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Basic tasks for new Linux users

Help! I got my Linux installed. Now what?

Ian Shields, Senior Programmer, IBM

Ian Shields works on a multitude of Linux projects for the developerWorks Linux zone. He is a Senior Programmer at IBM at the Research Triangle Park, NC. He joined IBM in Canberra, Australia, as a Systems Engineer in 1973, and has since worked on communications systems and pervasive computing in Montreal, Canada, and RTP, NC. He has several patents. His undergraduate degree is in pure mathematics and philosophy from the Australian National University. He has an M.S. and Ph.D. in computer science from North Carolina State University. You can contact Ian at ishields@us.ibm.com.

Summary: If you're a Windows user, you may find your new Linux system to be a bit different from what you're used to. One of your first tasks will probably be installing additional software, including some of IBM's extensive software for Linux. In many cases, installing software on a Linux system requires you to log in, become the super user (or root) for some tasks, open a terminal or shell window, and mount a CD-ROM, DVD, or USB drive. This article guides you through these basic first-time user tasks and more.

Date: 19 Nov 2011 (Published 07 Apr 2011)
Level: Introductory
PDF: A4 and Letter (1492 KB | 51 pages)Get Adobe® Reader®

Activity: 277266 views
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Introduction

If you're a Windows user who wants to try Linux, and you are new to Linux, this tutorial is for you. We'll cover a few basic tasks that may be different from what you are used to. We'll cover these tasks:

Login: Logging in and understanding the Linux desktop
Navigation and settings: Tweaking settings to suit your personal needs
Command line access: When you really need to work at the command line
Becoming superuser (or root): When ordinary user authority isn't enough
Using a GUI application as another user: Getting comfortable with multi-user system capabilities
Removable devices: Using removable media and making sure you don't lose data when you detach removable devices
Logout: When you're done for a while or need a panel icon for logout or other applications
Adding users and groups: Adding more users or user groups to your system

These instructions and examples focus on three popular distributions and their default graphical desktops:

Fedora 14 using a GNOME desktop
OpenSUSE 11.3 using a KDE 4 desktop
Ubuntu 10.10 using a GNOME desktop

Other distributions, desktops, and window managers are available, and we encourage you to explore further on your own. Even if some of the information here is specific to a particular distribution and even a particular version of a distribution, what you learn here should help you navigate a strange distribution. Because this tutorial simply aims to help you get started, you won't find information on more advanced tasks like recompiling your kernel or installing software. We recommend our no-charge Linux (LPI) certification self-study guides for deeper information.

At the time of writing, GNOME 3 is likely to be available soon. Expect changes in that user interface from what is described here.

Before using these instructions, install a Linux system and create at least one non-root user as part of your installation process.

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