[clue-tech] LXDE -- New Desktop for Old/Slow Machines

[Nate Duehr]

Louis Miller wrote:
> Hey folks,
> 
>     I have been trying to learn Linux 

[snip...]

This is probably one of the greatest "misconceptions" about Unix/Linux.

1. You don't really "learn Linux"... you learn all the pieces that make 
up your Linux distribution and maybe also build and play with some 
things that didn't come with it if you feel brave enough to venture away 
from the comfort of pre-packaged binaries and do some building of your 
own from source code.

You can "learn the GNOME Desktop", or "learn how to drive OpenOffice", 
or "learn some basic -- or advanced -- Perl", or "learn the bash shell 
-- or any other", "learn where my distro puts all the configuration 
files for networking, X, the mail server -- or whatever", learn 
"Sendmail -- or postfix, or whatever MTA", or "learn how to 
compile/build common C/C++ open-source programs", or...

You get the idea... you can't really "learn Linux".  The rabbit hole 
just continually gets deeper and deeper.  Curiouser and curiouser, I 
dare-say.  (Gratuitous Alice in Wonderland plugs here, but culturally 
Monty Python jokes go over better with Linux geeks.)

The other misconception is that the learning ends.  :-)

While you're "learning Linux", I am too.  (As well as everyone else 
here.)  We're just all learning different things -- at different rates.

And that's kinda what makes it fun.  I've spent many many years playing 
the roles of "sysadmin" and "network troubleshooter" using Linux, but 
there are some folks out there that can make a Java application under 
Tomcat stand up, sing and dance... and I'll never do that.

I can show them how to plan and prepare for package upgrades, how to 
configure iptables to protect their public machine, get the networking 
design and speeds right for their app... yadda yadda yadda.  But without 
their knowledge, the machine isn't doing anything of value for anyone. 
Continually learning about things (because the things you can learn are 
literally never-ending... open-source coders can create more tools 
faster than you can possibly keep up), is interesting.

It can also be frustrating when you learn that your favorite tool has 
been "deprecated" for something new and fancy, with a completely 
different syntax for configuration, etc.

So don't worry about it too much if you feel "lost".  We've all been 
there.  Pick something you're interested in and use/learn that.  It'll 
lead to something else, which will lead to something else...

You can see some examples in the old-timers here on the list.  I can 
think of who I'd ask if I had a heavy-hitter graphics question (Michael 
Hammel) or a deep RedHat OS/configuration/build issue (Sean 
Reifschneider) or... well, that list goes on and on for a while around 
here.  Lots of experts hiding in the wings.

Number one thing:  Learn a good text editor and learn it's advanced 
features.  (And that may take you your whole life, too.)  GRIN...

Nate