Here you find information about basics tasks like file-operations and word-processing.
If any of these sections gets too big, we can move it to a separate Page.
The Linux Documentation Project - *The* place for documentation on Linux. LinuxBasics.org is a mirror of this site.
Dictionary for Linux - Looking up new terminology can be helpful
Acronym Finder - Useful for the mailing-list, IRC, and other occasions. It does not have my favorite, though: LOLROTFASTC - Laughing out loud, rolling on the floor and scaring the cat :)
Info with GUI - Info (for example 'info info') is not a very intuitive system. There is a help, but maybe you would rather use a GUI.
Tuning harddrives - Want to speed up your harddrive by the factor 10?
Filemanager Overview - just like others love their (insert favorite desktop window manager), Sam has decided to spend a month or so with each of them so he might have a chance of helping others with their questions, rather than go to the ususalrant that they need to drop 'so and so' and use 'such and such'…
Finding files - find & locate (and finding large files when you need to clean up your partition)
Working with plain text files - The most basic task you perform is editing textfiles. In Linux, all configuration can be done using the configurations files that are readable by humans. While distributions may include other tools to configure the system, if you know how to deal with the bare config-files, you will have no problems when switching distros.
Mass-Renaming - rename more than one file at once.
Copy and Paste - While most applications support the mechanism for cut, copy & paste that most people are used to from other operating-systems, X11 also has another mechanism which is faster once you get used to it. It even works between two linux/unix-computers across the network
Midnight Commander - File browser
Filesystems for data-exchange - What fs-type should be used to exchange data between PCs or operating systems
Configuring the boot-process - Runlevels, Services, everything that is done before you get to log in.
Getting Online - Basics on dialup for getting online
Using Mutt to acess your ISP email account - Configuring mutt, procmail, fetchmail, and exim to work with an ISP provided email account. Very useful to read, even if you will not be using mutt.
Example .muttrc - An example ~/.muttrc file to go along with my Using Mutt to access your ISP email account tutorial.
Automating tasks with cron - How to set up cron to schedule administration tasks.
Debian update-alternatives - Debian has a way of setting up system alternatives; for example you may want to use vim for the default editor or you may prefer nano. Using update-alternatives is not hard, but the manpage can be confusing on how it is done.
Free Fonts - Here you find free Fonts to use in your Documents
Installing Applications - During the initial installation it is often best *not* to install too many applications along with the base-system. This document explains how programs can be installed as they are needed.
Installing WindowMaker - A brief tutorial on installing the Window Maker window manager.
Speeding up Gecko - Making FireFox as fast as Opera. A few minor tweaks to speed up FireFox. (Is this still necesary?) Last entry in the Firefox tuning Forum was Posted: Sep Thu 22nd 2005 1:27am , so I'd say many are still tweaking the fox.
How to have Kmail open links in Firefox - Just click on them - even after an KDE-update:)
Restoring old tab-handling in Firefox 2.x and other Firefox Tab Tips
How to register an IRC-Nickname - This is the way to protect “Easterbunny2005” for your use only.
Audio: Rip, Split, Join, Tag - How to get files from CDROM to save on your computer or portable player. Split large files or join smaller files together. Tag them with information such as the name of a song.
Transposing music - or editing notes in general using Rosegarden and Lilypond
Movies - Xine
Installing a iOmega Zip Plus drive - Here is a bash script and additional commands to allow one to use a Zip (Plus) drive.
PDA - Sync with Linux - How to sync a PDA and read the data in Linux.
Debian and Winprinter - Good to know, also for other distros
Suse and CUPS - How to access the web-interface
Using udev - device handling with kernel 2.6+
Wireless - Getting Wireless to work
Command Line - BASH - Try using the command line to type in some commands - you might like it!
Quick Command List - A short list of commands to get you started
Speed meets -v - …or: Why I will not copy files using a GUI
Hard and soft/symlinks & inodes “Some like them Hard and some like them Soft, but I don't care as long as the inode works”
Keeping Cardmgr Quiet - No more beeps at startup!
Linux on the Toshiba Satellite 5200-903
http://www.linux-laptop.net/ Linux on Laptops: Be sure to check here for compatibility with Linux before buying a laptop.
How to fix things when you can't boot your system.
Rescue Disk What it is. Where to get one. How to use it.
GRUB Command Line How to use GRUB from its command line to boot.