Important things to remember about Linux for newbies:

ONE

If you install new packages, update packates, or most importantly recompile and reinstall your kernel, reboot immediately. This will supply you with extra time for when you realize that your drivers don't work, your mouse is strangely inverted, and the screen is a delightful shade of yellow. Reboot immediately does not mean 'finish your conversation,' but it does mean 'save your work on something tangible in case it all goes to hell.'

TWO

Nothing will work like the docs say it will. Your vain attempts to install that network driver will fail due to things you never had to understand before. In addition, your ability to actually fix and resolve these things will involve sitting on a thread you made in a forum, reloading periodically to see if someone has any information for you. This is not fun, but it takes a while for Linux to become fun.

THREE

Know how partitions work, and know what a boot loader is. That is, if you ever want to see the light of windows again. Sacrilige, I know, but sometimes you just need an internet connection and you need it now. Or a game of Starcraft sounds applealing.

FOUR

Don't panic. And especially don't panic if you start panicing. That only complicates things. What you should do is get on a friend's computer and use it as your repair station. Fit of depression due to feelings of inadequacy is optional, but, at least in early stages, strongly encouraged.

FIVE

Keep your install disks. You will reinstall. Trust me.

SIX

Nothing was found under "SIX". Try "man -k SIX" or "info SIX" for possible help on the topic.

SEVEN

chmod is your friend. Your quiet, +rwx friend. It may be bad form, but damn it, that shell script is the only thing standing between you and mouse wheel support, and be damned if anyone can execute it.

EIGHT

That graphical XWindows KDE bullshit? Yeah. Not that useful, except for the drag-and-drop file aspect. That's about it, so get cozy with that command prompt.

NINE

That thing everyone warned you about, how you shouldn't ever log in as root, only use su? They were right. Trust me.

TEN

Frankly, your milage may vary. This is all from my personal experience, over the course of one week where I've had Fedora Core 3 working without internet, uninstalled and unable to install windows back due to GRUB being retarded, installed again, this time with the appropriate driver, updated, rebooted, found by computer no longer operational, reinstalled, and now no longer able to install the driver.


Well, now to reload the forum again.

First Annual Snog An Editor Day

November 11, 2005

Why?

Because We Love Them!

They help us with punctuation, grammar, coding, and spelling. They fix our screw-ups, take out the trash and make helpful suggestions to improve our writing. They even lead quests and slay trolls!

Editors? We have Editors?

Yup. Shame on you for not knowing that. I don't know all of them, so, if you didn't know we have Editors or don't know who any of them are, here's the list:

fuzzy and blue, Teiresias, sneff, witchiepoo, NinjaPenguin, m_turner, Oolong, Jurph, Ouroboros, ascorbic, ac_hyper, aneurin, Lometa, icicle, Servo5678, arieh, borgo, Devon, JohnnyGoodyear, momomom, Timeshredder, rootbeer277, avalyn, smartalix, Simulacron3, yclept, wordnerd, Simpleton, Transitional Man, Pint, Wiccanpiper, Chiisuta, Webster 1913, IWhoSawTheFace

I have copied and pasted this list from the Content Editors listing. If there are people listed who shouldn't be, or people who are not listed and should be, let me know.

Snog'em?

Yes. Snog them. Which brings me to the other reason for having a Snog An Editor Day. Snogging is good for the heart. The Lord loves a happy giver, everybody needs a good snogging now and then, and since it makes you happy too, it's a win-win situation!

So, send them a snog. /msg one, three or all of the Editors listed and snog them, such as:

Teiresias, it's Snog An Editor Day and I'm snogging you!

Easy, no?

Snog An Editor Day
November 11, 2005

Spread the word.


jessicapierce has reminded me that Gods need lovin' too, in as much as they do editorial work as well. So...

Snog Them GODS!

dann, dem bones, clampe, jessicapierce, lawnjart, knifegirl, Lord Brawl, yossarian, ToasterLeavings, Demeter, N-Wing, riverrun, jaybonci, Gritchka, Fruan, Roninspoon, Professor Pi, Apatrix, iceowl, Mr. Hotel, anthropod, TheDeadGuy, Cletus the Foetus, wertperch, panamaus, Lucy-S, GrouchyOldMan, dizzy, haze, kthejoker, sid, heyoka, Gorgonzola, mauler, 00100

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