Please note this document is a brief guide. It is not a beginners guide to Linux. If you are a beginner make sure you read a thorough introduction to Linux .... it will save you a lot of frustration later.

Although people will help you in HowtoConnect things will often go a lot smoother if you know how to check some things yourself. Golden Rule: Remember! Linux is CASE SENSITIVE. If a command "won't work" check that you are using the right case in command names and file names.

Linux Distribution Help.

You Distribution of Linux may have it's own help system. Suse has an internal help server that will provide help through the browser. Slackware has a manual on the CD and a basic introduction to Linux. Other distros have their own approaches.

Internet Help.

Of course there is always the search engine. Keep in mind that there is rarely such a thing as a unique problem or issue. If you consider that other's will often ask the same questions as you about that issue then you can probably find the solution. If not then there are more specific search engines. For example look at "manage search engines" in the Firefox search engine drop down list (in the search box, top right) and you should see a webpage that takes you to a search engine database. Type in Linux and you should see a list of various Linux help sites.

Locate

locate -i {searchterm}
example: locate -i tuner
The "-i" makes the search case insensitive. The "locate" command is invaluable. Linux distributions can be large complex places. Distributions sometimes differ in where they put files, so to be able to find them quickly it is very useful to have this command. Usually your distribution will have it already setup so that you will already have a database index of all the files on your system. If it isn't then I recommend you install it.

Installed Documents

Examine the /usr/doc folder for help documents installed by software on your system.

How To's and FAQ's.

You distribution should have a howto directory (usually in the /usr/doc folder). These documents are usually geared towards the beginner or novice, or at least written in a step by step fashion and have pointers to other sources of help. If you cannot find howto's then visit the Linux Documentation Project http://tldp.org/

Command line (bash) help.

Bear in mind that "man" manual files are often written in a way that can be confusing for the beginner. Although this may seem a strange approach for a help file, Linux help files are usually written so as to be as clear, concise and specific as possible and are rarely geared towards the beginner. That's what Howto's are for.

man {nameofcommand}
example: man jobs
Get help on a a command. When the page has loaded hit / to start entering a search term. Hit enter again after you have entered it. The man system will move to the first occurrence of what you entered and highlight all the others. Use the n and p keys to move forward and backwards through them. This approach is essential in large help files like the one for bash. Hitting h will show you more ways of navigating.

man {sectionnumber} {nameofentry}
Occasionally the section number is needed to look at a particular manual entry.

man -k {searchterm}
example: man -k rename
Search the manual for something.

info {nameofcommand}
example: info bash
Often gives more detailed information and examples.

Goodluck !

grobda24, October 2007, http://djbarney.org