[Tutor] linux

[dman]

On Thu, Nov 29, 2001 at 04:28:06PM -0600, Rob McGee wrote:
| Jeff Jones wrote:
| > > Sorry about getting off topic here, but beginning to learn programming
| > > through Python has peaked my interest in Linux. The only operating system
| > > I have ever used has been windows, and I've been using it since the DOS
| > > days (except for computer class in the 7th grade when we used apple IIc).
| > > Not by choice but because that's what has always been there when I turned
| > > the computer on. Getting to the point... Does anyone know of any decent
| > > FAQ's etc. for windows users not yet switched to Linux. Specifically,
| > > which version to use? Thanks in advance for any help.
| 
| Different beginning users have different needs. Yes, Mandrake does a
| pretty good job of setting things up for you. It's very much like MS
| Windows in that regard! And also like MS Windows, you're not likely to
| learn as much about how things work behind the scenes.

I agree.  I started with RH a couple years ago, but switched to Debian
for a number of reasons.  I first took a look at Debian because the RH
people really messed up with verison 7 (buggy binary incompatible
compiler, buggy libc) and I had heard good things about Debian in some
newsgroups.  I had the two systems dual-booting and I found that
Debian's package management (and the packages that are available) are
far superior.

| I started with Slackware, not quite 3 years ago. In that time I have
| attained some real competence as a GNU/Linux and UNIX sysadmin. I don't
| think I would have made it as far if I had started with something like
| Mandrake. (I know some who did, and they're not.)

Debian is closer to Slackware than RH or Mandrake in that the usual
config tool is $EDITOR.  It is different in that it provides a
higher-level package management system.

-D

-- 

For society, it's probably a good thing that engineers value function
over appearance.  For example, you wouldn't want engineers to build
nuclear power plants that only _look_ like they would keep all the
radiation inside.
    (Scott Adams - The Dilbert principle)