First steps in Linux - corrections
Sat, 2006-08-26 22:04
I'm wondering what you think about the section First steps in Linux? It contains guides about: software installation, file system hierarhy and disks in Linux, root account, popular apps and using the console. The article on networking is still in development.
What do you think should be added to this page? What are the main problems people get in after installing GNU/Linux?
Feel free to post any ideas here. We're very interested in your opinion.
from the installation article:
TGZ, a traditional package format used in Slackware, as well as Arch Linux and KateOS
That is wrong. Arch Linux' package format is quite different from slackware's. Slackware doesn't package any dependency information or anything, package files end in .tgz. Arch stores information in the package root alongside the contents, package files end in pkg.tar.gz. Frugalware's format is pretty much identical to Arch's (both use pacman), but is IIRC compressed with bz2 (unsure about that) and files end in .fpm to distinguish from informationless archives.
Haven't put much thought into the whole matter, but you don't like wrong information on your site, right ?
Yes and even KateOS doesn't use exact slackware packaging method either. Their package management system is called tgzex and they package all dependancies within the package rather than the information on how to get them.
Installing software
1. You forgot yum in the first list of package managers.
2.
No, that's not the traditional way, that's the proprietary software way.
3.
That should be a — (entity code —). See this.
4.
I think you can figure this out.
5. "./" doesn't mean "run this app". It means the "current directory/" .
6. Say that binary installers can damage your system if you run them as root (which is usually required to have them do anything useful), since no one except the people who made it know what's inside.
7. Compiling KDE can literally take days. I stopped it after like 36 hours.
8. The link to the compiler Wikipedia article is broken.
9. Mention sourceinstall.
10.
No, it's not. Most of the time precompiled binary packages have what you want.
Root
1.
-Once again with the —.
-It'd be best to avoid anything that has a chance of being considered religious. Replace "god-" with "powerful ".
2.
Not always. Programs can be installed to home directories.
3.
Should be "Why logging in as".
4.
It's one of the key rules of Unix OSs, not all OSs.
5.
Forgot the "can the" between "Why" and "root"
6.
Note that they typically have much less holes than Windows software, and when a hole is discovered it's usually fixed fast.
7.
s/your/you/
8.
It could still corrupt encrypted things, but not understand them.
9.
That's not a question. If you want to make it one, change it to "How can I use the root account reasonably?"
10.
Check your spelling.
11.
I don't think that's a word. Change it to "isn't recommeneded".
12.
Actually su is easiest because you don't have to abandon the session you're currently in.
13.
That's bound to get some flames. Get rid of the "strange".
14.
I think you can figure this one out.
15.
Those should be two different sentences.
Popular apps
http://libervis.com/wiki/index.php?title=Table_of_Equivalent_Software
Filesystem and disks
1.
Should be "(and all other Unices)".
2.
Not what we know, what Windows users know.
3.
s/tha/the/
4. "Folder" is not a Unix term. They're called directories.
5.
Once again with the —.
More to come...
To everyone - thanks for feedback. Sorry for group reply e-mail but I just though it is be more handy to sum up the corrections in one post.
from the installation article:
TGZ, a traditional package format used in Slackware, as well as Arch Linux and KateOS
That is wrong. Arch Linux' package format is quite different from slackware's[...]
Corrected.
you don't like wrong information on your site, right ?
Sure I don't. This is one of the reasons this forum exists and we can cooperate to make the site better
You forgot yum in the first list of package managers.
No I haven't. It's mentioned in the article. Still, the idea for this article is to present different ways of installing software in GNU/Linux, not to list all available software managers.
searching the web, downloading the app, double clicking on it, hoping there is no malware inside, clicking the “Next†a hundred times, using it.
No, that's not the traditional way, that's the proprietary software way.
It's the traditional way in Windows. It's just an abbreviation. Anyway, I added a not that it concerns prorietary software only, since "traditional" in Linux means "compile from sources" rather than "use a binary installer".
Another part of the fixes... Not root account, popular software and fie systems...
Thanks for your help. Haven't I mentioned we needed a corrector?
Root
1.
Root is a UNIX default name for system administrator - a god-user who can do everything.
-It'd be best to avoid anything that has a chance of being considered religious. Replace "god-" with "powerful ".
I put "master-user" instead.
2.
[Root is needed for...] installing software
Not always. Programs can be installed to home directories.
Corrected:
installing software -> installing system-wide software
4.
One of the key rules of operating systems
It's one of the key rules of Unix OSs, not all OSs.
I meant "key rules common to all secure operating systems".
[...]
13.
Another way of executing commands as root it to use a strange command:
That's bound to get some flames. Get rid of the "strange".
Removed.
Popular apps
http://libervis.com/wiki/index.php?title=Table_of_Equivalent_Software
Added a link to this page at the bottom. Is it a login-only page?
Filesystem and disks
1.
(and other unixes)
Should be "(and all other Unices)".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix
"Several plural forms of Unix are used to refer to multiple brands of Unix and Unix-like systems. Most common is the conventional "Unixes", but the hacker culture which created Unix has a penchant for playful use of language, and "Unices" (treating Unix as Latin word) is also popular. The Anglo-Saxon plural form "Unixen" is not common, although occasionally seen."
The spelling is not set, yet, I believe. But I changed it to the "hacker culture" way
2.
differs a lot from what we know from the Windows systems.
Not what we know, what Windows users know.
Well, most of us used Windows, at least this is the assumption I made. I changed it to: "The file system organization in GNU/Linux (and other Unices) differs a lot from what you may be familiar with (the Windows way of doing things)."
4. "Folder" is not a Unix term. They're called directories.
I use folder and directory interchangeably in the vortal and this is on purpose. The word "folder" has been already adopted in Gnome ("Create folder") so you cannot say it's a Windows-only word now.
Waiting for more suggestions... as detailed as this one. It really helps make the website look much more professional and POLISHED.