I am a database analyst working with MS-SQL 2000 on a number of flavors of Windows (both desktop and server). To expand my skill set, I am interested in learning how to set up, build and maintain databases on Linux servers (or FreeBSD or whatever).
I have, over the last 3 months, installed various flavors of Linux, including SuSE, Red Hat, Ubuntu, and Xandros, and FreeBSD (which I do understand is Unix, not Linux, but I’ll keep it in the discussion anyway).
The computer these have been installed on is a Pentium D 3GHz with 2 Gig of RAM and more HDD space (SATA 3Gb/s) than I know what to do with. It’s my home desktop machine.
Whenever I’ve tried installing as a dual-boot with Windows Vista, I’ve ended up with a computer that would boot into Linux, but not Vista. So, now I’ve given up on that and am interested more in either installing Linux as a single-boot on an older machine, or as a virtual PC.
The problems I run into are all based in the fact that the web pages I can find about setting up Linux, installing software on it, etc., all were written from the assumption that I already know how to do everything.
For example, while playing around (I find playing with a computer is a good way to learn how to use it, before getting into serious use), I tried running World of Warcraft under a system called CrossOver. I gather from the web pages on CrossOver that it’s a version (is that the right word) of WINE, and that others have used WINE/CrossOver to successfully run World of Warcraft. I got the game running, but there was no sound and the colors were messed up on characer models (but not on the environment textures) – blue became red or pink, “caucasian” skin became a pale bluish-green (made some of the characters rather odd looking), and movement was delayed oddly (hit the buttons on the keyboard to move, wait a second or two and begin moving) even though other effects (chat, etc.) were not delayed. I could not find any information I could understand on how to fix this problem.
I gave up on WoW and decided to try playing a DVD. The DVD player showed the first frame of the FBI warning about copyrights, and then froze solid. When I closed and restarted the player, it no longer had any controls (play, pause, etc.) on it, just the display window, and that was blank. The top of the display window had an error message in it, but when I searched the web for the error message, it didn’t come up in Google, MSN or Yahoo.
I tried to find another video player (in case that particular one was just funky itself), and I found a web page that had a video player in it. Or at least, from the text on the page, it sure seemed like it would, if I could only figure out (a) what to download and (b) what to do with it once it was downloaded.
Thus far, my successes in Linux are limited to browsing the web via Firefox (does that just fine), and opening up OpenOffice to create a word processing doc. I haven’t tried the spreadsheet, but I’m pretty sure I could do that if I wanted.
My basic question is: Where do I find some good information on how to get started with Linux if I am totally clueless on it?
I’ve spent hours digging through web pages that assume I already know everything there is to know about Linux and programs on it. I’ve spent hours trying to find pages with simple beginner data. All to no avail.
Or do I give up on the web and hit a bookstore for “Linux for Dummies”? And will that be a good place to start?
(I’ve seen more than enough data on why flavor X of Linux is “the best”/”the only one to use”/”the one to transition to from Windows”. I’m not really looking for a rehash of that. If it pertains to my primary question here, then mention it, but it’s not what I’m looking for.)
Please, before anyone assumes I’m an idiot or whatever (I’ve seen statements to that effect in too many Linux message boards whenever a “newbie” question is asked), do realized I have an IQ in the top .1% of the human race (over 150) and I’m very, very used to self-education and usually successful at it.
