While the Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide digs into more of the nuts and bolts of your Red Hat Linux system, it is critical to make sure you have documentation that is appropriate to your level of Linux expertise. Regardless of your experience with Linux, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed without the right documentation.
Let's take a look at three categories of people using Red Hat Linux, and try to be more explicit in terms of the documentation you'll need. Let's start by figuring out your experience level. Here are the three basic categories:
Has never used any Linux (or Linux-like) operating system before, or has had only limited exposure to Linux. May or may not have experience using other operating systems (such as Windows). Is this you? If so, please turn to the section called Documentation For First-Time Linux Users.
Has installed and successfully used Linux (but not Red Hat Linux) before. Or, may have equivalent experience with other Linux-like operating systems. Does this describe you? If so, please turn to the section called For the More Experienced.
Has installed and successfully used Red Hat Linux before. Are you an old-timer? If so, please turn to the section called Documentation for Linux Gurus.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." This old saying can be applied to learning about your Red Hat Linux system. Learning to use a Linux system effectively can be a long, rewarding journey, in which you find that you can easily do things about which people with other operating systems can only dream. But like all journeys, you've got to start somewhere, and take that first step.
First, get yourself some documentation! This cannot be stressed enough; without documentation you will only become frustrated at your inability to get your Red Hat Linux system working the way you want.
Here's the sort of Linux documentation you should get your hands on:
A brief history of Linux — Many aspects of Linux are the way they are because of historical precedent. There is also a Linux culture that, again, is based to a great deal on past history. A bit of knowledge about the history of Linux will serve you well, particularly as you interact with more experienced Linux users on the Internet.
An explanation of how Linux works — While it's not necessary to delve into the most arcane aspects of the Linux kernel, it's a good idea to know something about how Linux is put together. This is particularly important if you've been working with other operating systems; some of the assumptions you hold about how computers work may not transfer from that operating system to Linux. A few paragraphs that discuss how Linux works (and particularly how it differs from the operating system you're used to) can be invaluable in getting off to a good start with your Red Hat Linux system.
An introductory command overview (with examples) — This is probably the most important thing to look for in Linux documentation. The design philosophy behind Linux is that it's better to use many small commands connected together in different ways than it is to have a few large (and complex) commands that do the whole job themselves. Without some examples that illustrate the Linux approach to doing things, you will find yourself intimidated by the sheer number of commands available on your Red Hat Linux system.
Here is some additional direction that may help to match all of your requirements:
Books — Linux for Dummies, by John "maddog" Hall, published by IDG; Using Linux, by William H. Ball, published by Que; Running Linux, by Matt Welsh and Lar Kaufman, published by O'Reilly & Associates; Red Hat Linux Secrets, by Naba Barkakati, published by IDG.
Red Hat's website — At our very own website (http://www.redhat.com), you'll find links to the Linux Documentation Project (LDP), the Official Red Hat Linux Installation Guide, the Official Red Hat Linux Getting Started Guide, FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions), a database which can help you search for a Linux Users Group near you, a knowledgebase of information, and more. In short, you'll find a wealth of information to help you get started.
Newsgroups — Linux users are second to none when it comes to helping new users understand Linux. You can find dozens of Linux-related newsgroups on the Usenet, but a quick search through Deja.com (http://www.deja.com) shows:
Also, from the Deja.com website, you can frequently search for specific information from Linux newsgroups.
Continue reading the next section to find out more about the kinds of documentation that will help you at that point.
If you've used other Linux distributions, you probably already have a basic grasp of the most frequently used commands. You may have installed your own Linux system, and maybe you've even downloaded and built software you found on the Internet. What sorts of information will you need?
Task-oriented items — Many times, you will find that you would like to configure your Red Hat Linux system in a certain way, but you're not sure where to begin. In this case, it's often a big help to see what others in similar circumstances have done. This is where the Linux Documentation Project (also known as the LDP) can come in handy. Each of their HOWTOs document a particular aspect of Linux, from low-level kernel esoterica, to using Linux for amateur radio station work.
If you selected one of the various HOWTO packages when you installed Red Hat Linux, you'll find the HOWTOs on your system in /usr/share/doc/HOWTO.
If you're a long-time Red Hat Linux user, you probably already know that the following pretty much says it all when it comes to documentation:
Use the Force — Read the source!
There are times when you'll just have to sit there and look at the sources to understand things. Fortunately, because of the freely available nature of Linux, it's easy to get the sources. Now if it were only that easy to understand them…