Linux is on the rise - and I want to be a part of it

Hey guys & gal,

I think it would be great for you to do a video or a portion of an Inbox.exe as sort of an introduction to Linux for someone (like me) who wants to try something different. I'm not asking for a comprehensive guide to using the terminal, but more along the lines of what distros you recommend, and more importantly how to transition from Windows to Linux with minimal frustration. I've toyed around with Ubuntu before by replacing Win7 Starter on my netbook, but after a few weeks I just found myself frustrated with it and going back to Windows. I know that Linux as an OS is on the rise, and in ten years I don't want to look back and regret not learning how to use it.

I know there are other videos out there describing this, but I prefer the TS flavor whenever possible because your videos are just much more informative and enjoyable.

Thanks!

I was flirting with Linux a while back too. But as a noob, certain everyday tasks can become a nightmare on Linux. I found myself searching for terminal commands every day. Linux is much much more powerful, and i certainly hope it will become a leading OS, but until i learn how to use it properly i'm stuck with windows. 

I wonder how much of a leap will Steam OS get to a more noob-ish level. 

Never the less, i'd love to see Logan, Wendell and the crew educating us on how to use Linux. 

I think this would be a good question to cover, also I was thinking along the same lines as TheLamer. Will SteamOS help me learn linux? I would really love to switch to linux but just like the guys before me i have tried ubuntu and mostly got frustrated when i couldn't play games or do normal everyday tasks.

I got a lightweight linux on two laptops of mine... It was a nightmare, but after 3 days; it was done.

Took me forever just to figure out how to install java... I'm such a windows guy.

I asked something like this a while ago.


Scroll down to Zoltan's response, it's pretty damn comprehensive.


https://teksyndicate.com/forum/linux/explanation-linux-distros/145599 

I'm getting ready to install Linux on my laptop so this is a good question for me as well. I'm no code monkey so I've never felt like diving into the intricacies of the Linux OS but hell, might as well one day, right?

I'm learning Novell SuSE anywho.

Yea I'll throw myself on the list of interested persons. I plan to throw linux on my old laptop for HTPC use, my current laptop for just simple word processing, web browsing and possibly occasional gaming on the go, all when I finish my exams and get my gaming rig at the end of the year (Although at this stage that will be running windows).

I use Windows and LInux evey day since 2007. i have my old laptop (Acer aspire 3690) running Linux mint. it runs like a new machine. Wendell, pelase, teach us How to use Linux.

There are introductions, and lessons on how to use Linux, but even then i'd like to see Logan and Wendell educating us. Breaking down terminal commands for us, Linux 101. I know that would be alot to ask for, the guys are probably too busy already. But who knows, if enough of us request it, maybe they'll go for it. :)

I would also like to see the crew's take on this. Linux certainly has become a nice hot topic the last few years, and it seems the industry might start pushing it more towards the home consumer rather than the corporate consumer.

My problem with it right now is that its not normal user friendly yet. I feel like in order to use Linux (Ubuntu derivatives specifically) I need to take a complete class or get a large education in how to do tasks in Linux. Personally I blame the command line, and I know its a very powerful tool that many people love to use. However, it just isn't user friendly enough for normal users. A good UI should make it mostly obvious what a user needs to do to get things done, whether that is installing new programs or trying to make existing ones work. It feels like I need to Google every little thing, and half of the time it seems like the instructions I receive either aren't consistent with what I'm doing or are outright not well documented.

I really hope we see improvements to the UI in a Linux distro soon, because I'm ready for something new and exciting.

Yeah Im the same. I found some old computers lying around and I want to bring them back to life using Mint or something. Im computer savvy but definitly need help when it comes to Linux. A video from Logan and Wendell would be great and help me to get through it. 

I know there are many tutorials out there but I think the one that the crew could pull off would be much better. 

I like the concept of Linux and I want to be a part of it!

I think the biggest fear I had when I first laid hands on Linux was having absolutely no clue how to install it.  I tried Mandriva back in the day once and cried because I got it to install but I had no clue how to load a gui. I gave up on it because of the frustration level and Google was not around yet.

I ended switching degrees this past year and decided to make my primary OS Ubuntu, since I no longer needed Windows as a primary for the Adobe Suite.  I started off with using the gui to help me accomplish everything.  Eventually I figured out how to navigate the terminal window and still learning it.

Using Linux takes patience and starting with Mint or Ubuntu helps as a starting point.  Manjaro is a nice fork of Arch Linux though the graphic installer is still buggy, at least on my system.  The also have very extensive forums and wiki pages that helps alot when feeling lost, especially the Arch Wiki.

The big thing is to keep trying different flavors of Linux.  If you do not have a spare PC to test things out on I recommend running a virtual machine. 

As of now I am sticking with Ubuntu 12.04 and my HTPC runs a varation of XBMC. I still have Windows on a drive for when I want to play a few games that still do not run so well on Linux with Wine.  So trail and error is the best way to learn besides the web and Youtube.

if you wan't dificulty install unix and learn how to use that. If you learn how to use unix you are a master of the computer knowledge.

The problem with Tek Syndicate making a video about Linux is that they don't have a clue about it. As soon as they say something that involves Linux they are wrong. No offense.

For the linux noobs wanting to learn, check out this guy http://www.youtube.com/user/elithecomputerguy

He has a few long videos on using linux for absolute beginners. Hope it helps. 

EDIT: I accidently ran into this as well: http://www.guru99.com/unix-linux-tutorial.html 

Thing is, there is very little benefit in making a video on how to install linux on a computer for most users. The users that are into computing, will figure out on their own how to install and use linux to their heart's content anyway, and those that are only into using a computer for software console gaming and multimedia content consumption, will not benefit a great deal from using linux, and if the video is too technical, they will simply give up. Another thing is that a lot of users are only marketing computer geeks, not real computing enthusiasts, but are more into flashy hardware and comparing penis size-type things, and if they start screwing around with real computer software, they might break their system, and hate TS for it. Linux is an open invitation to advanced and free computing, it should be accepted on a voluntary basis, with an open mind and without fear. Of course, even "ordninary" users can benefit greatly from using linux, but the thing is, if they approach it from the point of view of a software console user, they won't enjoy it and won't use it like they should in order to actually benefit from it, because it won't solve their windows problems, and they will still mostly have to focus on their software console anyways. It's very hard to promote "gaming" hardware, and then make a video on how everyone can benefit greatly by using windows only in a secured kvm container on a linux system that is used for everything but legacy games, knowing that most users will have to buy other hardware in order to even be able to run such a container. And another thing is, that most users don't have the knowledge to even use advanced modern operating system functionality, just because they don't know what a kvm/QEMU is, what a MAC is, what user groups, privileges and root access is, etc... so it would take hours of videos to explain the basics of computing before being able to move on to a video on how to use a real computer operating system. Not all users are creators, most are consumers.

I know avid console users won't ever want a Linux gaming machine, probably they don't want anything to do with linux at all! Maybe the thread is too gaiming oriented. 

Me being practically a noob, even regarding windows, it might not make sense taking the linux path. I understand your concerns, because as i learned, using linux is awesome, but actually learning how to use it is kind of tough, very technical and detailed. I never had any trouble installing any linux distro. Even when i ran into something, playing around a little, i always got it installed. 

But when i google a problem for windows, it's a matter of minutes and chances are i fixed the problem. When i was playing around with linux, and google a problem...all i get is more problems lol. For example, mounting an USB stick, after formatting the drive, i could never mount the usb by plugging it out and in again. Then when i looked for a solution...well, lets just say i was overwhelmed. Now, make no mistake, this isn't a linux issue, it was a user issue. Then i had problems such as not being able to open applications, and had to open them from the terminal. otherwise they simply just would not open. A dozens of these little things are what made me return to windows. 

Zoltan, i have read your posts in the past, and i'm usually awe inspired by what you have to say. Not that i understand everything you say though lol.  

Now, my question to you would be the following. Is there a chance of seeing a form or distro of linux be truly user/beginner friendly? Even if we lost some of the freedom  experienced users and enthusiasts want. I know that might contradict what linux is about, but for cases like mine (and many others i'm sure), we might surrender those freedoms and possibilites for more ease of use. 

 

I think I should have expressed myself with a bit more nuance. Using linux as the only operating system for general computing is much easier than using Windows, if you do exactly the same with that linux machine as you do with the windows machine, and it immediately is much safer and more private and cheaper within those parameters, and any mainstream linux distro will fit that bill, BUT, things are the way they are, and chances are that some of the advanced power of the system will be so seductive, that users without proper knowledge of the internals of a system and without any motivation to learn them, will still want to use those advanced powers. And that's where it becomes dangerous, because software console users are used to a system whereby you buy a standard package, and if you want something extra, like the ability to use more than one CPU, or the ability to use more than 16 GB of RAM, or the ability to legally download music, or the ability to create something, you have to buy a "pack" or an "extension" or a particular software or a subscription to have access to that. That makes these basic functions into "features" on software consoles. On linux systems, all the "features" are already there, and much more than you could ever imagine is there to use and experiment with, but NOT in the same way as on a commercial "pay-per-feature" platform. Using linux comes with a lot of responsibility, because it's possible to seriously cause trouble for yourself of for others when you're using the power of linux without fully understanding how it works and without the discipline of doing things the right way.

For instance: if people don't understand the principle of official repositories, but go ahead and install a linux distro and then go on google and search for software, and install something system-wide from some non-official source, believe me, that would be a really bad thing, because once the user - because of ignorance - allows a software to have root access on a linux system, that software can hurt the user much more than it could on a closed source software console platform with commercial software, and that software could also use the power of that linux system to hurt others.

Other example: when a user doesn't understand the principle of "mounting" a storage volume, and reads on the internet that (quite correctly so) the performance of certain storage devices can be boosted by editing the /etc/fstab file, but doesn't know what those parameter additions do exactly, sooner or later, this is going to cause a serious problem with data loss or ever hardware destruction as a consequence. This is not a problem in Windows, because Windows doesn't have those performance benefits anyway, so there was never any need for deeper understanding the principles in order to use the device at maximum potential, even if that maximum potential is only a fraction of the real potential, which is entirely available in linux.

I'm definitely not saying that people should refrain from learning and using linux, quite on the contrary, I'm just saying that it is something for individual users to decide if they have the right motivation for it. Just posting a video on the internet on how to install a linux distro, is not the "open invitation" of open source software towards users, but it's more of a "do this or you're not part of the club" kind of thing, and users that lack the necessary motivation may feel compelled to use systems that are not under their control. Because the reality of it all is very simply that if you voluntarily and consciously choose to move to linux, the first two weeks will probably be spent on discovering the system and reading up on the internals and the reasons why computers work as they do, and downloading music or nmapping school networks and forcing DHCP instances to drop and refresh and encrypting storage and setting up distributed systems and creating game maps and editing parameters of programs and scripting stuff, will probably look cool and there will be a lot of ready-to-go tutorials on the internet, but believe me, if you don't understand the principle of those things, you don't want to mess with them. Every linux distro has the tools built in to do advanced hacks of pretty much anything, every linux distro has the tools for advanced spoofing and MIM data manipulation, every linux distro is completely DRM-free and has all the tools to rip and download and process copyrighted material, every linux distro has all the tools needed for boosting performance on pretty much any piece of hardware that can be connected in some way to a PC, but what good can come of telling people to use such a powerful system when they don't understand or want to learn what is happening.

Another aspect of open source in general is, that even if you learn how to use a linux distro and open source software to the fullest extent of its capabilities, that's not an end point or a goal per se like on a commercial closed source platform. The power of open source lies in the opportunity. Generally, every peiece of open source software is a constant work in progress, it is never finished. That doesn't mean that it's buggy or not fully featured or whatever, but that means that it isn't put in a box with a list of features on it whereby someone says "here you have it, that's what you're going to use from now on". Quite on the contrary, the open invitation continues: users are invited to discuss the software and the use cases, to suggest changes, and to participate in making those changes and improvements happen. That's where the real satisfaction lies, that's also where even more knowledge of how things work is required, in order to avoid breaking other people's work while modifying the crap out of a particular piece of software, in order to keep everything safe and to respect all possible licenses and rights of other people, etc... and the coolest thing, finding minds alike and teaming up to make projects happen, benefit from them yourself, and sharing them with the open source world so that others may also benefit. I think this "feature" of open source software in general gets far too little attention, because a computer is just a stupid machine, but it's the most powerful tool ever developed by mankind in order to exponentially increase human knowledge and the proliferation thereof, because in the first place, an open source platform computer connected to the internet is an aggregator, it's the user's private google search, but not focused on extorting money from the user, but focused on providing the user with just the knowledgable solution he requires. A user can use a linux install just to surf the web (and it will still be a better and safer experience than doing so with windows) and let Google and other corporations mine data on the user and let them build a bubble around the user, etc... but the user can also opt out of that, and use the powerful linux system to first acquire knowledge and a clear point of view, and then become a member of the open source community, get a github account, sync data over his own parallel private cloud using github, use the system to optimize android phones, to make a nice environment for himself, and then to use the knowledge and power to provide services for others that would otherwise not have access to these services, and charge money for that while making those people happy.

Open source software is free to download, but not free as in free beer. In order to get the full advantage of it, it will cost time and effort, but the benefit will be huge. Now how to explain that in a video on how to install a linux distro? How to explain that that video is only for the people that seek that benefit, and not for the people that seek a faster and cheaper way to consume content? How to explain that there aren't two linux users on the face of the earth (or above, because linux is also used in orbit, and even on Mars for that matter), that have the same install, but that all installs are customized, and that it's up to the user that has customized that install (used the advanced power of that system to make it more efficient for himself) to know what updates and what patches go where and when in order to maintain that system. These are things that require some kind of commitment from the user. Not that it will be harder once the user knows some things about it, in fact, in will be much simpler and faster and more stable, but it is a shift of responsibility: if something in a Windows install doesn't work, the thing to do is to wait until some company comes up with a patch, if something in a linux install doesn't work, you simply use another method while people work on it (which is what open source users call "quick and dirty"), or you solve it yourself, but the one that has to initiate the solution for that customized linux install, is still the user himself. Many people don't have any interest in such an experience whatsoever, others couldn't live without. That's why open source is an "invitation", and that's why I don't think that it's even possible to make a video on how to install a linux distro in a way that will produce a pleasing result for most of the viewers of that video that follow the instructions in that video.

Thanks. You pretty much summed up what i wanted to know. 

If you have reservations about changing OS's then I would suggest you use vmware. You can then load any OS you wish.