Reddit reviews Ubuntu Linux Toolbox: 1000+ Commands for Ubuntu and Debian Power Users

I've been using GNU/Linux off and on for about 8 years now (I'm 18, give me a break!). It seemed like, in the early days, I couldn't get the things I did most often to work, and I only ever used my Linux partition for programming. I was very windows-centric, and I tried to do things that I did in windows in linux the "windows way".

After some time, as both Linux and myself matured, I decided to eliminate windows from my system and to do everything using Linux. It was frustrating until I let go of my prior Windows expertise and decided to learn things the "Linux way". Instead of wondering how to do something that I did in windows, I chose instead to think of how to accomplish a task instead. I read books and online tutorials, and discovering the power of the terminal was exhilarating. Now, I don't ever use Windows. I feel over 9000 times more efficient in Linux, because I spent a substantial amount of time learning how to do things properly and not relying on the accumulated expertise I had gained in Windows.

Linux is NOT Windows. The two are very different players, and that's a good thing. If the developers of Linux focused solely on creating a Windows clone, the OS would be very different.

I've done some distro hopping lately, just to play around with different distros. I'm currently using Fedora, but I have a server running Debian and I'd love to try out Linux Mint 12 once that comes out.

The best advice I can give is to let go of the old way of thinking. Be open minded, and never dismiss something different as inferior. Stick with Linux, even when it requires forcing yourself to learn something new. You'll appreciate it in the long run.

P.S. Learn the terminal! This book was extremely helpful for me

P.P.S. Man pages are your friend.

At least initially, just stay with BASH (the shell that comes with Debian). It's incredibly powerful and will treat you well.

If you want a desktop like those pictured you can do it without changing shells. You can do it by experiment with different Desktop Environments or Window Managers. For now stick with a DE like Gnome or XFCE. (I think Debian still comes with Gnome 2 - which is very nice) Desktop Environments are more full-featured and uniform. Window Managers only manage the window placement and desktop. Other applications like the taskbar and (start)menu are up to you to install separately. If you are new - it'll be too confusing at first. No need to make things tougher than they need to be until you get your balance.

If you find yourself really enjoying the linux experience, I highly recommend the Ubuntu Linux Toolbox It's a nice, comprehensive introduction/reference to the shell and day-to-day commands. (I have the book - but I've seen some PDFs floating around - Google is your friend)

You may like this book, it covers a lot of topics including installing and managing software.