Getting Answers to Your Linux Questions

(Outline for a lecture circa 1999, updated.)

General Info

Is Linux for me? (Server vs. workstation)
Which distribution?

Horribly debatable questions. More at:

Easier just to try distributions and find out.

Installation

Methods — CD-ROM (easiest for newcomers), NFS/ftp, PLIP, floppies, HD-to-HD.
Hardware:
- What is adequate hardware? — realism: 2 GB HD, 64 MB RAM, P233
- Compatibility lists — e.g.:
  - http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/
  - http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/i386/install
  - http://cdb.suse.de/index.php?LANG=en_US
  - http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html
- Concept of a chipset, in contrast to brand / model
- Plug and Play — the isapnptools. (PCI, AGP are automatic, but "lspci" will show info.)
- Modems and Internet access — identifying & avoiding "winmodems":
  - Main info. site: http://www.idir.net/~gromitkc/winmodem.html
  - For stubborn winmodem owners: http://linmodems.org/
- Printing:
  - Main information site: http://www.linuxprinting.org/
  - Avoid host-based GDI "winprinters":
    - Supported exceptions: HP "PPA" models 710/720/820/1000, http://pnm2ppa.sourceforge.net/)
    - Other winprinters (general "avoid" rule): http://linuxgazette.net/issue66/tag/3.html
  - TurboPrint is a proprietary Linux print engine & driver set that will sometimes work with otherwise hopeless printers
  - ESP PrintPro is another proprietary Linux print engine & driver set that will sometimes work with otherwise hopeless printers, from the designer of CUPS
  - HP DeskJet filters ("drivers") directly from HP for some of that company's printers
- Faxing: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Network_Other/fax.html
- X Window System software & config
  - Recommended cards: http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/video
  - Newer video cards & XFree86 binaries — supported-hardware pages to consult for your hardware, at http://www.xfree86.org/
  - Source code fallback option: XFree86 source archives, at ftp://ftp.xfree86.org/pub/XFree86/
  - Xi Graphics's AcceleratedX (proprietary server): http://www.xig.com/
  - Metrolink's MetroX (proprietary server): http://www.metrolink.com/
  - Current (2003) problem chipsets: Intel 830, 845: http://lpn.rnbhq.org/R31/R31.shtml
  - Current (2005) problem SiS chipsets: Information partly from XGI (formerly SiS and Trident) about X11 servers ("drivers"): http://www.winischhofer.at/linuxsisvga.shtml
- Laptop issues: chipsets for video, sound
  - Main info. site: http://www.linux-laptop.net/
  - Broadly focussed add'l site: http://tuxmobil.org/ (was: http://mobilix.org/
  - Overview of Linux issues a/o June 2004: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/laptops-penlug-2004-06.html
- Sound cards:
  - http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/soundcards
  - ALSA — http://www.alsa-project.org/
  - Open Sound System drivers — http://www.opensound.com/
  - Sound HOWTO: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Sound-HOWTO/
  - More at: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sound-cards.html
- TV tuner cards:
  - http://www.metzlerbros.org/bttv.html
  - More at: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/tv-cards.html
- Parallel-port devices: http://www.torque.net/parport/ (Zip, CDR, QuickCam, HP Colorado, various IDE, Iomega Ditto)
- USB:
  - Main site: http://www.linux-usb.org/
  - gPhoto2: http://gphoto.sourceforge.net/proj/libgphoto2/support.php
  - Alcatel Speedtouch aDSL:
    - http://christophe.delord.free.fr/en/adsl/
    - http://linux-usb.sourceforge.net/SpeedTouch/
  - 3Com ADSL modem: http://cp4218.sourceforge.net/uk/welcome.html
  - ECI HighFocus and Globespan chipset-based ADSL modems: http://eciadsl.sourceforge.net/redir.php?page=modems&type=html
  - USB webcams: http://www.smcc.demon.nl/camstream/
  - USB CF (Compact Flash) readers:
- Firewire: http://www.linux1394.org/
- Digital cameras (see also USB, Firewire, etc.): http://www.teaser.fr/~hfiguiere/linux/digicam.html
- Ethernet cards:
  - Main site: http://www.scyld.com/network/
  - Gigabit ethernet: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/gigabit-ethernet.html
- ATM network cards: http://linux-atm.sourceforge.net/
- PCMCIA:
  - http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/
  - http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/ftp/SUPPORTED.CARDS
- Scanners:
  - SANE: http://www.sane-project.org/
  - SANE-compatible drivers for Epson scanners: http://www.epkowa.co.jp/english/linux_e/dl_spc.html
  - VueScan (proprietary): http://www.hamrick.com/
  - USB Scanners under Linux
- CD writers:
  - http://wt.xpilot.org/cgi-bin/winni/lsc-orig.pl
  - http://tldp.org/HOWTO/CD-Writing-HOWTO.html
- DVD:
  - http://www.linuxvideo.org/
  - More at: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/dvd.html
- DVD writing software:
  - http://www.k3b.org/
  - http://people.mandrakesoft.com/~warly/files/cdrtools/
  - http://www.nongnu.org/dvdrtools/
  - http://www.abcpages.com/~mache/cdrecord-dvd.html
  - http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/
  - More at: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/dvd.html
- Joysticks:
  - http://www.linuxgames.com/joystick/
  - http://linuxconsole.sourceforge.net/
- HP OfficeJet: http://hpoj.sourceforge.net/
- Connectix QuickCam: http://www.dkfz-heidelberg.de/Macromol/wedemann/mini-HOWTO-cqcam.html
- ISDN adapters: http://www.muc.de/~hm/linux/linux-isdn.html
- Wireless LAN 802.11:
  - http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/net/wireless/cards.html
  - http://linux-wless.passys.nl/
  - http://www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/HardwareComparison
  - http://www.goonda.org/wireless/
  - http://nocat.net/
  - http://opensource.instant802.com/
  - http://www.live.com/wireless/unix-base-station.html
  - http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/
  - http://acx100.sourceforge.net/
  - http://www.prism54.org/: Drivers for the 802.11g Prism GT / Prism Duette / Prism Indigo Chipsets -- but not for the replacement Prism Frisbee (so beware)
  - http://users.linpro.no/janl/hardware/wifi.html: Critical survey of 802.11g offerings and Linux
  - http://ipw2100.sourceforge.net/: Drivers for Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 Network Connection (e.g., Centrino)
  - More at: http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/wireless.html
- Bluetooth: http://www.holtmann.org/linux/bluetooth/
- Infrared ports (IrDA):
  - Linux-IrDA Project
  - Linux-IrDA Quick Tutorial
- Dell "PERC" hardware RAID controllers
- SD card readers: http://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/storage/sd.html

General: Article "Is My Hardware Linux-Compatible?"

Applications:

Which X window manager?

Window Managers for X: http://xwinman.org/

Desktop, if any?

GNOME: http://www.gnome.org/
KDE: http://www.kde.org/

General Guidelines to Information Resources

Search engines — get to know your search methods. (Linux is a child of the Internet.)
- Google: http://www.google.com/
- DejaNews (Google Groups): http://groups.google.com/
- Teoma (formerly AskJeeves): http://www.teoma.com/
- Hotbot (formerly Lycos): http://www.hotbot.com/
- Go.com (formerly Infoseek): http://go.com/
- Altavista: http://www.altavista.com/
Books
- O'Reilly Nutshell series
- Tutorials:
  - Running Linux, by Matt Welsh et al., 3rd Ed., O'Reilly
  - A Practical Guide to Linux, by Mark Sobell, Addison Wesley
- References:
  - Linux in a Nutshell
  - Unix System Admin Handbook, Evi Nemeth et al. 2nd ed. Prentice Hall
  - Essential System Administration, Aeleen Frisch, O'Reilly
- More books (Dan Kegel): http://www.kegel.com/linux/books.html
Magazines, dead-tree type
Web sites, principal
- The LDP is your friend! http://tldp.org/ (But check last-revised dates!)
  - HOWTOs
  - Linux Network Admin Guide (NAG)
  - Linux System Administrator Guide (SAG)
  - Installation and Getting Started
- SuperLinux Encyclopaedia: http://slencyclopedia.berlios.de/
- News:
  - Slashdot: http://slashdot.org/
  - Linux Weekly News, daily edition: http://lwn.net/Articles/
  - Linux Weekly News, weekly edition: http://lwn.net/
  - Freshnews: http://freshnews.org/
  - Newsforge: http://www.newsforge.com/
- On-line magazines:
  - Linux Gazette: http://linuxgazette.net/
  - Linux Focus: http://www.linuxfocus.org/
- On-line training (Dan Kegel): http://www.kegel.com/linux/training.html
- Mailing list archives — must be searched out
- Linux User Groups, http://linuxmafia.com/bale/ for the S.F. Bay Area