One of the most enjoyable activities in Linux is experimentation and exploration of the system - you poke here and peek there and you end up learning something new! But this is the very reason that some people get discouraged even before they start. They find the strange world of Linux rather intimidating to handle. Bombarded with terms they had never heard before, they tend to be confused and might end up not using Linux at all.
What is required is a systematic introduction to all the new things that a user faces when trying out Linux for the first time. The NGL is aimed at such new users who have just swithced over from an easy, user-friendly environment that shields them completely from all the little details about their own system. Zero initial knowledge about computers is assumed, but the reader is encouraged to get familiarized with the concepts as we proceed.
Unlike some other operating systems that try to shield the user from the actual machine, a working knowledge of hardware is required when using Linux. So now would be perfect time to open up your box and look at all the devices inside - the disks and their connectors, the sound card and display card, memory modules, etc. The NGL attempts to give basic introduction to this stuff from time to time, but readers are encouraged to find out more about this in order to use the powerful customization provided by Linux.
The NGL is not another attempt at creating HOWTO kind of documentation. Since excellent help already exists, the NGL only aims to familiarise the newbie with the names and concepts that are most likely to be confusing to the first time user. Only general, plain-English introductions are to be provided for each topic, with URL's pointing to the relevant documentation wherever possible.
Excellent documentation is available for all the utilities under Linux. This could be in the form of manpages, info pages, HOWTO's or even plain old textfiles distributed along with the packages. Such files normally exist under a directory lile `/usr/doc' or `/usr/share/doc'. The manpages and the info pages can be accessed using the `man' and `info' command respectively. Maybe the best place to start will be to issue the command `man man' or `info info' or combinations therof! ;-)
Besides written documentation, a user is never alone in the world of Linux. User's all over the world actively participate in helping each other by formally coming together in the form of ``Linux User Groups'' or LUG's. The newbie is encouraged to look for a local chapter of such a LUG. Such groups are instrumental in allowing users to help each other and share experiences about their own adventures. They can really help boost the efforts required by a newbie to get acquainted with Linux. Also help is available in a variety of forms like IRC channels, discussion forums, etc.
One important source of documentation and support is the Linux Documentation Project or LDP, which serves as the clearing house of all efforts by the Linux community to document the system. It provides help in many different forms like HOWTO's, which are short documents dealing with specific topics and Guides which are much larger works that serve to provide the reader with a detailed view of some specific topic.
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Feedback is most certainly welcome for this document. Without your submissions and input, this document wouldn't exist. Please send your additions, comments and criticisms to me!
| Revision History | ||
|---|---|---|
| Revision Version 0.1 | May 2001 | Revised by: sameerds |
| Initial release | ||
| Revision Version 0.2 | June 2001 | Revised by: sameerds |
| Lots of restructuring with improved mark-up and added another chapter. | ||
| Revision Version 0.2.1 | October 2001 | Revised by: sameerds |
| Finally finished the chapter on packaging! | ||
Provide URL's to relevant web resources wherever possible. Especially try to link different topics in the NGL to the relevant HOWTO's and Guides available from the LDP Website
Complete all the topics mentioned at the end of the SGML source file
Make the document as reader friendly as possible. This may involve a lot of effort in terms of SGML mark-up, but so be it! The document should not look like a drab old technical manual to a reader.