yes I KNOW, but I never learnt to ride a bicycle until I tried one without training wheels

But you still got around just fine with training wheels.