Linux/distro newbie reference site.

BigglesPiP · 6 Jul 2009 at 23:10

I've had a idea (almost my own idea).

A website centralised around a Wikki which provides basic information on how to make basic configuration changes to linux & FOSS. Each page will explain how it should be done in each distro before and after versions where it changed.

For example, how to set DNS suffixes (/etc/resolv.conf vs. /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf for distros where resolv.conf is dynamically edited), or how to work your fstab in ubuntu (by /dev/sdxy (pre 8.04) or by uuid (post 8.04)).

It would be a reference for beginners trying their 1st distro, or for experienced users trying a new distro, just the stuff needed to get things up and running, nothing very advanced (save that for forums). Articles wouldn't go into a lot of detail, just publish the essentials.

Basically for people who can't linux, but who can wikki. Would probably say GNU actually, to include Solaris and BSD.

So, the deciding factors:
- Does it already exist?
- Do you think it would take off?
- Would you use it/contribute to it?

If it looks like a goer I'll definitely host this.

theheyes · 6 Jul 2009 at 23:21

There are LOADS of Linux resources out there as you know, but I don't see any reason why you can't start your own. It might stimulate some activity in the Linux forum. Linux Questions has a wiki at http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Main_Page that is more broad based than distro specific.

I'd definitely check it out because I'm quite new to Linux. Whether it takes off or not... the proof is really in the pudding.

yashiro · 6 Jul 2009 at 23:26

You might as well just have a page pointing to the relevant distribution specific wiki's.

kkelly · 6 Jul 2009 at 23:28

I normally find the ubuntu guides good

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Jaunty

smids · 6 Jul 2009 at 23:35

I think it's a good idea. Just the other day when I was setting up Ubuntu, I was searching for some config files which were in a different place from my previous Fedora install. Even CentOS and Fedora had different locations so why not. It's also useful to have the most basic commands quickly and easily at your disposal. I'd contribute to it so sure...

BigglesPiP · 6 Jul 2009 at 23:48

yashiro said:
You might as well just have a page pointing to the relevant distribution specific wiki's.

I find the distro wikis to be a bit dull, often a long read, hard to search, and they of course have to include a lot of detail.

My wiki would contain the basic truths of the job for your disto and version, in as plain english as possible, without trying to explain the concept of the job. Like for the dns suffixes it would say how to permanently set them, not what they do (probably have a seperate page linked for that, like a glossary).

arranged like (in wiki markup here):

File Systems Table
reason for this page
=Fedora=
how fedora does it
=Ubuntu=
==7.10 and earlier==
how it's done here, /dev/sda1 blah blah
==8.04 and later==
uuid=dfsgjdslfgjlkdjh blah blah
=Further reading=
links
=References=
links to the actual wikis etc...

some nice shiny disto logos next to the sections, probably so that =Ubuntu= is a magic word to achieve that, as well as to make the contents box work.

craptakular · 7 Jul 2009 at 09:32

I can write up a guide how to transform debian lenny into an awesome home server using sabnzbd, samba, rtorrent, aria2 and mediatomb.

Would that help?

craptakular · 7 Jul 2009 at 09:34

As for the activity of the linux forum, we have a lot of info on here but not a lot stickies and poor structures.

Could we get an admin to create more sub forums, like Guides, newbie help, graphics problems etc etc. or would that be to fragmented?

We could also have a linux review section or summit.

EDIT: It also doesnt help having a linux forum on a "super duper overclock the ass off it forum", OcUK isn't really the ideal place for linux talk, most readers seem to be overclocking/hardware junkies, which is overclockers target audience after all. We are are marginal group on here.

Rhys · 7 Jul 2009 at 12:32

Oxy said:
We are are marginal group on here.

BigglesPiP · 7 Jul 2009 at 18:50

Oxy said:
I can write up a guide how to transform debian lenny into an awesome home server using sabnzbd, samba, rtorrent, aria2 and mediatomb.

Would that help?

More of a blog post TBH.

If you could write a simple guide on setting up LAMPP on all the major distros plus solaris and BSD however...