The officially official Devuan Forum!

seeker

Member

Registered: 2019-02-17

Posts: 23  

Learning Linux

I have poked around with Linux from time to time but do not have an in-depth of understanding of it. Somewhere I have an old copy of a thick Red Hat book (talks about setting up modems it is so old), Running Linux, and an early copy of A Practical Guide To Linux. Someone once recommended something called From Power Up To Bash Prompt.

Are these books still relevant to understanding Linux, or are there better books to recommend for modern systems?

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2019-03-24

Posts: 3,125  

Website

Re: Learning Linux

IBM's LPIC-1 exam-preparation tutorials are really good: https://developer.ibm.com/technologies/ … linux-101/

This one is for the command line: https://developer.ibm.com/tutorials/l-lpic1-103-1/

EDIT: nearly five years old but still mostly relevant.

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2020-06-08 18:05:18)

---

Brianna Ghey — Rest In Power

GNUser

Member

Registered: 2017-03-16

Posts: 570  

Re: Learning Linux

If proficient UNIX/Linux usage is a craft, then the shell is the craftsman's workbench. I think having a solid grasp of bash--and knowing how it's different from other shells--is key. You can't go wrong by starting with the shell because it's essential no matter what your specific needs are. Where you go from there depends on your specific needs and interests.

- best bash tutorial anywhere: http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/
- compilation of bash pitfalls: https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashPitfalls
- learn to recognize bashisms: https://mywiki.wooledge.org/Bashism

Write as many shell scripts as you can. After a script is working, make it correct. After it's correct, make it beautiful. Here is a tool to help you improve your existing shell scripts: https://github.com/koalaman/shellcheck

I hope that helps

Last edited by GNUser (2020-06-08 19:57:11)

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: London

Registered: 2019-03-24

Posts: 3,125  

Website

Re: Learning Linux

learn to recognize bashisms

The devscripts package supplies /usr/bin/checkbashisms to perform that function.

Here is a tool to help you improve your existing shell scripts

That is available as a package: https://pkginfo.devuan.org/stage/beowul … 5.0-3.html

---

Brianna Ghey — Rest In Power

Camtaf

Member

Registered: 2019-11-19

Posts: 436  

Re: Learning Linux

I'd forget about the RedHat book - but the others should still be mainly relavent, although some things have, of course, changed over time, the basics are still the same.

HevyDevy

Member

Registered: 2019-09-06

Posts: 358  

Re: Learning Linux

This might be worthwhile.

http://www.penguintutor.com/linux/

siva

Member

Registered: 2018-01-25

Posts: 282  

Re: Learning Linux

The best way is to start pulling features from your system. Challenge yourself just to use the command line to solve simple problems.

My two cents

brocashelm

Member

Registered: 2020-06-29

Posts: 114  

Re: Learning Linux

Don't overwhelm yourself with learning command lines. Just keep being patient and try different things. See what the terminal is spitting out and try to to apply changes. At the same time, launch GUIs via terminals to keep track of errors and other suggestions. Optionally, look into security hardening tools (e.g. Lynis) for tips on proper Chmod usage in directories and files, essential privacy steps, and so on.

It also helps to learn the ways of other package managers, as well as compiling from source. APT is great and I like it more than Pacman and Portage, but learning those and other distros' methods of managing packages can help brush up on your knowledge of GNU/Linux.