Linux/Server/Network question from a beginner

longhornjoe03

longhornjoe03

100+ Posts
I'm in the process of putting together a server (my first) and would like to use Linux as an operating system on the new box. I've never touched Linux as an OS, so I'm looking to start with something fairly basic. I'm not clueless (am almost finished studying for a Network+ cert), but I'm still looking for something that won't totally overwhelm me.

What distributions would some of you recommend that I check out, and where would I be able to find them? I've looked through linux.org, but I can't seem to find a free distribution that I would be able to just jump right into.
 
i use mandrake 9.2

its pretty similiar to windows and i'm VERY slowly learning the console (or should i say konsole
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) commands.

get mandrake free here. i've learned that mandrake hates usb mouses and so have an extra ps2 rdy if u have one lying around.

The Link
 
I personally prefer RedHat.

What type of server are you building? Linux works best in that function, be it a web server or a file server. I use it on my desktop at work - but I also have a laptop with Windows when I need something that isn't yet Linux-friendly.

The best way to learn is trial and error. Get some books or online faqs and start configuring different setups. Become comfortable with a command line editor like vi. Be patient. I started using Linux five years ago and I still learn new things every day.
 
I guess that this might be a good opportunity to get some other advice about the my "server" project, too.

Like I said in the above post, the computer will, for all purposes, be in a single-user environment.

- Backup capability isn't a huge concern for me, I'll have anything important backed up on cd. RAID probably won't be a big concern.

- I'm not a big gamer, but I would like to have enough video/memory resources to watch dvd's and possibly do some minor video/graphic editing.

Here's what I've got so far:

- Linksys hub and router
- 200GB Seagate Barracuda EIDE HD
- A Capable CD-R/DVD player
- A good measure of determination/ambition

Here's what I'm still looking at buying:

- CPU: I'm leaning toward going with an AMD based on price/performance. Here's the one I have in mind: Athlon XP 3200+
- Motherboard (as part of a barebone kit). I've got my eye on this guy: SOYO KT-600 Dragon
- RAM: At least 1-2 GB of 3200 DDR 400.
- Video: Not sure yet, but it'd be nice to have a TV Tuner hookup.
- Audio: Not incredibly worried about the sound, just as long as it can put out Dolby Pro-Logic 5.

As you can probably tell, I've got a bit of a project on my hands, but I'm treating it as a learning experience that I'm going to use in the very near future to my advantage(hopefully). If anyone has any other suggestions or feedback if you've been in a similar situation, I'd LOVE to hear it.
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Find a stress reliever.
Budget a lot of time.
Get familiar with mailing list/newgroup archives, irc, and google.
Print out the basic vi commands.
Print out a basic Regex tutorial.
Make sure you have an internet connection while setting up the machine.
Learn basic network topology/terminology.
There are many Linux HOWTO sites. Go read up on them.
See if there is a Linux Users Group (LUG) in your town.
Read the man pages and other docs at least twice before you ask questions unless you want to get bitchslapped. You'll still get slapped.

You'll probably be picking between RedHat, Mandrake, SuSE, Slackware, or Debian. Last time I tried Redhat it installed a ton of crap I didn't need... it felt like Windows.

If you're serious about learning about linux you probably will eventually want to put together the OS one piece at a time and learn what all the processes are doing.

When I cut my teeth on FreeBSD I found couple great help sites, a newbie friendly irc channel, and did lots of googling.
 
If you REALLY want to learn, use Gentoo
You'll have to spend time setting it up, but the documentation is excellent and you will actually learn how things work in linux. It Rocks.
 
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