Welcome to #Linux.
This channel has been in existence since 17 September, 1995; quite a
long time by any standards. During its 12 year history
#Linux has had its ups and downs;
periods of tranquility and fierce debate. We like to think that
#Linux has now
entered a mature stage and will be free of the obstacles that have
impeded its growth in the past.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s linuxguru.net has served as the
semi-official website for the channel. There you could find news,
articles, tips, etc. contributed by channel regulars. It is now defunct,
but you can have a taste of linuxguru.net in
this small article.
#Linux is now under new (and
improved) management. It has shifted its focus from being an exclusively
technical discussion channel to one of help and discussion. Yes, you
can get help (a lot of it) in #Linux, but you are well advised
to read the rules section first
and stick to them when you seek advice. It is also important that you
should try to help yourself by reading the man pages, the documentation
included in your distro, as well as the amazing variety of howtos at
The Linux
Documentation Project before asking for help.
Apart from these resources, the internet houses millions and millions
of pages dedicated to Linux issues. You can
be fairly certain that you are not the first person who has encountered
a problem that you are totally unable to solve. The best way to search
for previous solutions, ideas, insights is to use the
Google search engine. Even if you
cannot understand what the man pages say about your particular problem,
do Google it. This is the least that
is expected from you.
Although we pride ourselves for being a friendly channel, do not expect
to be spoon-fed. Help in the form of extended handholding maybe offered
(as in the case of issues where a moment of inadverdent typing causes
irrecoverable loss) but it does not last long and is not the preferred
method.
It goes without saying that the amount of help that you are likely to
receive will entirely depend on your attitude, the way you formulate
your problem, and the degree to which you have researched the problem
before asking for help.
If you are very new to Linux or thinking of
emigrating to it, do consider using a
live Linux
CD before installing anything on your computer. There are some
excellent live CDs around and they will show you what you can reasonably
expect from Linux. If you like it
you can go on installing a Linux distribution of your choice
later on.
The choice between different Linux distributions
invariably involves a degree of personal judgment. So, please do not
ask which distro is the best. It is similar to asking which car is the
best. It all depends on what you are going to do with it and different
persons have different ideas about the purpose of a car.
Now, sit back, relax and enjoy the wonderful world of
Linux.