Scott Nazelrod
This article gives you tips on adjusting to the Linux operating system from Windows. By all means, this is not a complete document, but instead only outlines the major points when jumping into Linux.
Linux is based on UNIX, which means that it is designed to support multiple users. Linux has, for this reason, been the preferred operating system of choice for networks and servers. Linux is also excellent for places where lots of different people use the same computer, for example at workplaces and schools.
Because Linux is a multiuser operating system, the first thing you will normally see when starting the computer is a login prompt. Simply log in with your assigned user name and password.
There is one "special" account named root, known as the root user or the super-user. root is similar to the Administrator accounts in Windows. root can do anything, such as browse all the users' files, format hard drives, set up hardware, install software packages, create new user accounts, and so forth.
In workplaces and networks, a manager or sysop will be the only one given access to root, and will not disclose the password. If you need super-user access, your administrator will provide it to you.
Don't log in as root when you're in a home system unless it is absolutely necessary! root has a lot of power - and power tends to corrupt. When working as the super-user, you have the potential to trash your system.
Most times when you need super-user access, you don't even have to login as root. Programs that need root access will ask you for the password, and they will run as if they were being run as the super-user. To run a program as root when it doesn't require the password, bring up bash and type in su -. When prompted, enter your password. Then hit Enter, and you can run programs normally, as if they were being run by root.
The / directory should only contain the directories that were there when you installed Linux. Don't add extra stuff there.
Your division of /home is your place to keep files. Don't scatter them about the file system, keep them all in your home directory.
/HOME and /home are not the same. It's usually best to keep all files with all lowercase letters rather than switching from one to the other, e.g. /home/scott/west_virginia.jpg is preferable to /home/scott/West_Virginia.JPG. Keeping the files all-lowercase eliminates the need to guess at which letters are capital and which are not.
You can use spaces in a file name from graphical shells like Konqueror and Nautilus quite easily. From the terminal, however, is a different story. Why? Because the parameters for a command are separated by spaces. For instance, mv file1 file2 moves (renames) a file from file1 to file2. To avoid bash from interpreting spaces in file names as separators for files, you must prefix them with a backslash, e.g. Program\ Files.
If you really feel the need to put a space in a file name, use the underscore (_) key instead.