Ubuntu Installed Now …

[Erik]

So I got the Ubuntu all installed and set up…. Now what?

It doesn’t seem much different then using Windows beside I can’t open any exe files.

Seems more like a pain, what am I missing here?

[nixnerd]

Erik, you will soon learn that EVERYTHING is different on Linux. Literally there is almost nothing that’s the same. The whole UNIX philosophy will be fun for you. Pick and choose. Mix and match. Take your pick. You can customize anything you want. Setup you configs however you like. Etc, etc.

First things first: IMHO, you should learn how to use the terminal first. The Bash terminal is legendary and a must-know skill for devs in my opinion… ESPECIALLY devs who run Linux.

Read here:

http://cli.learncodethehardway.org/book/

and here:

http://linuxcommand.org/learning_the_shell.php

[Erik]

Oh man that’s a ton of reading… lol

[Soronbe]

Ubuntu is designed to be quite user friendly while still using the philosophy of Linux, which is why users that came from Windows dont see the difference right away. If you really want to feel Linux (and you’re up for a huge challenge) use Linux Arch. I would not recommend it though.

[__]

So I got the Ubuntu all installed and set up…. Now what?

uhh… what do you want to do?
You were going to run that wordpress scanner, weren’t you? Did you try that yet?

[nixnerd]

uhh… what do you want to do?
You were going to run that wordpress scanner, weren’t you? Did you try that yet?

Thanks for reminding him :)

@Soronbe Do you run Linux… more specifically, do you run Arch?

[Soronbe]

Do you run Linux… more specifically, do you run Arch?

Heck no. I think Linux is great, but Arch pushes it a bit too far IMO.

[nixnerd]

You are entitled to that opinion. Me personally? I love Arch so much it’s almost weird :p

[Soronbe]

I must add that I barely ever change things radically when it’s not necessary. That might definitely support me not switching to Arch.

All that asides, would you really recommend Arch as a first Linux distro? I only mentioned it because of it’s as far away from Windows as it could be ideologically.

[nixnerd]

would you really recommend Arch as a first Linux distro?

This is a really tricky question that I could go either way on. I just helped my brother install Arch… he’s got about 4 years Linux experience, but still doesn’t know a ton. Arch will change that in a hurry.

In one sense, Arch is probably way too hard for a beginner. On the other hand, maybe that’s a good thing! I ran Ubuntu for about 2-3 years without really learning much. Fedora for another year, again without learning much. Been running Arch for about 10 months and I’ve learned more in the last 10 months than the previous 4 years combined.

Can you learn Linux without running Arch/Gentoo/Slackware? Of course. In my opinion though, it makes it easier to learn the hard way (if that makes sense) by forcing you to be competent.

If I could go back, I’d probably start with Arch. The simplicity is really something to behold. I know EXACTLY what’s on my system, because I built it.

I think Arch hits a real sweet spot between something like Fedora and something like Gentoo. It’s hard… but not too hard.

Also, as you well know, the wiki is outstanding and the community is pretty cool once you’ve proven you’re not lazy and willing to learn.

I run Arch on my dev setup, a VPS and my Raspberry Pi. Love it!

[nixnerd]

All that being said… @traq seems more than competent with Linux and if I’m not mistaken, he runs Mint! Also, @alenabdula knows Linux really well and I’m pretty sure he runs Mac most of the time as far as I know.

So… I don’t know. Don’t really think it matters as long as you seek the knowledge.

[shaneisme]

Now what? Now you can dev 4 reelz.

[Alen]

I’m on Linux Mint when I’m developing and on Windows 7 when designing, developing (Vagrant) and working on photography. Until recently I’ve used Mac at work.

I’m actually not one of those Linux users that likes customizing my desktop, I really have no time for it. Elementary OS is nice if you want Mac like interface. The only thing I don’t like about it you can’t create anything on the desktop. Like folders etc. But is very lean and doesn’t include sHlT load of random software.

And I don’t consider myself to be expert in Linux. I’ve been using it for a while now so everything commits to memory over time. I would suggest going on YouTube and learning more about Linux/Unix environment.

[__]

if I’m not mistaken, he [me] runs Mint!

I was. I had mint+cinnamon on my laptop, which turned out to be a piece of junk (the laptop, not mint). I’m back to my old desktop now, and I’ve got Ubuntu on it. I should be getting a new machine soon, and I’m probably going to go back to Mint with it.

I love Arch. It’s the flavor I play around with. I’m running it on my BBB and I’ve got it on a flash drive I mess around with too. No, it’s not for casual users, but it’s probably the most beginner-friendly distro if you’re going with a bare-bones, “deep end” experience.

The main reason I stick with ubuntu/mint/debian for regular use is that they are very stable, have tons of resources, active community, and excellent software repos. If you’re a computer user, ubuntu(like) is probably the place to start.

edit
I don’t consider myself a linux “expert” either. I can figure out what I’m doing.

[nixnerd]

I don’t consider myself a linux “expert” either. I can figure out what I’m doing.

I don’t really think anyone considers themselves a Linux expert. Maybe Linus but that’s it! That’s why I said you guys are “more than competent” ha ha.

it’s probably the most beginner-friendly distro if you’re going with a bare-bones, “deep end” experience.

Yes. This is true… with the POSSIBLE exception of #! (CrunchBang). And a lot of that is thanks to Pacman and the AUR/Package Build System. Beautiful tools. It is right where it needs to be, striking the perfect balance between minimalism and utility.

I would love to try Gentoo, Slackware and some of the BSDs. But… I’ll probably never leave the Arch ecosystem completely.

BTW @Erik, there’s nothing on any of these distros that you can’t get/do with Ubuntu. Nothing at all. You can change anything you want with a bit of effort. Literally anything.

The only MAJOR differences between distros are the package manager (how you install stuff) and the frequency with which they update. The rest comes down to a bunch of user-land cruft and the community.

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