Penguin
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  • The equivalent of Windows' ipconfig config command on Linux is ifconfig.
  • Your initial windowmanager settings are (generally) stored in the .xinitrc file.
  • Global system configuration files are in the /etc directory.
  • Use "rpm -Uvh filename" to install a .rpm file. see rpm(8)
  • Use "tar -xzvf filename" to decompress a .tar.gz or .tgz file. see tar(1)
  • Don't get involved in emacs(1) vs. vi(1) arguments - they're both nightmares to use. Use nano(1) or pico(1) for editing text files on the command line. (Advanced users who actually like emacs(1) or vi(1) please ignore this statement). joe(1) is a very nice text-mode editor if you find that pico is a little too basic. But jed(1) is all you need, and its easy to type too.
  • The cp(1) command copies files. The cp -r command copies folders.
  • Before you ask for help online, be sure to read the HOWTO first. Linux documentation is difficult to understand sometimes so don't feel bad if you don't get it, but make the attempt to read it because the first question they'll ask you is "Have you read the documentation?"
  • If your desktop locks up, CTRL+ALT+BACKSPACE will kill the GUI and drop you to the command line again without having to reboot your system.
  • You don't have to worry about defragmenting the computer.
  • You don't have to worry about Outlook viruses.
  • Linux will crash on you at some point. It happens, no matter what anybody says. However, it won't happen nearly as much as it does on Windows.
  • You don't have to shut down or resart every day. It's ok to leave a Linux system running for a week or more (some users have their system running for months at a time). You should still conserve electricity, tho.
  • There is no UNDELETE function in Linux. If you delete a file (rm filename) it's gone and you can't get it back. see rm(1)
  • The command "su -" changes you to the root user (assuming you have the password). see su(1)
  • Installing a program from source is easier than you think. tar -xzvf filename.tar.gz then go into the directory and it's usually ./configure then make then make install. You have to be root to install software.
  • Apparently it's a good idea to make sure you are working on the correct drive when doing mkfs - as doing this command on the wrong drive can be quite __annoying__ to say the least.
  • Learn how to use redirection "<" and ">" and pipes "|" (in the shell).

See also AdvancedUserTips