New User: Requesting help.

[StarAssassin11]

Hello all. I am new to all things linux. I have been using Windows for a while and have grown completely bored. I am a High School senior with a big interest in computers. I never tried linux before, but heard good things about it. I am here because, I would like to know the general/important do's and dont's when it comes to switching to a linux OS. Also, You guys could give me some advice/suggestions for which things I need to know before making the switch. I am not new to the whole programming/hacking area, I just never had the means to invest until now. But I have no background knowledge of any linux systems or tools, so if anyone is willing to help, that would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance,
Chris

[scottm99]

Well, as the wiki says, if you have little/no linux experience, BackTrack may not be the right distro with which to start. Before digging into BackTrack, I would strongly suggest learning linux command-line stuff first. I don't think you have to know linux inside and out, but trying to tackle BackTrack without prior linux knowledge is going to be very difficult.

[StarAssassin11]

Thank you for the suggestion. I have been looking at the commands and also other linux os products. But none seem to attract my attention like backtrack. I think I am up for the challenge and it will be fun to learn on the fly


thanks again,
chris

[thorin]

What you're asking for is kind of like a kid that can't even swim asking for instructions on how to do a backward 2 and ½ somersaults with 2 and ½ twists in the piked position.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_th...dive_in_diving - Not that I'm suggesting that BT is the hardest distro to use, more to illustrate that there are more practical places for you to start.

1) Water is wet.
2) The deep end is well "deep".
3) If you belly flop, it'll hurt. If you jump from high enough you might actually bust your gutt open or die.
etc

This isn't mean to crush your interest. Grab Ubuntu, use the LiveCD for a while. Once you've got that under control then try doing a dualboot install (hopefully you don't hose your entire system....if you do it'll be a learning experience). Learn some networking 101 type material. Read a bunch of IT security blogs and books. Join some IT security organizations (OWASP, ISSA, ISACA, etc). Do some open security challenges (there are lots, just dig around). Then pick up BT.

Hopefully when you get to using BT you'll know enough that when you start using the tools you won't do any damage to your own systems, break the law, or even worse do damage (thus wasting time and money) to other people's systems.

http://www.backtrack-linux.org/forum...l=1#post176177