Hi all

[hariprasadramala]

Hello,
I am happy to join this Linux Community. I am very new to Linux. However I want to get into it which is why I joined the forum. i would like learn Linux please help me out . i have lot of hopes on this forum

thanks

hariprasad

[PrinceSharma]

Welcome to the forum, Hari.
I'm sure you will learn and enjoy at the same time here.
If you want to know more about Linux as a newbie then search in Linux-newbie section and google your questions. For the doubts we have experts here !
Good Luck.

[nujinini]

Welcome hariprasadramala!

What distro are you using if I may ask?

[MASONTX]

Welcome to the forum. We're glad you decided to join us.

[masinick]

Hello,
I am happy to join this Linux Community. I am very new to Linux. However I want to get into it which is why I joined the forum. i would like learn Linux please help me out . i have lot of hopes on this forum

thanks

hariprasad

Greetings and welcome to the forum! A good way to try out Linux with minimal risk is to download one of numerous so-called "Live" distributions. Most of them can be installed if they work and if you like them.

From my perspective, three of the easiest ones to get started with are SimplyMEPIS, Linux Mint, and PCLinuxOS. Ubuntu is also very well known and is easy to use, but it can be somewhat less stable, in my opinion, than the other three.

There are numerous other good distributions, too. I just feel that these three are winners for the relative newcomer, and based on people that I've convinced to try them out, most of them agree with me. That's not to suggest that MANY others won't also work well. There are literally hundreds of distributions to choose from. I just feel that the combination of easy use, VERY GOOD documentation, and solid reliability are a bit better in the three that I've mentioned, and I can certainly help with questions on any of them.

DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD. has links to the download pages of each of the distributions that I mentioned. Give them a try. That may help you with additional questions that arise as you try things out and wonder how certain things work.

[hariprasadramala]

thanks for suggested the Linux-newbie section, but can u please guide me how i can get this selection

[bflance]

Hi Hariprasadramala

I also would like to add to masinick's post the following:

Most of Linux distributions are descendands of 2 major linux groups, which are Redhat linux and Debian Linux.
For example.
RedHat Enterprise linux - found in most businesses as enterprise linux platform.
Fedora - based on redhat, cutting edge technology distro for linux enthusiasts and developers
CentOS - 99.99% Redhat Enterprise linux clone
Mandrake/Mandriva - similar to Fedora, but much more beoutiful
PCLinuxOS - based on mandriva/ redhat - very popular linux distro, but cant tell more, i never tried it.
Scientific Linux - also redhat clone, obviously for scientists
And many others which are using so called "RPM" software management and install system developed by redhat.


other group is Debian:
for Example:
Debian Distro - the original debian distro with all its good and glory (sometimes may be a bit harder to grasp for a newcomer)
Ubuntu - based on debian, a distro for the masses.
their goal is to let everyone use linux without problems and making learning curve as small as possible.
I stronly recommend you starting from Ubuntu.
Knoppixx - LiveCD debian based distro - usualy used by system administrator and/or computer savies to do fancy stuff with computers.
Debian is using another system to install software (packages) called Synaptic(aptitude), which imho is much more flexible and efficient that RPM(yum in RH) and simply works better.

there are also other names which i didnt mention, like:
Open SUSE - Novell's own linux distro based on RedHat, which they heavily modified and now use it as their "flag linux" product for companies.
I tried it and it seems very nice.

if you would like to have a somewhat "general" feeling what distro "rules" today, you can use website like distrowatch.com.
They constantly updating "popularity" of 100 major linux distros. (by the way ubuntu is no1 there )

Just remember one thing.
Linux is OS just like any other OS, be it Windows or MAC OS for that matter.
Most things you do in Windows you can do in linux, it will simply take a bit of time to learn them.
Get a goal, why you want to learn linux, and what you want to learn, and the sky is the limit.

[bflance]

Also, i have uploaded a VERY NICE guide on how to install and use Ubuntu 10.4 linux (karmic Koala distro)

rapidshare.com/files/406847398/MakeUseOf.com_-_Ubuntu_Karmic_Koala.pdf

highly recommend reading it while you install you linux

enjoy

[MASONTX]

hari, you can download distro's at distrowatch.com. you can burn ISO images to try, then install them if you find one you like. Anothr good source of info is http://www.google/linux, a section of google dedicated to linux. A third group of linux distro's, are those based on the slackware program. Choose several and try them all out on a live distro.
I recently tried about 30 different distros. Some highly recommended ones didn't work well on my hardware, others, I just didn't like as well as my favorite ones. In the end I settled on a half dozen that meet my various needs.

[jefelex]

Welcome Hari!

I usually suggest Ubuntu for anyone new who is considering a Linux transition/test - I find it is stable and easy to use, and I use it all the time (I have used a lot of different distros, just to see and evaluate over the years)

I hope you enjoy your quest and that it proved fruitful for you

John