Want to learn Linux and networking, thinking of trying out Virtual PC

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97_max_se

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Nov 30, 2004
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I want to start learning more about Linux and networking, and since as of right now I only have one PC, I was thinking virtual PC may be a great way to make this happen. I already have the trial version installed. Any distro you think would be a good place to start?
 
it all depends on your linux experience and willingness to learn. For neworking most front line servers seem to be running either debian or a BSD. Maybe it's just me, but that's what I've een for the most part.
 
I have very limited Linux experience. I have used both Ubuntu and Suse Linux Pro 9.1, but only very little. I don't really want something that is so super easy to use, that its not teaching me anything about Linux. But I don't want it to be so hard that I can't even figure out how to browse the net.
 
Though I personally dislike actually using it as a day to day operating system (I'm a Debian man myself) doing a Gentoo installation (especially if you do a Stage 1 install and do research about what you are doing in each step instead of just doing it without thinking) will help you understand a lot about setting up and using linux pretty quickly. Another good way to learn is to try and get Slackware up and running. Its how I learned how to use linux. I'd stay away from distros like SuSE or Fedora if you actually care to learn something. As far as using linux as an actual usable distribution I'd recommend Debian. Its the greatest thing that has ever been created by the minds of men in my personal opinion.

-zac
 
I did try the Gentoo install a time or 2, but was having many problems with grub not working right and never figured it out even with help, so I gave up on it. But who knows maybe i could go back to it.
 
Being somewhat new to Linux myself, I have found SuSE 9.1 to be very helpful in learning stuff about linux. I have pretty much abandoned the GUI it offers in favor of the CMD line. Strange since I thought I wouldn't :)

Who needs EXTRACT HERE, when you can type tar -xzvf (Filename).tar.gz!

:)
 
A lot of servers I've seen primarily run Red Hat or FreeBSD.

If you really want to delve down into the heart of Linux, you could use any distro, but not use the GUI and learn from the console exclusively. If you want to use what is usually used in the 'real' world, I'd probably say Red Hat, Debian, or FreeBSD.
 
BillLeeLee said:
A lot of servers I've seen primarily run Red Hat or FreeBSD.

If you really want to delve down into the heart of Linux, you could use any distro, but not use the GUI and learn from the console exclusively. If you want to use what is usually used in the 'real' world, I'd probably say Red Hat, Debian, or FreeBSD.
Click to expand...

<plug>FreeBSD has some really nice documentation and is generally an orderly system to work with. Not a bad place to start.</plug>
 
97_max_se said:
FreeBSD looks like it mightbe interesting, which release should I get?
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Now that FreeBSD 5 has had an official release, I'd say get FreeBSD 5.3-Release.
 
Okay, thats what i downloaded, I will be using it wil virtual PC 2004. I see here that FreeBSD works with VPC2004, but it has some extra info in a link, but I can't access the link, the site seems to be down or something. Any idea what that info may be?
 
As did I, without that I may not be able to get it to work. But if it is really beneficial, then I will likely go ahead an actually install it on my computer.
 
Just wondering if anybody thinks I am getting in over my head with FreeBSD, since I have very limited linux experience?
 
97_max_se said:
Just wondering if anybody thinks I am getting in over my head with FreeBSD, since I have very limited linux experience?
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No ore so than you would with any of the other unix-like OS's
I like Free. i thought it was pretty easy to learn and the docs are top notch.
 
FreeBSD has some great documentation. I'd suggest you start with the FreeBSD handbook to get a feel for the system and installation:

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/

Generally there is a manual page for most commands, device drivers and configuration files. Man pages are indespenceable when learning to work at the shell prompt. For example, to read the manual page for rc.conf, the main system configuration file, type

man rc.conf

at the shell prompt.
 
Yeah that handbook is huge, I have been browsing it a bit lately. I almost thought I got it installed under virtual PC, but it would only reboot to the ISO image, it owuldn't boot off the virtual disk. May have to build up the courage to do a real dual boot install
 
Just did a real install, wanted to be absolutely sure I didn't kill my XP install, so i installed on a completely seperate drive with no bootloader, and just told the BIOS to boot off the drive with freeBSD on it. It booted to a grub prompt, whats up with that?
 
Just a little late perhaps, but there is also the FreeBSD live cd. I've played around with it and its really cool. I'm trying really hard not to be a full *nix convert, but with things like that around, sometimes I just can't help myself.:(

http://www.freesbie.org/
 
97_max_se said:
Just did a real install, wanted to be absolutely sure I didn't kill my XP install, so i installed on a completely seperate drive with no bootloader, and just told the BIOS to boot off the drive with freeBSD on it. It booted to a grub prompt, whats up with that?
Click to expand...

...
GRUB?
That's odd. As in "no FreeBSD CD has ever contained any version of GRUB" - odd. Can it be a leftover from whatever was on the drive before?

The way to write a standard or BSD bootloader (I'd suggest the BSD one, it's dead simple and might also let you boot the other drive) is:
* Boot from a BSD install CD
* Configure -> Fdisk-> select the right drive
* 'Q' to quit
* Select the bootloader you want
* Exit and reboot

If that doesn't help, re-enter the Fdisk screen after having OK-ed your bootloader of choice, and press 'W' to write the changes before quitting and rebooting.
 
Thanks for the info on th elive CD, I didn't know about it


HHUnt, thats the way I did it. Only I chose the no boot loader option, since it is the only OS on that drive, maybe that was wrong, maybe it needs a boot loader anyway. I am not worried baout being able to boot into XP as well, I can just change the boot drive in the BIOS. I knwo its unlikely, but I want to make absolutely sure I don't bork my XP install. I do think I have a version of linux on this drive before, but I thought I formatted it, maybe not. I guess I will try that. Thanks
 
You'll need the standard bootloader for that to work. (It'll just jump to the boot block on the active primary partition, if I remember these things correctly.) Selecting "none" means "leave whatever is already there", and that might not do what you intended.
 
Heres another question mor eon the topic of virtual PC. I am currently building a new rig. Dual 1.6LV Xeons which i hope to clock to at least 2.8 or more. I am trying to decide what memory to use. I am wondering if I should skimp on the speed and just get more quantity. For example 2Gig of PC2700 as opposed to only 1 gig of PC 3200 or 3500 or whatever. What do you think?
 
97_max_se said:
Actually the more I read, maybe VMware is the way to go for me.
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I use it in the office here... works pretty well. You have to install the vmware tools to any virtual machines you set up... no biggie here though.
I currently have three virtual machines: One Windows 2000, one Windows 2003 Server and one Evil Entity Linux. I have another virtual machine that boots to an .iso of Movix but I never really count that one....
 
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