This is the last article of The Linux Project. Contained in this article are the many lessons I learned from working with Linux. A thanks to everyone who has read this series, even if you haven't posted any comments. Thanks to Rob for allowing this sort of thing at a political web site. Blessed be one and all!

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The Linux Project XIII
Concluding thoughts: things I learned in the process of writing The Linux Project.

The Linux Project began because of a difficulty I had in setting PHLAK Linux 0.21 up on this machine. Instead of getting completely angry and giving up on the idea of edging away from Microsoft's PC software stranglehold, I decided it was time to do some research to find out if there were, in fact, friendly, usable, and stable Linux distributions that would bring me close to my ideal of a Microsoft-free computer. I found out, much to my own joy, that there were, in fact, decent Linux distributions available.

I also learned a few other things along the way. I would be remiss in my chosen duty with The Linux Project not to share these discoveries. Therefore, I will now share with you some things I discovered. I would call them rules, but when it comes to Linux, there are very few rules indeed.

If at first you don't succeed, you are pretty much average.

And the corollary to this: if you have everything working properly the first time, either it's time to go out and play the lotto, or you haven't tried every program. The Slackware installation I am presently using to write this article was about 95% workable after its initial installation. There were two functions that weren't working and were incredibly bothersome, and one that was a small annoyance. It took a little time to work out those bugs.

As it was for me, so it will be for you. Keep in mind that I had worked with Linux in 1993, when it was still in diapers, and nothing more than an oddity, or a means for computer geeks to think themselves better than their fellow man. While Linux has come a long way, it is still a collective effort. This means there are going to be inevitable problems and inconsistencies within it. Don't be disheartened by these foibles and irritations. They are as much a part of the Linux landscape as Samba, CUPS, or ALSA. If you can survive the initial shock of migrating away from Microsoft, you will discover the most stable operating system your computer ever used.

Linux is not a brand name.

Chevy, Ford and Plymouth are types of cars. Apple, Compaq and Dell are types of computers. Debian, Slackware and Vector are types of Linux. As many differences that exist in the other listed items are as many differences that exist between different Linux distributions. They all may accomplish the same goals, but they do it in different ways; sometimes in very different ways. If you try one Linux distribution and find it wanting, try another. There are at least one hundred different flavors of Linux as of this writing, and surely more are popping up like weeds every day.

If there is one thing I have found in my research, it's the truth that there are many ways to wean yourself off the Microsoft Smack. While different Linux distributions share many similarities, there are just as many differences between them. Some are built for the ultra-geek. Some are built for the most nubile of newbies. Others exist in the spaces between those two extremes.

Never underestimate the value of research.

An ounce of research is worth a ten-pound headache. When it comes to Linux, it pays to know what you need your computer to do. If you want to do nothing more than surf the Internet, just about any Linux distribution can make that happen. If you want to do software development, there are distributions that have that as a more definite focus. If you want to do basic office operations such as word processing, spreadsheets and databases, most distributions come ready to go for that purpose.

Beyond that, it pays to know what resides inside that box sitting next to, under or on top of your desk. There are some hardware devices that are well supported, no matter which distribution you choose. There are others that are barely supported by any distribution. Most distribution web sites will have a list of supported hardware. Some don't. While, in general, if Windows supports it, so does Linux, know that few, if any, hardware manufacturers include Linux drivers with that new widget you are intending to install in your machine.

The closer your device is to bleeding edge, ie really, REALLY new, the less likely you are going to find a Linux driver for said device right off the bat. If you wait a few months, someone will come along and hack a Linux driver for it. Find out if the card or device you want to use is supported by your Linux distribution before you buy. Save yourself a really big headache!

The devil is in the details...

...and the details are in English, or at least the words look English (sometimes). That somewhat cryptic message simply means that the details of your Linux distribution aren't usually in the compiled binary files that come on the install CD. They are usually contained in the numerous text files salted around the confusing directory tree that Linux creates when it sets up. From .rc (start up) files to .conf (configuration) files, to script files, you are more likely to run into problems with your Linux distribution from a badly-written or corrupted text file than you are from a bad binary.

To be sure, there are bugs in the binaries. There are buggy binary files abounding in every operating system and program, no matter what the platform. The thing about Linux is they tend to stick around a bit longer. This is because Linux is decentralized. Eventually, the bigger bugs get worked out. Still, the biggest bugs in Linux are contained in the above-mentioned text files.

I had three bugs in this very Slackware set-up that were very frustrating. Editing various configuration text files cured them all. Network issues were cleared by editing my smb.conf file. Printer problems were cured by editing smb.conf and cupsd.conf. An annoying non-working screen saver was brought into operation by editing a configuration file in my KDE set-up.

Your keyboard is your friend.

Get to know that sucker! If you plan on sticking around the world of open source operating systems, you are going to use the keyboard a lot. Those files I spoke of above need to be edited. You need to use the keyboard to achieve that goal. Obvious, yes, but it does bear mentioning.

While almost all Linux distributions come with some form of a GUI, Linux is based on Unix. Unix was a command-driven language long before the advent of the GUI concept. In some cases, certain Linux programs can only be invoked via keyboard. While it is true that the more newbie-friendly distributions minimize actual needed keyboard work, it's not completely eliminated! Know your keyboard, and know it well. It can pull you from the fire better than any mouse ever invented.

The forum is your best friend.

Every distribution I set up had a forum section on their web site. Contained within those forums are true gems. Sometimes you have to weed through a lot of crap to get to the really good stuff, but you can learn things even as your hands become mired in that crap.

Just as there are different distributions, there are different attitudes when it comes to forum posters. Self-styled computer gurus who feel their fecal matter carries a floral scent dominate some forums; people who are willing to help populate other forums. It pays to check out the forums for your distribution before you make the choice of which one you will use. Believe me, you are going to need to use that forum to fix at least one Linux bug. Why support a forum dominated by rude people?

Beyond the forums for individual distributions, there are also forums for Linux overall, and some of the various and sundry programs within your Linux distribution. There is a wealth of information available at these sites, but generally, there's even more crap through which you must weed. Once again, it pays to weed through some of this stuff, because you can find things out on the way to other things. Personally, my favorite forum for Linux is http://www.linuxquestions.org/ . This particular forum has been invaluable in helping me to fix some of my own issues with Linux problems. The people there are friendly, and are always willing to help. They rock!

Register at the forum for your distribution of choice. Ask questions. Even if those questions have been asked before, there will always be someone willing to answer. Also, as you learn, you can share what you have learned as well. I share often in various forums. To me, that's the spirit that makes Linux what Microsoft offerings will never be: a community effort. The more brains you put to a problem, the more likely that problem will move towards solution. The Linux forums are where those brains get together.

Data is precious. Back it up often.

The most important stuff on your computer is not the files that make it operate. It's the files you create when you use those files. If your operating system goes belly up, it's always a good thing to have the files you created on another form of media, such as a floppy disk or a CD/DVD.

While this should go without saying, and is applicable to any operating system, there are many people out there who suffer great pain when the files they created are destroyed by a crashed hard drive head, or a bad motherboard. The best time to make sure you have copies of those precious pictures, spreadsheets or documents is before the computer goes belly up on you, not after. With the cost of CD and DVD burners and blank media, it's the height of cheap to forgo the ability to maintain a copy of your important work outside the box on which you created it. I back up my entire computer usually once a year. The important stuff, like my music CD projects, get backed up on a monthly basis, or more if I am doing a lot of work with the files in question.

You will know your computer as never before.

Learning Linux means learning what makes your computer tick. That is another Linux absolute. Every form of Windows since Windows 95 has worked to insulate you from your computer. Mac OS insulated you from your computer pretty much from the get-go. Linux does just the opposite. In order to get some things working under Linux, you are going to need to know a bit more about computers than where the CD ROM drive is, or what the CD key is. The more you read the forums, the more you learn. The more you learn, the more you will want to know.

Eventually, you will come to a point where you know the PC's inner workings really well. This is a good thing. Not only does it mean you can fix your own machine, it also means you can fix others. It not only means you can fix your Linux distribution, it also means you can fix Windows as well. If you can get Linux working properly, Windows is a freaking cakewalk!

Don't become discouraged.

Don't let Linux whip you. It's only a computer operating system. No matter how technically illiterate you may think yourself, working with Linux is going to cure that. As long as you are using a spare computer, you won't harm a thing. If you do damage things, you can always re-install your distribution. Consider your work with Linux to be a voyage of discovery, a romp in a foreign land where the worst thing you can do is corrupt your hard drive data. Considering all the other risky behaviors that are out there, playing with open source operating systems is hardly even worthy of considering risky. Unless you are stupidly trying to put Linux on a computer you must have operational for your business, nothing you do is going to bring the world crashing down around your ears.

If it ain't fun, you ain't doin' it right!

Finally, you should look upon working with Linux as fun. If you look at it as drudgery, it will whip you! Of all the lessons I learned on The Linux Project, having fun with it is the most important. Having fun took me from a place where I was ready to throw this machine out the window to a place where I use Linux more often than I do Windows. Having fun took me from a place where I was ready to start smashing CD ROM disks into smithereens to a place where I wrote a thirteen-part essay on the wonders of Linux.

It has also brought me to a place where I am much more comfortable learning computer programming languages, such as C++ and Linux scripting. Before my work on The Linux Project, the last time I had worked with any programming language was way before I sprouted a hair on my face. Now at forty-four, I am diving into the festive world of C++ programming and Linux scripting.

While none of these skills might bring me lots of money, I am used to that. To me, it's about stimulating my mind. If you stop learning, you might as well stop living. If, somewhere down the road, learning any of this stuff makes me money, far out! If not, at least I know I have moved ahead in my own knowledge. There's a lot to be said for that!

So there you have it. That which began as a failed late-night attempt to put a crappy Linux distribution on this machine has morphed into a thirteen-part research project and foray into research-based journalism. It has truly been a fun and interesting ride. I have learned much. I figured I'd learn a bit, but to think I am now working on writing C++ programs just blows my mind. I didn't expect that! I am glad that it happened though. I can't wait to see what happens next.

For now, I am calling an end to The Linux Project. I may bring it back in some form or fashion at a later time, but for now, it's time to work on a different project. I proved that I can write stuff that isn't charged with acid, venom or political intrigue. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed doing the research.

Blessed be!
Pappy

Authors Website: http://www.bear-upstairs-studio.com

Authors Bio:
Harpist, unemployed blue collar worker, and Bush basher living deep in the heart of Texas.