Barney T. Administrators Posted May 31, 2010 Administrators Share Posted May 31, 2010 This is actually pretty accurate, from the comments and posts I've seen: New desktop users can make plenty of mistakes (as can anyone). But knowing which mistakes to avoid, from the start, helps prevent a LOT of frustration. I?ve handled the topic of mistakes new Linux admins make, but never those of desktop users. Here are some of the most common Linux desktop mistakes I see new users make. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/10-mistakes-linux-newbies-make/34444 4CxbqFxVnstmA 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phenom II Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Format after 10 mins and reinstall windows ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney T. Administrators Posted May 31, 2010 Author Administrators Share Posted May 31, 2010 Format after 10 mins and reinstall windows ? Distro trolling isn't needed here. :no: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran Posted May 31, 2010 Veteran Share Posted May 31, 2010 This is actually pretty accurate, from the comments and posts I've seen: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/10-mistakes-linux-newbies-make/34444 It's an excellent list, but I don't see why he suggests people shouldn't use spaces in filenames (and I guess he would also say directory names). I do all the time! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Majesticmerc MVC Posted May 31, 2010 MVC Share Posted May 31, 2010 Can't argue with any of those points. I'm a Windows User, and a reasonably seasoned Linux user (although I wouldn't claim to be anything other than an amateur), and I still struggle to understand the Linux file layout hierarchy. To me, the Windows file system is structured very simply, whereas Unix seems cluttered once you leave your /home. One of the best things I did to improve my familiarity with Linux was to ditch the GUI completely. I run an Ubuntu server in a virtual machine to host my web developments, and decided to restrict myself to just the CLI, and I've learned a hell of a lot from just doing so, particularly with regards to how bad some of the GUI configuration tools can be (gproftpd = fail) :p. It's an excellent list, but I don't see why he suggests people shouldn't use spaces in filenames (and I guess he would also say directory names) I put that down to the same issue that Windows users in command prompt, and that is that when you have spaces in filenames, the CLI requires that you put quotes around the filename, which seems to baffle a lot of users at first (myself included when I very first started with Linux). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growled Member Posted May 31, 2010 Member Share Posted May 31, 2010 #1 is totally true. The first thing Linux newbies want to know is how to run Photoshop and Office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phenom II Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Distro trolling isn't needed here. :no: I wasnt trolling, I love Linux, I have it dual booted, I just thought it was funny..... I was wrong.... Maybe I should have added before my little joke the line: Mistake number 1 that Linux Newbies make is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted May 31, 2010 Veteran Share Posted May 31, 2010 9: Skipping updates10: Logging in as root 12: Ignoring security because it?s Linux AMEN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwolfe Veteran Posted May 31, 2010 Veteran Share Posted May 31, 2010 I wasnt trolling, I love Linux, I have it dual booted, I just thought it was funny..... I was wrong.... I thought your comment held a solid kernel of truth! So many people try Linux for 2 hours and give up, forgetting how much time they spent learning Windows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phenom II Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 I thought your comment held a solid kernel of truth! So many people try Linux for 2 hours and give up, forgetting how much time they spent learning Windows. Yea thats what I meant ! Mistake number one is exactly that ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney T. Administrators Posted May 31, 2010 Author Administrators Share Posted May 31, 2010 Understood! Sorry, I just must have read it wrong! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phenom II Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Understood! Sorry, I just must have read it wrong! :laugh: lol No probs! :) I was one of the millions who was F5 F5 F5 F5 all day waiting for 10.04 respins !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruciz Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 any new linux user should set their runlevel to 3 and login without x or GUI. Get used to the raw commands before fiddling with the GUI. Once you have an appriciation for where things are and how they interconnect its much easier. You can have 4 logins simultaneously.. ctrl + F1-F4 I think.. may be alt. been a while now! Once you got a feel for your hierarchy, where your boot scrips are, how to edit them, use VI, use ps aux, hier command, df, dd, man pages, change file permissions, then look into starting X, wine, and getting the windows apps working... Linux IS the terminal.. everything can be done from there. The gnome GUI or KDE or whichever GUI you use, is an overlay of your terminal.. like Windows 3.11 was. You didnt learn windows overnight, dont expect magic with linux. The man command is about the most helpful there is. Most distros are 100% compatible with mainstream hardware these days. configuring your system should be the least of your worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantis- Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 #8. Most Windows users don't even know what a folder hierarchy is, let alone how it differs from *nix. That being said, am I alone in that I find the way that *nix directory hierarchy works better than the way it does in Windows..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeta_immersion Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 I think linux (*nix) is better learned from a seasoned user (especially for small programs and getting to know the OS) If done by yourself is cumbersome (unless you are really opened to learning the new OS) I started with FreeBSD and took me 2 years to learn the basics (but had great time learning it) and as Majesticmerc said, CLI is actually fun and makes you smarter (and look smarter too) even though all you do is cls :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CmdAltEsc Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 I think there is a potential for another mistake - permissions, but I suppose that comes under security... I've also seen someone try and install 64 bit software on 32 bit linux... but I suppose that's more an inability to use ANY operating system :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berserk87 Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Format after 10 mins and reinstall windows ? That would fall under the "giving up too quickly" ;) I can say I've used a couple different linux distros and I havn't been guilty of anything on that list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Observer Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 the one thing i dont move to linux full time is the gaming, i play some games, and dont enjoy booting between OS... linux gets gaming i move Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elv13 Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 It's an excellent list, but I don't see why he suggests people shouldn't use spaces in filenames (and I guess he would also say directory names). I do all the time! :) Because the "tab" completion in the terminal hate space in filename, you have to add a \ before each space or bash will split the file name in two and try to open both part Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4CxbqFxVnstmA Veteran Posted May 31, 2010 Veteran Share Posted May 31, 2010 Because the "tab" completion in the terminal hate space in filename, you have to add a \ before each space or bash will split the file name in two and try to open both part I guess the sorts of files I do this with are ones I only access via the gui. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singh400 Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 I really want to try Linux, but the whole thing is a mess. So many distros, so much fragmentation. What works on one distro might not work on another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qdave Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 the one thing i dont move to linux full time is the gaming, i play some games, and dont enjoy booting between OS... linux gets gaming i move I dint think it will ever happen. Anyway interesting list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruciz Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 all the mainstream distros are liveCD. all you need is a disc to try it. hell ubuntu you can install like a windows program! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Behemoth Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 I dint think it will ever happen. Anyway interesting list. Well, at least Valve has started the movement towards Linux. Pretty big player in the gaming world. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neyht Member Posted May 31, 2010 Member Share Posted May 31, 2010 Format after 10 mins and reinstall windows ? Yeah, that was listed in the article. Number seven: giving up too quickly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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