You need to learn how to use Linux. And the best way to get Linux training is to work with it and get real, practical Linux experience. There are lots of different ways to get Linux, and lots of different versions of Linux to choose from!

You can get a version of Linux, also known as a Linux distribution (or distro for short), on CD or DVD. You can also download a Linux ISO file and burn it to CD or DVD yourself. Linux Tips: If you decide to download Linux as a Linux ISO file, keep in mind that these files are very large. Linux CD ISO files are about 700 MB and Linux DVD ISO files are about 4 GB (almost six times the size of a CD!). Therefore, only download Linux if you have high-speed Internet access.

Linux Tips: You can do an Internet search for “list of linux cds” or “list of linux dvds” and buy the Linux OS and have it delivered to you by mail very cheaply.

Some Linux distros are available as “installation” versions and some are available as “live” versions - and some are available as both!

An installation version of Linux may be on just a one CD / DVD or it may require more than one. However, a Linux live CD or a Linux live DVD version consists of just a single CD or DVD.

Linux Installation Versions

You boot a computer system with a Linux installation CD / DVD to run the Linux installation routine and install Linux on a system. This could be a system that doesn’t have an operating system on it - or it could be one that does have an operating system on it, such as the Windows operating system.

If you install Linux on Windows, you create a “dual boot” (Linux and Windows) system. Then after the Linux installation, you can either boot the system into Windows or boot it into Linux, but not both at the same time.

When you install Linux from CD or DVD onto a computer system, you run the Linux installation routine and do several steps to put the Linux OS and Linux software programs on the hard disk in a system permanently, although you can remove Linux later if you need to.

After you install Linux, you boot to Linux from the hard disk in the system. At this point, the Linux desktop appears and you can do a few simple steps to open a terminal emulation window. This allows you to go to the Linux command line so you can run Linux commands - the best way to learn how to use Linux.

Linux Live Versions

Linux live CDs or DVDs are used to run Linux “live”, for as long as the power is turned on.

To run a Linux live version, you set your system up to boot from the live CD or DVD. Then you start your system with the Linux live CD / DVD in your drive. No installation is required!

After you boot with a Linux live CD / DVD, the entire Linux OS (operating system) boots and runs automatically. At this point, you see a Linux desktop on the screen and you can run Linux software programs.

At the Linux desktop, you can also do the steps to open a terminal emulation window. This allows you to work at the Linux command line as the root user and run Linux commands. And learning to run Linux commands is the best way to learn how to use Linux and do Linux system administration.

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.

Most Linux distributions (versions) have Graphical User Interface (GUI) utilities that you can use to do Linux administration. However, these “point-and-click” Linux utilities are slow and cumbersome and they are different from one Linux distribution to another. Therefore, to learn how to use Linux, don’t spend time learning Linux GUI utilities.

As part of your Linux training, one of the best benefits of learning Linux commands is that they are basically the same from one Linux distribution (version) to another. And since there are over 130 different versions of the Linux OS (operating system), learning how to use Linux commands is the best way to learn how to use Linux to do Linux system administration. Linux Tips: When you are new to Linux and need to get Linux training, learn how to use Linux commands, not GUI utilities.

Learning how to run a Linux command can be very difficult for new Linux users. So, here are some Linux tips that will help you to learn how to use Linux commands to administer the Linux OS (operating system).

Running a Linux Command

To run a Linux command, you type in the Linux command name at the Linux command line prompt and press the Enter key.

The ]# in these examples represents the Linux command line prompt. You don’t type in the prompt!

Below is an example of running the Linux command named ls. The ls stands for list and is used to show you a list of files and directories.

]# ls

No options were used with the Linux command above.

Linux Command Options

To use options with a Linux command, you type in the letter(s) of the option, proceeded by a - (dash).

The Linux command below uses the l (el) option. The l stands for long and gives you a more detailed listing of the files in the current directory. The l option is preceded by a - (dash, or minus sign).

]# ls -l

You may also need to type in the name of an “item” that the Linux command is being run “on”, such as the name of a
directory in the Linux file system.

Linux Tips: The Linux file system is all the directories and files on the hard disk(s) a Linux system.

Running a Linux Command “On” an Item

The command below is being run “on” the directory named letters. It gives you a long listing and shows all the files and directories in the letters directory.

]# ls -l letters

Written by Clyde Boom.