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Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 12:53 pm
by catilley1092
Start with a positive attitude, have patience & expect a learning curve! Linux Mint, fortunately isn't Windows or Mac. This forum has likely answered many questions, time & time again, as well as independent Linux forums. Google is your best friend & why I don't have a large post count, am willing to take the time to hunt down issues as they arise. This is the best way to learn, the same way I learned Windows many years ago. The more you solve your own solutions, the more confidence you'll have.

I've been using Mint since version 7 (Gloria) in 2009 and though the road was a bit rocky at first (actually finding a suitable Linux distro was), the OS today is much more refined than ever. Firefox is included by default & Chromium/Opera is in the Software manager, just start using the OS & the rest will come as time goes. Speaking of the Software Manager, there's many 100% free apps that can supply what the large majority of computer users needs for daily use. Avoid grabbing software from the Internet, unless 100% necessary & even then, get it from the actual source, not linked from 3rd party sites.

As another poster has mentioned, don't be afraid of the Terminal, it gives one power over their computer & it's where many issues are solved. Use 'sudo' only when needed.

Printer compatibility is the best I've seen, many can be installed simply by turning it on & it'll configure itself. Be sure to print the test page when prompted.

Learn how to backup your Mint install, as drives eventually fails.

Finally, if a solution cannot be found, don't be afraid to ask! There are many experienced users more than willing to offer assistance. Be sure to acknowledge any assistance that provides a solution, thanking that person, politeness goes a lot further than rudeness. Plus it gives the thread closure. The found solution will in turn assist the community as a whole.

Cat

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:17 am
by cynisba
Are you useing wingows 8?

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Thu May 01, 2014 3:45 am
by DEN-102
hello everyone,may i say that i have been using windows xp for a few years,and like most in the end i got fed up with it, so i installed LM13 Maya and yes im learning how to use it and im getting there,its a great O/S and i love the way it works its quite easy and user friendly,there are still a couple of things im not sure about but i will figure it out, would i go back to a windows O/S??...no!!!....well done to everyone at LINUX for this wonderful O/S.and everyone for the great advice here on the forums :D

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Thu May 01, 2014 2:00 pm
by waynea
as a new user from a few months ago I had to different experiences
- on my Lenovo think pad it wkred like a dream, with only a bit of work needed to get the trackpoint working smoothly
- on my desk top (hybrid as I builtt it myself) I had a much harder time with multiple things not working correcty. I traced them all to one bug which meaqnt that all the software packages werent installed. Once fixed, then everything works perfecty.
so...
1) do a check of all peripherals and see based on Google searches if they will work on linux (a friend asked me to install it for her to replace XP but here ancient konica printer didnt support linux)
2) persevere
3)remember that someone somewhere has had the same issue with you - so Google
4) accept that Linux works a bit differently. However with distros like Mint my very non tech partner manages perfectly
5) give yourself time to do the install, and then test that everything works OK, scanner, printer, webcam, wifi etc
6) cancel your direct debit to symantec etc - you wont need them any more!

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 4:32 am
by Flow4421
Hey,

I'd say, it'd be great to try and discover by yourself :idea: You learn more when you notice your mistakes and find out new things by just looking through the system/files :mrgreen:

sincerely,

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 8:30 am
by WinterTroubles
I've not read all 21 pages of this topic, just the 1st 14 then skipped to the end :oops:

Aside from the usual advice of read read read and get involved, I learned a lot just from following topics about problems that don't affect me and researching them myself (If my research matches the solution provided in the topic it helps my confidence that I understood what was being said).

My biggest piece of advice would be that after a successful install of your shiny new mint, before you start adding stuff or customising to any great extent, open every menu and application you can find and see what it contains, without changing things initially. It's amazing how often people get stumped by simply not knowing that there is a very simple piece of software already on their machine that will turn on/off or configure the item they wish to change. Exploring the system fully also helps make you aware of things like the Software Manager so you don't fall into the trap of trying to install things found on the net, as ex-windows users are used to, when that software is already available through the Software Manager for automatic install.

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 8:11 am
by Damon Ridley
I too am a noob to Linux. I installed Mint the day before yesterday. I had surgery yesterday and so I wasn't able to play with it a whole lot, but as of today, the best description I can come up with is.... If you are married, it is kind of like the first time you realize you might be in love but you are not sure yet exactly what it is you love about the person. Kind of a wierd description, but it's the best way I can think of it.

I tired to dual boot with Mint 16 installer, it crashed and wen I restrated dual boot wasn't an option, so I installed Mint and hope that Vista has gone off into the sunset of my computing experience (I previoulsy backed everything up for just an eventaullity on an external hard drive that I then unplugged before the install). So far, so good. There are issues trying to run so of my old PC software, but i am sure I will get it in time.

Looking forward to reading a lot in the forums, and I will head to the library on Monday to check out some books.

Thanks all in advance for you help and advice to the noobs.

-Damon

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Sat May 31, 2014 10:52 pm
by Corvus
Another newbie here and I have a question: What do you get when you "learn" linux? My usage is pretty simple: Internet, email, read/write documents, and the occasional music/movies. I've been spending lot of time tweaking things and customizing the desktop to suit my taste, but should I even bother learning about using the terminal and what not if my usage is limited to simple tasks? As much as I would love to learn more about Linux, my time is limited and would rather spend more time learning Wordpress.

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 1:12 pm
by haunsdoger
Hi, Looks like everyone has got it covered for u !
Just wanted to add that I started to "love" computers only after I disconvered linux mint
I think you will too - good luck :D

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:22 pm
by Nilla Wafer
Corvus wrote:Another newbie here and I have a question: What do you get when you "learn" linux? My usage is pretty simple: Internet, email, read/write documents, and the occasional music/movies. I've been spending lot of time tweaking things and customizing the desktop to suit my taste, but should I even bother learning about using the terminal and what not if my usage is limited to simple tasks? As much as I would love to learn more about Linux, my time is limited and would rather spend more time learning Wordpress.
Many of use Mint exactly because we don't really want to "learn Linux."

But there are some good reasons learn "a little Linux:"

If an update breaks something, it's nice to know how to find out what happened and how to make it work again. Sometimes it's just going back to the old package that worked fine before the update, or if there might be other issues. It's good to know which applications work best with one's chosen desktop environment, whether or not we might need extra drivers for sound or graphics, and how to install them. The default CD / DVD burning program, Brasero, just makes coasters on my computer. Before I spent money to replace my burner, it was nice to know what other burning software I might try first. Xfburn works fine, and so does K3B. Knowing a little Linux saved me money! The same thing happened when I got an old hand me down computer - which software is best for it? Which desktop will run best on this old fossil? Knowing a little Linux could keep that old computer out of the landfill for a few more years. Little common commands that maintain my OS are nice to know, so that if I have no graphical interface I'm not just out of options. Little silly stuff even, like hitting the Prnt Scrn button to bring up screenshot instead of menu>applications>accessories>screenshot. Knowing a little Linux saves me time.

Don't feel strange or bad for not wanting to "learn Linux." Linux Mint is made for people like you!

nilla

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2014 4:25 pm
by anthony2010
Try not to get too attached because after a short while getting used to running Mint, you will never want to go back.

I'm at the stage now where I can no longer see the reasoning behind running Windows. Though I CAN see why someone might prefer Mac..at least with Linux you are in the Unix family.. but I digress.

Ant.

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:52 am
by temetka
I've been using Linux as a secondary OS for years and watched it progress into what it is today.

My very first install was of SuSE 6.3.

So my advice to new users is go for it head first. Dive in.

Don't be afraid to break things. Then look up how to fix them. Always read the documentation. Ask the community for help.

While you are learning, keep all your important files on a flash drive or external hard disk. That way in case you completely bork your system, you don't lose anything critical. That being said you could always delete a file or 2 then have fun recovering it using various utilites.

After 21 pages of advice, I think pretty much all the bases have been covered.

Have fun with Linux. It is a wonderful operating system and one that I enjoy using very, very much.

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 5:06 am
by Sam0789
Have FUN with it...!!!

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:52 am
by heavy metal
Corvus wrote:Another newbie here and I have a question: What do you get when you "learn" linux? My usage is pretty simple: Internet, email, read/write documents, and the occasional music/movies. I've been spending lot of time tweaking things and customizing the desktop to suit my taste, but should I even bother learning about using the terminal and what not if my usage is limited to simple tasks? As much as I would love to learn more about Linux, my time is limited and would rather spend more time learning Wordpress.
You get knowledge and knowledge is power, do you want to stay a linux newbie for ever??? When you want to use linux you must learn, at least learn how the system works, if you encounter a problem and don't know how to fix, that little knowledge will help you a lot when asking for help in forums!

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 2:38 am
by simonbrown
heavy metal wrote:
Corvus wrote:Another newbie here and I have a question: What do you get when you "learn" linux? My usage is pretty simple: Internet, email, read/write documents, and the occasional music/movies. I've been spending lot of time tweaking things and customizing the desktop to suit my taste, but should I even bother learning about using the terminal and what not if my usage is limited to simple tasks? As much as I would love to learn more about Linux, my time is limited and would rather spend more time learning Wordpress.
You get knowledge and knowledge is power, do you want to stay a linux newbie for ever??? When you want to use linux you must learn, at least learn how the system works, if you encounter a problem and don't know how to fix, that little knowledge will help you a lot when asking for help in forums!
Nothing wrong in just using Linux Mint desktops to use applications IMHO. Most of the time that's all I do, though I do use the terminal occasionally. Mint Cinnamon gives me an easy to use, intuitive desktop and a set of perfectly good applications that just work. It is worth a newbie browsing the applications and software manager to see if there are things there that might be useful or interesting to them. GIMP for image creation for someone wordpress oriented would be a likely one. What nobody tells you at first is the wide variety of addons and scripts that special interest groups create, e.g. on deviantart for GIMP users. Finding this out with no initial knowledge is a bit hit and miss. There are also a lot of facilities in Cinnamon that are not overt, that may require a bit of exploration - looking up the shortcut keys in the keyboard settings for example, or working out how to use workspaces. There is a lot of assumption of knowledge of the basic stuff that is assumed by the experienced, even on the you tube tutorials that various folks have done - you see these large menus with loads of applications, favourites, cairo dock installed, applets etc. Getting all this stuff in there is non-obvious for the newbie. Took me ages to find out I could right click on menu items to create favouries, for example, and after around 2-3 years of using Linux half of every day I have only just found the links to report bugs hiding in plain sight under 'get involved' on the main website.

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2014 6:20 pm
by ron_h
LMDE 201403 Cinnamon 64bit

I've just read through the 21 pages and the main thing I didn't do when I installed a month or so ago is set up a separate /home partition. While there are some posts that say this is unnecessary, it seems to me to be a good idea.

UPDATED 2 I've read elsewhere that having a /home partition is not a good idea if you intend to run multiple distros, or multiple versions of one distro, on the same hard drive as they get confused. So It no longer seems to be such a good idea :-( and I won't be creating a /home partition.

I know I can set up a separate /home partition after LM is installed, using Gparted from my LMDE Live USB stick. How do I move the contents of /home to the /home partition from the main partition so that the system recognises this is what I have done ? Oh, and (I guess) ensure the /home on the main partition is deleted ?

Ron

UPDATED to make clearer what I was really asking :-) I hope

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 4:21 am
by millpond
Corvus wrote:Another newbie here and I have a question: What do you get when you "learn" linux? My usage is pretty simple: Internet, email, read/write documents, and the occasional music/movies. I've been spending lot of time tweaking things and customizing the desktop to suit my taste, but should I even bother learning about using the terminal and what not if my usage is limited to simple tasks? As much as I would love to learn more about Linux, my time is limited and would rather spend more time learning Wordpress.
To put it in a nutshell, there is no real reason to learn about Linux.
As long as your hardware is compatible with it.

Some people just want a computer, like a TV: To work.
And have better things to do than putter with 'puters.

Linux has reached the stage where it basically 'just works'.
The lil lady who has no great love for techie things likes Linux because it has everything she needs: Firefox and LibreOffice and all work fine, while she never has to worry about getting infected visiting a recipe site, like on Win.

For me Mint (LMDE) is a toy to play with, and half the time I live out of rooted terminals putzing with compilers and website admin programs.
Win also has alot of command line power, but nothing approaching Linux. Its a matter of *really* being in control of a medium that in Win format is trying to control me. Here *I* win.

When doing this in their Linux equivalents of Word docs, or spreadsheets, or powerpoint presentations - if you have problems with M$ there is only a money sucking support scam to help you out. Here there is an entire community, of planetary breadth, willing to assist.

Linux is a philosophy of co-operation : plain and simple. unneeded by most, but still very real and very present.
We do not want your money.

Yet, my main tip for a Newbie is ALWAYS keep a win machine up and working. Some very useful apps may not be available in Linux, though a surprising abount of Win utils will work fine in Wine.

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie? Emergency Kit

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:29 pm
by MacLindroid
I usually carry an 8GB Transcend thumb drive with me. It is a bootable Mint 17 Qiana Cinnamon system, ready to boot anybody's computer to run as live session, or to install Mint from, or to resque data on a Windows computer. On the drive, there is extra space for setup files for various applications as well.

Come prepared! :D

Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2014 5:03 pm
by flyer531
If you currently have Windows installed the i recommend you dual-boot Linux and Windows in case you don't like Linux or have to do some stuff you only currently now how to do on Windows or if you have some software that only runs on Windows, and... Have Fun!

/Home folder Re: What are your top tips for a Newbie?

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2014 8:54 pm
by MacLindroid
Always keep a recent backup copy of your entire /HOME folder. When you do a new install or version upgrade copy this entire folder and paste into your new installation. In this way, setting up your new installation will be super easy as your Thunderbird or Evolution mail clients come configured and all you mail settings and emails will be there.

I am not a techie but just a user who is sort of becoming confident. I always use Lyckybackup as it can be set to do scheduled backups and I have two primary partitions for data backup on my hard drive. One is used to sync my /Home every six hours and the other does a weekly backup. I also do a weekly backup to an external hard drive.

Tonight, I have installed Mint onto an 8GB flash drive and then copied my /Home folder to my profile on flash. Once again, everything just worked and there is no hassle in configuring anything then.

More technically minded folks obviously can state this in a better way, but you get the gist of it and it can save lots of time in future.