Complete noob with obsessive tendencies

[helenakat]

it isnt mandatory to learn coding
little reading is enough, like how to update your system.

people here will help if something goes awry.

i meant that i choose to read that being obsessive is good thing! (i need to focus on being very clear in what i say sorry about that lol)
i'm really enjoying the coding lessons so far!
and yeah it's pretty evident that people here will help, it's absorbing a bit of my panic!

 

[helenakat]

The Debian Administrators Handbook is a real gem if you have the time to read.

You have presented me with a book! I shall make time to read it! and the other resources too!

thank you so much!!

 

[helenakat]

Welcome, welcome. Nice to have you with us; you're exactly the kind of person we like, and try to help to the best of our abilities.

thank you so much for saying that!

I've never been one for dithering about; once I make my mind up about something, I usually "go for it".

Lucky!

You know what I found? That the "learning curve" was nowhere NEAR as steep as many made it out to be. Linux is NOT Windows, that's absolutely true.....but there's still enough familiar points of reference that the transition doesn't HAVE to be painful. A willingness to embrace new concepts - such as that of installing software from a central repository rather than surfing the web to find stuff - along with being prepared to try out different ways of doing things, etc, will stand you in good stead.

it's good to know that it's not as hard as some people make it seem to be! i worry because of my obsessive nature and i don't have a lot of tech related experience, except for taking apart a 1998 windows desktop - that was presumed dead - and putting it back together 20-ish years ago because i wanted to fix it(my parents refused to plug it in at the time for "reasonable" safety reasons since i was like 10).

(Puppy's a marvellous wee distro, and can totally transform elderly hardware.....though the user needs to be of a "tinkering" persuasion. If you are.....the sky's the limit.)

now that is amazing news! because on a far away shelf some very elderly machines are gathering dust (because i refuse to let them be thrown away!) so when i get back home i'll have a lot of fun resurrecting them!!!

To this end, I too suggest Linux Mint as being one of the very best for complete noobs.

that does seem to be the consensus!

thank you so much for taking the time to write your very informative and kind response! I truly appreciate it!

 

[Perpetual Padawan]

And don't let the "Linux snobs" tell you that you're in a lower class of computer users if you're not into the super-duper-hyper-technical advanced tech stuff. When they gave me a hard time for using "a kiddie distro" (Linux Mint), but said it was okay "until you are ready." Ready for what? It prompted this post in defense of "kiddie distros." Enjoy!

 

[Alexzee]

You have presented me with a book! I shall make time to read it! and the other resources too!

thank you so much!!

You're welcome.
Glad I could help.

It's a learning curve but it will be well worth it.

 

[KGIII]

When they gave me a hard time for using "a kiddie distro" (Linux Mint), but said it was okay "until you are ready."

I'd like to think the source of that wasn't from this site. Heck, we have a lot of Mint fans. Even I have a device that runs Mint, and I'm pretty geeky. My other distro of choice is Lubuntu. So, no, I don't think the degree of difficulty equates to anything other than the degree of difficulty. Using something like Arch or Gentoo doesn't make someone more geeky; it just means they use those distros.

 

[Rocketing-warp9]

Using something like Arch or Gentoo doesn't make someone more geeky; it just means they use those distros.

Technically, you can say You run Gentoo and use Chrome/Chromium OS as it's a fork.
I Agree, Like. a lego set, You take it apart and it looks the same with bricks!
(I'm Becoming more and more "Lego" in my analogies....)

 

[KGIII]

Technically, you can say You run Gentoo and use Chrome/Chromium OS as it's a fork.

Yeah, that's like saying Android is Linux. It's technically true, but so far abstracted from the origin that it might as well be considered a different animal altogether.

It's also true that you can use Manjaro while claiming that you use Arch. Woe betide those who use Manjaro and go to the Arch forums for support! There will be scathing comments and an effort to revoke your geek card.

 

[Perpetual Padawan]

"He's probably not an Arch user."

"How can you tell?"

"It's been 5 minutes already and he hasn't mentioned it."

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

I'd like to think the source of that wasn't from this site. Heck, we have a lot of Mint fans.

I've never felt belittled for using Mint. It does everything I need it to do and more. I know I'll be using some of the other distros the deeper I get into studies, but now I don't more than I have right now.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Mint is as good a place to start your Linux journey as any.

When I stopped using Windows in 2014, I had Linux Mint, Ubuntu and Zorin on within 72 hours.

12 years on, and I run 85 distros on this rig, a Dell Inspiron laptop. Mint remains one of my Faves.

BTW Helena, I have Panic Disorder and OCD along with 6 other mental health disorders, so if I can make it, there is hope for you.

Welcome to linux.org

Friday here in Oz, so

Avgudweegend, all

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz