Getting Answers to Your Linux Questions 
(Outline for a lecture circa 1999, mostly updated.)

GENERAL INFO
    Is Linux for me?  (Server vs. workstation)
    Which distribution? -- Horribly debatable questions, both addressed in 
                http://www.tldp.org/LDP/gs/
                http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Distribution-HOWTO.html
                Easier just to try distributions and find out.
INSTALLATION
    Method -- CD-ROM (recommended), NFS/ftp, PLIP, floppies, HD-to-HD.
    Hardware
        What is adequate hardware? -- realism: 1 GB HD, 32 MB RAM, P90
	Compatibility lists -- e.g
	         http://www.redhat.com/support/hardware/
		 http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/i386/install
		 http://cdb.suse.de/index.php?LANG=en_US
		 http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO.html
        Concept of a chipset, in contrast to brand/model
	Plug and Play -- the isapnputils.  (PCI, AGP are automatic, but
                 "lspci" will show info.)
	Modems and Internet access
	      Identifying & avoiding "Winmodems".  
              http://www.idir.net/~gromitkc/winmodem.html  
        Printing:  http://www.linuxprinting.org/
	      Avoid host-based GDI "winprinters" (except: HP 710/720/820/1000,
	      http://pnm2ppa.sourceforge.net/ )
        Faxing:  http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/linux-info/fax
        X Window System software & config
	      Newer video cards & XFree86 
              http://www.xfree86.org/4.2.1/Status.html   v. 4.2.1
	      http://www.xfree86.org/cardlist.html  v. 3.3.6
	         Sources:  XFree86 at ftp://ftp.xfree86.org ,
                             Proprietary servers as last resort:
			   Xi Graphics: http://www.xig.com/
			   Metrolink: http://www.metrolink.com/
	      3D issues: Glide libs, 3Dfx Banshee, RIVA TNT
              Current (2002) problem chipsets: Intel 830, 845
                   http://lpn.rnbhq.org/R31/R31.shtml
	Laptop issues:  chipsets for video, sound
	      http://www.linux-laptop.net/
              http://tuxmobil.org/  (was: http://mobilix.org/)
	Sound cards:  
              ALSA -- http://www.alsa-project.org/ 
	      Open Sound System drivers -- http://www.opensound.com/
              Sound HOWTO:  http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Sound-HOWTO/
        TV tuner cards:  http://www.metzlerbros.org/bttv.htm
	Parallel-port devices:  http://www.torque.net/parport/
	      (Zip, CDR, QuickCam, HP Colorado, various IDE, Iomega Ditto)
        USB:  http://www.linux-usb.org/
              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
              ADSL modems based on the ECI HighFocus and Globespan chipsets:  
                  http://eciadsl.sourceforge.net/redir.php?page=modems&type=html
        Firewire:  http://www.linux1394.org/
        Digital cameras (see also USB, Firewire, etc.):
              http://www.teaser.fr/~hfiguiere/linux/digicam.html
        Ethernet cards:  http://www.scyld.com/network/
        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.mostang.com/sane/
                   http://www.buzzard.org.uk/jonathan/scanners-usb.html
                   VueScan (proprietary): http://www.hamrick.com/
        CD writers:  http://wt.xpilot.org/cgi-bin/winni/lsc-orig.pl
                     http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/CD-Writing-HOWTO.html
        DVD:  http://www.linuxvideo.org/
              http://www.nongnu.org/dvdrtools/
        DVD writers:  http://www.abcpages.com/~mache/cdrecord-dvd.html
              http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/
        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
        USB webcams:  http://www.smcc.demon.nl/camstream/
        ISDN adapters:  http://www.muc.de/~hm/linux/linux-isdn.html
        Wireless LAN 802.11b:  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/

 
APPLICATIONS:
    http://freshmeat.net/
    http://www.xnet.com/~blatura/linapps.shtml
    http://www.linuxapps.com/
    http://www.linuxlinks.com/Software/
    http://www.linux.org/apps/
    Which X window manager  http://www.plig.org/xwinman/
       Desktop, if any?  http://www.gnome.org/  http://www.kde.org/
       

GENERAL GUIDELINES TO INFORMATION RESOURCES
    Search engines:  Infoseek, Hotbot, DejaNews, Altavista, Google
        Get to know your search methods
    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 H.
	   Essential System Administration, Aeleen Frisch, O'Reilly
        More books (Dan Kegel):  http://www.kegel.com/linux/books.html
     Magazines, dead-tree type -- Linux Journal, http://www.linuxjournal.com
     Web sites, principal
           The LDP is your friend!  http://www.tldp.org/
	       HOWTOs, Network Admin Guide, (NAG) System Admin Guide (SAG),
	       Installation and Getting Started.   Check dates!
	    SuperLinux Encyclopaedia:  http://slencyclopedia.berlios.de/
	    News:  slashdot.org, lwn.net/daily/, linuxgazette.com
            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