Getting Started with Linux

[DaHowie]

Using this. Linux Online - Getting Started with Linux - Lesson 1 (1)

I have VMWare 4.5 running on WinXPPro. I need a distro that allows me to run shell commands. Can someone recommend something?


The above was found here...
10 Sites Offering Free Linux Courses Online -- Education-Portal.com

[techieMoe]

Using this. Linux Online - Getting Started with Linux - Lesson 1 (1)

I have VMWare 4.5 running on WinXPPro. I need a distro that allows me to run shell commands. Can someone recommend something?

Every Linux distribution will let you run shell commands. I guess I don't quite understand what you're asking.

[DaHowie]

Sorry.

A somewhat smaller fast loading without a GUI. Just using the shell to begin.

Just getting into this and don't need the additional confusion.

I want to start slow and become familiar with the OS on a command line basis. Much of the work I do going forward will be using UNIX/LINUX based platforms. I am now going away from Windows server support and moving into back-end storage administration. Much of what I see on the back-end us UNIX/LINUX based.

[techieMoe]

I'd go for the Debian net-install CD. It's very small and will install just a basic command-line environment at first. You can add on as little or much as you want after the fact. The downside is it assumes you have an internet connection.

[Freston]

If you edit /etc/inittab to default to runlevel 3 every distro becomes a text based one. You can switch to graphical mode anytime of course, but it wont boot into graphics by default.

I'd suggest you stick with the system you're wanting to learn. If that is a rpm based distro, or a deb based one, or Slack or BSD... stick with that.

[DaHowie]

Thanks all.