Last year, I blogged about how I was starting to look at Linux… well, I installed SUSE Linux but never really got much further. I didn’t like the interface, I didn’t like that all the tools had weird or mis-spelt names, and it all felt a bit amateur (Linux zealots, please don’t flame me).
Still wanting to have a play with a Unix-based system and rebuild some long-lost skills, I had another go a few nights back and installed the x86 version of Sun Solaris 10 (the idea being that I’ll get used to a real Unix system and then maybe take another look at Linux later). It took an age to install, but I do now have a running system. I’m sure I’ve missed some essential configuration somewhere, but I’ll find my way through! First impressions are good, and I’m very proud of myself for managing to successfully install the Macromedia flash plug-in for Mozilla just by following the readme file (believe me, extracting files from an archive, finding out where Mozilla is installed, and then successfully running the installer is a big deal for a Unix newbie, even if it does sound trivial).
I still need to use Windows on my everyday systems, but maybe I’ll move my e-mail and browsing at home over onto the Solaris box once I feel comfortable with it all (after a couple of weeks’ use I’m not over-impressed with Mozilla Thunderbird on Windows XP so changing e-mail clients again won’t really upset me). In the meantime, if anyone out there has any Solaris hints and tips, good ‘net resources, etc., I’d be pleased to hear from you.
Mark,
I started learning Linux a while back and found pocket reference books perfect due to linux and unix being more command line driven. Take a look at this as it covered solairs and a few others:
https://www.compman.co.uk/scripts/browse.asp?ref=574367
I bought the fedora reference guide and still use it to date:
https://www.compman.co.uk/scripts/browse.asp?ref=666395
p.s. Keep up the good work with the website, It’s on my Mozilla Sage Reader.
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the tips – I’ll check them out (along with the Unix books I’ve got in the loft from my Uni’ days).
Thanks for the feedback too – I’m glad you find the stuff that I write here useful.
Cheers, Mark
you try kubuntu? http://www.kubuntu.org/
small easy to install and use
also look for the tool called Automatix aka Easy kubuntu it is an installer script that sets up some the pain in the butt stuff in linux Java, media playback, browser plugins, etc…
Here’s my list of resources for Solaris newbies.
Also, I was interested to read an article on Linux naming conventions (picked up via Slashdot) that backs up my feelings on weird names (although I should add that some of the Linux applications that it lists are also available for Windows and vice versa).
One of my colleagues picked up on my switch to Solaris and told me that it’s definitely worth persevering with Linux (suggesting that Solaris is a dying technology – a comment that I can’t say I really agree with). Anyway, he got in touch with a contact at Novell and a boxed copy of SUSE Linux 10.0 arrived in the post this morning so looks like I’ll be giving that a go too!