New to Linux and Mint...

[Engine66]

You'll get the best help by posting each question in as a separate new topic, since people who have some interest, skills and experience in each will be more likely to read that thread.

Your question about mail servers is answered here: http://webmail.mozdev.org/

(edit out extraneous word)

Sorry, a totally agree! I'll address these and future questions in separate topics.

[Engine66]

Vincent,
Thanks for answering those questions. I have used Firefox in the past and like it and have used "gmail" w/it.
I've always been curious about Thunderbird and will check it out. I've also installed OOo but didn't really use it much but now have a keen interest, now that I'm installing Linux.
I know I have more questions and will ask them in separate topics to keep things neat. I am curious about what "webmail" is all about? I know that sounds dumb but I have never used email via web browser but sounds interesting and will check that out too. I'll ask about it in another topic.

Thanks all,
Engine66

[vincent]

You've never used webmail before? Well, it's quite simple...you go to Hotmail/Yahoo Mail/Gmail and you sign up, they give you an e-mail address, and you can read and write e-mails using that address by logging in at their website and using the web interface they provide you. Like desktop e-mail clients, they provide a whole slew of functionality, like contact lists, calendar, different themes, etc., but the most important advantage is that everything is online and in the cloud, so you can access your e-mail anytime from any computer with an Internet connection. It also preserves all your e-mail in the event that you lose your computer or your data somehow gets corrupt, because nothing is stored on your computer so you won't have to worry about backing up all your e-mails like you have to do with a traditional desktop mail client.

[Engine66]

Vincent,
Sorry but I misunderstood. Bigtime noob. I was confused by terminology. Don't ask me how I managed that.
I have used webmail, like gmail, yahoo mail and hotmail. I was thinking of something else that might have been unique to traditional webmail service in feature/function. In fact, I was thinking of it being more like Outlook that was accessable from the web browser.
As for "desktop mail", I have used outlook express many moons ago when I first set up our desktop in 2003 but not since.
So, what you were saying was, that I could use Thunderbird, which is a desktop mail client, as I would Windows Outlook but recommending to use a webmail service instead, such as gmail.
I had thought that Thunderbird was Firefox's version of hotmail. I had not really ever fully known the difference between the two honostly.
I was thinking of using Firefox and gmail for day to day stuff but I'll have to determine if/why I'll even need Thunderbird then(desktop mail client), as I don't really know why I would use it as opposed to gmail.
Sorry for the confusion.
This should start a fire back at the shop.
If you could explain how/why you use one over the other, I'd like better understand this.
By the way, I appreciated your patient explaination to an otherwise noob misunderstanding.
That makes for a good teacher!
Thanks again,
Engine66

[Robin]

...
As for "desktop mail", I have used outlook express many moons ago when I first set up our desktop in 2003 but not since.

That's kinda sorta what you'll get with Thunderbird. It's "outlook express for Linux." It checks my mail automaticially every 10 minutes, automatically downloads it, filters it, and weeds out the spam and junk. Composing mail is super easy too with it's super-simple "outlook express - like" interface. I like lots of formatting (color, embedded images, etc) and stuff in my letters. I want my letters to be so pretty that my friends will want to print them out, frame them and hang them on the wall. Thunderbird lets me do that easily - and it includes the truly important stuff too. In Mint it comes already set up with the Lightning extension (way cool calender app, built-in). It's definitely worth the trouble!

Still writing pretty, cutesey e-mails,
Robin

[vincent]

For most users, using webmail or using a desktop e-mail client won't make a difference to them. However, with a desktop e-mail client, you do need your own e-mail address; with webmail services, the owner (Google/Microsoft/Yahoo, etc., for their respective mail services) provides you with an e-mail address that you can use. There are various advantages and disadvantages of using either webmail or desktop e-mail clients (or both...nothing is stopping you from using both webmail and your own e-mail address, or multiple e-mail addresses).

For example, webmail has the advantage that it is accessible anywhere with an internet connection, provides an unified, identical user interface (desktop clients differ in appearance and functionality), and also has many built-in tools like e-mail virus scanners and the ability to block spam (those don't always work too well though).

Desktop clients have the advantage that you do not face any total capacity limit on your inbox (besides how large your HDD is), while webmail clients put a limit on either the total amount of e-mails you can have at any one time, or how much size you can take (e.g. 5 GB), and desktop clients also ensures that your e-mail belongs to you alone, while webmail providers can theoretically look into your e-mail whenever they want to (read their Terms and Conditions carefully...), and webmail services are perhaps more susceptible against hackers (e.g. the recent fuss about hackers allegedly sponsored by the Chinese government, hacking into Gmail accounts of Chinese human right activists? You know, Google threatened to completely pull out from China due to those attacks); this issue is moot if you don't properly safeguard your own system from hackers, in which case using a desktop mail client isn't really any safer. Besides, e-mails can be intercepted while being passed around on the Internet unless they are encrypted.

To be honest though, most people wouldn't care how and who provides their e-mail service, whether it be webmail providers, your Internet Service Provider company, some other third-party that sells web domains and e-mail addresses, or yourself (if you host your own domain, create your own e-mail address, and all that). As long as people can send and receive e-mail without too much trouble, it's fine for them.

[Helmut]

Hi Engine66,
I think if you "just do it" and play with your default installation, you will probably be fine. You will discover this and that, and find your way of tweaking, personalising, etc.

May I suggest you do read the top and sticky posts in the Newbie Section. That beholds a heck of a lot of substantial stuff, particularly about partitioning a Windows plus Mint dual boot machine and also about Windows compatability and equivalent apps.
However, saying that, you probably will be fine just making a default install. Make very sure to backup you existing personal stuff (documents, pix...) on some portable media like a DVD first. Not that installing is not safe, but you just could accidentally make a wrong selection...

Cheers
Helmut

[Engine66]

Hi Engine66,
I think if you "just do it" and play with your default installation, you will probably be fine. You will discover this and that, and find your way of tweaking, personalising, etc.

May I suggest you do read the top and sticky posts in the Newbie Section. That beholds a heck of a lot of substantial stuff, particularly about partitioning a Windows plus Mint dual boot machine and also about Windows compatability and equivalent apps.
However, saying that, you probably will be fine just making a default install. Make very sure to backup you existing personal stuff (documents, pix...) on some portable media like a DVD first. Not that installing is not safe, but you just could accidentally make a wrong selection...

Cheers
Helmut

I agree that I'll benifit most once I actually install/use Mint, as I'll learn much by "doing" and can ask future questions as needed.
That said, I am still waiting to build a "dedicated" machine for this but in the meantime, I'll do all the reading I can, begining w/your recommendations and continue pouring over other related topics here.

Thanks Helmut and others for patiently helping a newbie along a new and exciting path!
Engine

[mathazar102]

Hello Engine66! In your first post, you asked for suggestions on what books to read. In my Linux Workstation college class we used "LPIC-1--Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide" by Roderick W. Smith. The ISBN is 978-0-470-40483-6. It gives a pretty good foundation for new Linux users when it comes to the command-line. I suggest that when you read through the book, bring up the command-line and actually enter the commands and view the files that the book discusses. That way, you will gain a greater understanding of the material. If you want to do the exercises but don't want to "mess up" your installation of Mint, make a virtual machine using VirtualBox and experiment with the virtual machine. I hope this suggestion helps and best wishes!!!

[Engine66]

Hi Mathazar 102,

That's awsome help! I'll look into that book immediately. I need to learn more on "command line" stuff. In fact, that's what I'm working on now, as I'm going over the MD5 Process.
I'm not very familiar w/Windows Console(Terminal) because I just have'nt ever used it much.
Also, I do ultimately want to become Linux certified, so I'm glad you shared this title!
I'm looking it over now on Barnes and Noble online.

Thanks!
Engine

[owend]

Hi, Engine66: some suggestions to add to the wealth you've already got - I'm a Mint 8 user, have been since last November, and Ubuntu before that; I've used only Linux for the last four years or so.

1 Back up regularly - I simply copy /home to an external HD, then I can access documents etc in other distros if I need.

2 Keep a note (on paper) of your settings (themes, wallpapers etc included) when you've got Mint configured as you like it - the configuring is great fun, but you don't always want to start from scratch! Also what programs etc you install and use in addition to the default (on-the-disk) selection: it's very easy to download new programs via Package Manager or Software Manager, and quite addictive. I find I end up with a load I never use again! If you know which ones you DO want to keep, and your settings, you can reinstall and reconfigure everything in a couple of hours max if it all goes pear-shaped, and then you can experiment knowing you can get everything back if you really mess up.

3 Books: I got Beginning Ubuntu Linux, by Keir Thomas and Jaime Sicam (ISBN 978-1-59059-991-4) and found it very useful; it came with several flavours of Ubuntu 8.04 on DVD (that was a couple of years ago, I'm sure there's an updated edition now). It's written for beginners unsurprisingly; easy to refer to and includes basic command-line info but goes from basics, like setting up Thunderbird and OpenOffice. And since Mint is Ubuntu-derived, the book is closely relevant to Mint.

4 Finally printers: there are sites giving printers which have been tried with Linux, so you can check if yours is compatible - try http://openprinting.org/printer_list.cgi

Hope that helps, main point is back EVERYTHING up, then just try Mint and see. You won't damage the computer and if you've backed up you won't damage the software!

[Engine66]

Thanks for all that, it does help! I really appreciate the link, and the book ISBN #. I'll check out everything. Thanks too for the setting up tips, etc.

Thanks again,
Engine66