n00b getting frustrated

[kryznic]

So I am linux noob tasked at my job with setting up a linux box to run splunk or some other type of event/log software. It's not going well. I have never been so confused in my life. Some of these commands are so silly to even try to remember what they mean or do not to mention package names are long and broken up with dots and other meaningless info.

Why is it so hard to figure this out? I've been in IT my whole life using Windows and DOS and have never been so completely confused. I'm starting to get really frustrated because I have been reading and playing for endless hours and I can barely get anything to work the way I want it to.

Maybe someone here can relate and offer some good advice? I really want to become proficient with linux and widen my skill set.

Thanks,

-Chris

[Roxoff]

My advice? Take a break and relax. You must unlearn what you knew from before, the principles may be similar, but now you have proper control...

If you're using the command line, the names of all the tools are either based on a shortening of what they do or a crap joke. 'ls' lists files in the directory where you are, 'less' is a joke on the 'more' tool which let you read text files and see more of it when you were ready by pressing the space bar.

Once you get the hang of it, you'll go back to windwos and be even more frustrated because the commands you rely on to do things properly aren't just called something else, but most of 'em dont exist.

[fguy64]

It's not easy. As a long time IT pro who only recently started with Linux, I had similar problems to you. A big part of it is finding good documentation. Depending on your distro, there can be a real proliferation of documentation, out there, and not all of it is current or good.

I consider this to be part and parcel of the open source journey. A lack of central ownership of the product does have a downside, hopefully you will find that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

[oz]

I have never been so confused in my life.

Welcome to the forums!

That's the exactly the way I feel when in Windows now. Take baby steps as you learn your way around Linux and you'll be moving about speedily in no time. Everyone here felt pretty much the same as you when they first started so keep on plugging at it and you'll soon enjoy the experience.

Best of luck to you.

[elija]

File names can seem long at times, but they often include information about the version of the software and the cpu architecture that they run on. This can make the command line seem like frustration incarnate, particularly if your typing is as good as mine.

Command line lesson number one. The tab key is your friend. Learn to love the tab key. Typing the first few letters of a directory or filename and pressing tab will fill in the rest for you.

Take your time (not easy if your boss is breathing down your neck) and you'll get there.

[jayd512]

Grab a cup o' coffee, take a minute, and look at what you have to do.
All the knowledge you have in Win/DOS is going to hurt you if you assume that it's the same world.
Roxoff made a reference to Yoda earlier that really does apply here... "You must unlearn what you have learned!"

[Lakshmipathi]

and don't forget the man page. If you don't know meaning of some command
do a quick man

man command-name

and If don't know the command name and know the commands operation.
For example you need to get date and time then try the key word and get commands

man -k "date and time" | grep 1

will list commands involving date and time.

HTH

[waterhead]

Besides the man pages (ie: manual), most commands have a short help list. This usually can be shown by using the --help option following the command.

[kryznic]

Thanks everyone! Glad to see that I am not the only one that feels or has felt this way. I learned Windows/Dos at a very young age. I have had every iteration of a PC since the Commodore 64. Linux is quite a challenge.

Thanks for the tips, I did not know about the 'man' command, that is nice! I will have to pace myself and take breaks. When I posted this yesterday I really needed one and when I came back to my project later that night I stumbled upon a solution to one of my issues with a fresh mind.


Thanks for the tips and welcomes!

[kryznic]

Thanks Lex. Sometimes I forget to take a break and step back. I get into something and I don't want to stop until I get it working. It's been a long time since I have self taught myself something like a whole new OS. When I was a wee young lad I taught myself DOS and every version of Windows the world has seen. I've never had any type of official training for anything and yet I have a great job in the IT field as a Network Admin.

I just have to take it slow and pace myself. I'm starting to really like Linux even though many of my favorite apps and games won't work on it. But hey, gives me an excuse to build another powerful Windows game rig.