What I learned about Linux, Jargon, Personal Luck, and the Path to Enlightenment

[SkittleLinux18]

Well, I certainly do not have the best of luck when it comes to Linux. It keeps breaking on me, screwing up, and becoming corrupted. However, as I read through all the jargon in the error message that are outputted, I know it's not because of Linux. It's simply that I do not know how to use Linux as well as I should. So therefore, my luck tends to run out quick.

But this is ok, because I'd hate to be someone who installs Linux and then never learns anything about it because I don't do anything with it beyond browse the internet and chat on Pidgin. So Linux might be breaking, the Jargon might be beyond my current knowledge, and my personal luck might be running out quite often. However, the further I travel on this path to enlightenment, the more I learn and the less Linux breaks.

Long story short, Linux isn't the problem. I just have a whole lot more to learn.

[devils casper]

When I installed Linux ( RedHat 9, to be specific ) first time one and half year back, Windows OS was wiped out and RH9 couldn't boot. I was really annoyed with that. How could Linux do that?
But, as you know, it was my fault only.
Still learning a lot of new things everyday !

[daark.child]

I think everyone goes through some sort of learning curve. I remember when I first started with Linux about 9 years ago, I kept breaking things and having to reinstall. In those days, there weren't many good Linux forums, internet access was slow (and expensive) and apart from manpages and a few books, documentation was hard to find. IRC wasn't as friendly as it is now (yeah I know some channels are bad, but its better than in the past). I particularly found it tough because I am not really from an IT background and had only been using computers for about a year or two before I started with Linux. The experience actually made me more interested in the computing field especially Unix and Unix like OSes.

You are correct that perservence pays off. Just don't give up. The learning never seems to stop becuase I always discover something new each day that I use Linux or FreeBSD.

[fingal]

It's great to learn about Linux and discover a new level of confidence in your computing. Just like everyone else, I'm learning new things all the time. I never would have believed - 6 to 8 years ago - that blue screens could become a thing of the past!

[elija]

I would really love the time to play. But I am constrained to
learning how to get it to do what I need it to do.

But by spending time here and googling the occasional issue
and reading the results postedback here I find I'm learning quite
a bit anyway.

[ls354]

Installing and running Linux is a different experience, probably because some of us feel the need to get out and learn more. I consider Linux my personal/test platform, in the morning I can beat the S%$# out Linux but in the afternoon is all back to good and browsing the internet.

[Dapper Dan]

Yes, it is a learning experience and one I enjoy as well. Not a day goes by that I don't learn something new. If not Googling or on my own, I learn from trying to help new members find solutions and learn a lot from other more experienced users here. You are right though (in some instances) about obscure and hard to understand error jargon. I really think some developers get sadistic pleasure knowing end users down the line will be completely befuddled by long winded and confusing error messages.

[jayd512]

I know what you guys mean about breaking things as you learn. I been playing around with Slackware 12 for the last couple of months. I think during my, um, 'exploits'... I've messed up the MBR twice, and even managed to corrupt the Windoze partition once

[stinkoman]

i have stopped using linux for a little while because i accidentally destroyed my mbr on one hdd and on the spare the partition is bigger than the drive!

[jayd512]

spare the partition is bigger than the drive!

Dude... that's awesome! That takes some skill.