Core Dump 2.0

If you’re working on documentation for modern, large-scale computer systems, the odds are very good that you’ll be documenting a Linux-based system, probably running on a blade server. For example, in just over a decade, the Toronto Stock Exchange has moved from an IBM mainframe, to a HP-NonStop (formerly Tandem) mini-computer, to a RedHat Enterprise Linux-based system running on HP blade servers. It’s also likely that you’ll be working with a lot of shell scripts, small programs that execute a series of commands.

The Linux shell scripting language can be intimidating if you’re not used to it. This tutorial, by Vivek Gite, gives a good overview of the bash shell, which is one of the most commonly used Linux shells.

Tom’s Hardware has put together a comprehensive guide for Windows power users who want to install Ubuntu 9.04 as a desktop system. It goes into quite a lot of detail about installating and configuring Ubuntu, something that many Windows users find challenging.

As a lifelong Windows user, system builder, ex-gamer, and performance freak, I’m not drinking anyone’s Kool-Aid. I just want the most amount of control over my system as possible, and at this point in time, Ubuntu is the best follow-up to Windows XP. Don’t take my word for it, give it a try for yourself. If, like me, you’ve tried it before with no luck, perhaps it’s time to give it another shot. You could try it with the Live CD, but let’s face it, that’s little more than interactive screenshots. Without installing and running software natively, you really can’t give it a fair shake.

This article will walk you, the Windows power user, through the Ubuntu installation process from downloading the CD image to finding help online. There are many guides available online, but most are written for total computer newbies or people already familiar with Linux. Most of the hang-ups that I experienced with Linux could have been easily overcome with simple Windows analogies.

Writing for power users, I assume that you have a good working knowledge of Windows and computers in general, but little or no experience with Linux. Therefore, this article will not tell you to compile anything from source code, and no sentence begins with “bring up the terminal” or any other UNIX techno-babble. Common Linux pitfalls like hard drive partitioning, installing software, and setup of essential plug-ins will be addressed entirely by using the graphical user interface (GUI).