<< First Page    < Previous Page    Next Page >    Last Page >>

9) Rules of thumb to Linux system

1)   If you do not know something, look it up. You can find a lot of info about commands by typing 'man <command>', or even '<command> --help'. You can also run 'info <command>'. Online documentation can be found in http://www.linuxdoc.org – It includes, among other things, HOWTOs which might help you solve specific problem, or to understand some process. You could also look in newsgroups. You might find that newsgroups deal with global set of problems, common problems, etc. in a manner designed for both "newbies" and "Pros".

2)   Backup. Many hours would have been saved if people would have copied the configuration file to a backup location *before* they changed it. Use 'cp <file> <file.bkup>' to do the trick, and save yourself lots of time.

3)   Learn your system. Learn where programs and configuration files are located. Learn what runs in your machine, how to start/stop/restart services and programs, where you put configuration files, and how important files look like. This knowledge, acquired when the system is up and running, might save you lots of time when there is some problem where the system is down.

4)   Know your hardware. There are meanings to what chip your network card is made with, for example. When you know that, you can troubleshoot most of any hardware related problem (i.e – specific sound card which doesn't work with video card when in slot number N).

5)   Learn and update. Linux is probably a new thing to you, and even if not, things always get updated. When updates and newer version might be on daily basis, you should considering keeping up-to-date. Bug fixes and new features might answer your newer needs, or solve old problems. You don't have to, and most of the important things are the same, but it just might be worth it.