Synfire's Quick Guide to Linux

Table of Contents
==================

1. Installing Linux
2. Commands
3. vi & vim
4. Shell Scripts
    a. Introduction to Shell Scripts
    b. Creating and Running Shell Scripts
    c. Variables
    d. The Significance of Quotes
    e. The Test Command
    f. Conditional Statements
    g. Iteration Statements
5. Connecting to the Internet
6. Securing your Linux Box

Installing Linux (MDK8.0 based setup)

First step is to start your computer and insert the CD-ROM or BootDisk.

You should then be prompted with a screen that says "Press <F1> for more options", if you want to install Linux4Win then hit F1. This will display a screen with a prompt at the bottom that says "boot: " type `lnx4win' and hit enter.

Doing Nothing will start the installation in normal mode. Now we are on our way, the first choice Linux should give you is the Language.

Highlight the language you speak best and click OK. Now you should be faced with the License Agreement which basically says that Linux is free software just click Accept, don't worry about reading this.

Now, a screen pops up asking what form of installation you would like to preform choose Recommended. Now most steps will be automatically choosen for you such as mouse and keyboard settings. Now what happens next depends on how good of a computer you have and what kind of setup you chose in the beginning.

You'll probably be faced with a screen that says "The DrakX Partitioning wizard found the following solutions". If you chose Linux4Win then highlight the "Use the free space on the Windows partition" choice and click Ok, otherwise highlight "Erase Entire Disk" and click Ok.

Next you will see a Package Group Selection screen with a lot of Options. Choose what type of packages you want, I usually choose: Configuration, Utilities, Console Tools, Network Computer (client), Developement, and GNOME. If you would like to customize what packages you want you can click the Individual Package Selection also, and click Ok.

Now you should have a Tree style option of packages that you can choose what you want from there. Now click Ok to start the installation proccess and now you must wait... and wait... and wait... the packages take a good while to install so go have dinner, play with the dog, or what ever you can do until this finishes.

Once that has finished you will be asked to set the root password. MAKE THIS VERY HARD TO GUESS. In fact, for linux, 'biggreenpinapple' is not a hard password try things like, i1n2s3a4it5y or b1ggr33np1n4ppl3 be creative and make it hard for the criminals.

Now after you type in your password click Ok. Now you should be asked to Enter a User. This user is a non-privilaged user. Make sure you create one and set its password, if you click Advanced Options you can choose the terminal type of the user, I suggest '/bin/bash' or '/bin/sh' the reason is that the shell scripting tutorial in this text is Bash scripting and everything in the Bash shell should work with Sh.

Once again click Ok. Finally a summary will be displayed and you can make any last minute configuration changes before clicking Ok. Now the computer should restart, Remove the boot media. And wait while you boot into your new Linux Operating System.

Lesson 2: Commands > > >