Here are two popular ways to get the Linux OS (operating system) up and running:

1. Install Linux from a Linux CD / DVD. This method can be complicated and very time consuming, but is also a great way to get experience using Linux.

2. Use Linux live CDs (or Linux live DVDs).

This is a fast and easy way to run Linux and will also help you get Linux training experience.

As an alternative to the above two methods, there is also an excellent way to download Linux free and install Linux in Windows, so you can learn how to use Linux in Windows.

Overview of Running Linux in Windows

Just boot your computer system into Windows and download the free Linux virtual machine player. Then download a free Linux virtual machine.

Install the Linux virtual machine player in Windows and uncompress the Linux virtual machine files into a folder. Then run the player and “open” the Linux virtual machine. This allows you to quickly and easily run Linux in Windows!

Linux Tips: There are hundreds of free Linux virtual machines available for download - and they are very easy to use. So you may want to download and try several. This is a great way to get Linux training on several Linux distributions. High-speed Internet access is recommended for this.

Using the Linux Virtual Machine Player

The free Linux virtual machine “player” (program) is run and then used to open a Linux virtual machine to run Linux in Windows.
You run the virtual machine player and open a Linux virtual machine in the same way as your run a word processor (program) and open a letter.

Linux Virtual Machines - What They Are and How They’re Created

A Linux virtual machine is a complete, fully functional Linux distribution (version of Linux) in a single compressed file.

To create a Linux virtual machine, someone runs the Linux installation routine from a Linux CD / DVD and does a Linux installation on a system. This puts the Linux OS and Linux software program files onto the system.

All these Linux files are then compressed into a single file and made available at a web site, so you can easily download the free Linux virtual machine and run Linux in Windows.

Linux Tips: When you go to download a Linux virtual machine, be sure to read the specs of the system at the Linux download web site.

Linux Tips: If you are a new Linux user, make sure the virtual machine has a Linux desktop (as many don’t) and also get the password of the root user (which is the main Linux administration user).

A free Linux virtual machine is the easiest and fastest way to run Linux in Windows and get Linux training on an existing Windows system!

Written by Clyde Boom.

When you are a new Linux user and trying to get Linux training, you need to learn how to use Linux commands. What you most often need is a Linux example showing you how to use a Linux command.

And you will often hear seasoned Linux users say (over and over again) “just see the Linux man page” for a Linux command. This has become a quick and easy way out - of really trying to explain how to use Linux. Linux man pages are useful if you already know Linux, but extremely frustrating if you are new to the Linux OS (operating system).

Linux Tips: Linux man pages are practically useless for someone new to Linux. In fact, they’re almost as easy as trying to read hieroglyphics. Great for the ancient Egyptians - lots of nice pictures, but really hard to read.

Here’s Why Man Pages Don’t Work for Someone New to Linux - And What You Can Do About It

“Man” stands for “manual”, as in “Linux manual” or “Linux software manual”. You run the Linux man command to display the contents of a man page (file).

So, if you need help on a Linux command (or Linux software programs), you just run the man command and get help on the command. This gives you instant Linux online help. Sounds great - but it’s not great for a new Linux user.

And it would be great if the people that knew how to use Linux, didn’t expect the people that are new to Linux to understand man pages!

Here’s how to run the Linux man command and get help on the grep command:

]$ man grep

This displays the contents of the Linux man page (file) for the grep command.

Linux Tips: There are several options of the man command that can be used to display information on multiple man pages. But hey, man - how do I get help on the man command? You guessed it - just run: man man

Now, the grep command is pretty amazing in what it can do. It has lots of options and different ways of getting tons of useful information from a Linux system - but you’d never know it from looking at the man page.

The man page for any Linux command just shows you: a vague description of the command, a cryptic statement showing how to run the command, and a long alphabetic listing of the options for the command. There’s no way of knowing which options are the most useful and most commonly used.

And the worst part is that it’s almost impossible to find a Linux example of a command. In the thousands of man pages, there are almost never any examples of how to use a Linux command. And seeing examples of a Linux command (and then running the command) - is the best way to learn how to use Linux.

Written by Clyde Boom.

One of the most difficult things to learn about Linux is the terminology - the many different Linux terms. Linux has it’s own lingo (and slang language), which includes lots of wonderfully interesting, bizarre and strange terms.

But learning Linux terms, in other words, understanding the “Linux lingo”, is absolutely necessary to understanding how to use the Linux OS (operating system).

To understand how Linux works, you need to understand Linux concepts - and the Linux terms that are used over and over again in the descriptions of these Linux concepts.

Linux Tips: As part of your Linux training, you need to understand Linux terms to be able to understand Linux concepts.

The Reasons for So Many Linux Terms - That Mean the Same Thing!

Linux has developed for over ten years now, and is based on Unix, which has been around for over 30 years!

During the development of Unix (with many different versions) and Linux (with many different distributions), there have been many organizations, companies, groups of people, and individuals that have contributed to Unix and Linux. These people have worked on Unix and Linux over a long period of time and in every country in the world!

Linux Terms Example - Linux Console, Linux Terminal, Linux Terminal Emulation Window

So, someone creates a program and someone else creates a similar program and they both do basically the same thing, but both are given a different name for what they do! - and this can become extremely confusing and frustrating.

For example, to run Linux commands from a Linux desktop, you open a terminal emulation window. A terminal emulation window is also known as a “Linux terminal” or a “Linux console”, or simply “terminal”.

If you’re working at a Linux desktop, someone may say “just open a terminal and run the ls command”. Someone else may say “just go to the console and run the ls command” and both of these mean “open a terminal emulation window and run the ls command”. Fun eh?

Or, you may read one bit of Linux documentation, such as a Linux man page and see the term “Linux terminal” and read some other Linux info at a web site and see “Linux console”, but both terms mean the same thing!

Linux Tips: Watch for upcoming articles with names that end in “Linux Concepts & Terms” to learn how to “speak geek” so you can learn how to use Linux! And rather than just defining these Linux terms, these articles will describe them “in context” while using the terms to describe Linux concepts. - This is truly “Translating Linux Geek-Speak into Clear Steps for Frustration-Free Mastery!”

Written by Clyde Boom.