Another Linux Noob!

[alcanz]

Hello All and Happy New Year,

Well...  Where to start?  I'm pretty much the complete noob when it comes to Linux. However, LL has already won my heart, despite the multiple problems I've had since starting a couple of days ago. None of the problems were due to LL, and I'll probably give an account of one of them later, as others may find it helpful.  In fact, LL was a dream to download, prepare (Etcher) and install, and I was highly impressed. The problems really started after I decided to split my drive, reformat and reinstall, but again, they turned out to be nothing to do with LL, which was doing its best all along.

I started in computers with CP/M - built up a CP/M system (Yep, soldered all the chips!) with 64KB & 2 x 8" 1.2MB floppy drives -- and MON'09 - Motorola's 6809 SDK, and was a DOS geek for a while... Spent many hours writing Batch files.

When I first used an -ix version it was CLI-only and ran on a 286 (for those who can relate), but though I was very impressed, had no reason or budget to buy a system back then, so never continued with it. In typical human fashion, the best marketed product won despite being inferior, but Windows may have finally had its day.  I've tried one or two Linux installs in the last year or two, but never felt any affinity for them. That all changed with Lite, so I'm really looking forward to getting deeper into it.

FWIW, I'm really good at breaking things, making mistakes (like forgetting to check my Spam folder for the Authentication e-mail  :-[ ) and finding bugs - and offering ideas on occasion, so I expect you'll hear more from me.  I look forward to participating, and will try not to bug you with questions that are already answered here or in the manual!  :o

Regards,
Al

[Artim]

[move]Welcome![/move]

You'll find Linux Lite has lots of supercool tools to make life easy for Linux newcomers.  Almost always point-and-click rather than open the dark, powerful, scary Terminal (which seems like a Sith Holocron to a technophobic boy like me).

I started keeping a journal of all the things I did in my Linux install, what worked, what didn't work, what broke, and how I fixed it.  After a bit I could look up answers from my own journal for problems I might have encountered before.

You'll love Linux Lite!  Great first distro for beginners.  Enjoy!

[alcanz]

Thanks Artim,

Yes, a journal sounds like a great idea. Already, I am finding "I read that somewhere - but now - where?" is happening frequently.

Could you clarify for me please, regarding the Dark Vader "Terminal" - is the name now really just a carry over from the old days when computers were accessed through dumb terminals connected by a serial cable, or does it still have some legitimate Terminal options / functions?

Within LL, it looks to me much like a DOS-Window in the dreaded Microsoft OS... 

Also, CLI - is that just an umbrella term for all of the above, or something different again?

[Artim]

Could you clarify for me please, regarding the Dark Vader "Terminal" - is the name now really just a carry over from the old days when computers were accessed through dumb terminals connected by a serial cable, or does it still have some legitimate Terminal options / functions?

Also, CLI - is that just an umbrella term for all of the above, or something different again?

The terminal is the Command Line Interface (CLI), like the DOS interface in Windows.  It's actually an awesome secret weapon, very powerful and in a lot of instances and tasks,  it's actually simpler and easier than using a Graphical User Interface (GUI) (pointy and clicky).  But it used to always made me nervous to use the Terminal, which is why I still think of it as a Sith holocron, lol.
;D

[Teddy]

Welcome Al! Enjoy your stay and enjoy Linux Lite!

Most of us (me included) essentially use the terms 'Terminal', 'Command Line' or 'CLI' interchangeability as synonyms. Even Linux Lite itself lists its command line interface as the 'Linux Lite Terminal'.

Kind regards,
Theo

[TheDead]

Hi and Welcome!

Well, if you did some DOS and batch files in the day... pretty sure terminal won't scare you if need be.
Don't need Terminal for "normal user" use though, except maybe installing some programs not in the package manager.

Have fun!

[alcanz]

Thanks Guys!  ;D

I'm already having too much fun. 

Yes, true, the Terminal doesn't scare me much, but I've been reminded of how pedantic (case sensitive) it always was, and how you have to put capitals eXactly where It expects them.  DOS was not quite so strict.  I can see that even Unix programmers sometimes have trouble with that.

I'm currently having trouble with System Suspend (Sleep in Windows lingo), but haven't given it much of a chance yet. It doesn't seem to play nice, so far - lost its network connection overnight. And other weirdness. I'm probably up for another fresh install already...  :

Yeah, I'm good at breaking stuff.  ???

[TheDead]

I had trouble with some wireless network card with suspend even in Windows so it's sometimes in the drivers/hardware/magical-kingdom category.
Try using changing from S3,S4 or S5 in the computer's BIOS if you can.
Most trouble with network cards I have is with the Broadcom brand, even on servers :-( .

[alcanz]

Yo TheDead!

Great advice, thank you.  I haven't found time to do any more on that yet, but the other weird thing I get is that when I log back on after an auto-suspend, there's always an "Authentication required" popup on screen, wanting permission to Suspend. Doesn't happen (as far as I have noticed) if I manually Suspend, but more testing (i.e. time) required. It held its connection that time, which may not make sense. I have to pay more attention to whether it's actually suspended or not (from auto-suspend).  May not be, which would be even weirder.

Yes, I used to have no end of problems with it in Windows, but in recent years it seems to have improved a great deal. All my machines (7 & 8.1) and wife's 10, suspend and resume nicely at present, Touch Wood... Not going to 10 myself, as you've no doubt guessed.

[robinc]

Yo TheDead!
..... when I log back on after an auto-suspend, there's always an "Authentication required" popup on screen, wanting permission to Suspend. Doesn't happen (as far as I have noticed) if I manually Suspend, but more testing (i.e. time) required. It held its connection that time, which may not make sense. I have to pay more attention to whether it's actually suspended or not (from auto-suspend). 

Have a look at Power Manager>Security Tab. May be worth disabling that to see if it has a effect.