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[ArchimedesWojak]

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[wierd]

I would ask--

What exactly do you want to gain more knowledge of, as pertains to computers?



By that, I mean--  Do you have an interest in getting computers to do some specific task?  Do you have a general interest in how they function at a raw theoretical/mechanical level?  Are you interested in how a specific operating system does certain tasks? 

Etc..

Think about what you want to learn more about, then jump back in here, and we would be better able to help you.


As is, the question you have posted is kinda vague, in the lines of "I want to get smarter in general science stuff."  There's so many sciences out there that it would be hard to satisfy what your actual nascent curiosity is, and giving you a generic primer on scientific method would be dry and unpalatable, most likely.

Similar thing here. 

[bloop_bleep]

I just want to learn Computer-Smarts(is that the right name for it)

is there a good tutorial or beginners guide or just a good place to start in general i keep hearing stories about the cool things people do with computers and i want to figure out where people learn these things

Start programming! Try Python, it's a good beginner language. Download from python.org. It comes with an editor and IDE; just search for IDLE. There are some good Python tutorials out there, such as the one on the official Python documentation: https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/, though personally I learned from a good book. Some good Python books are those by No Starch Press, such as Python Crash Course, Doing Math with Python, I think there's one about writing games too.

[Reelya]

Simple games is a good start with programming. And when I mean simple, start with the simplest possible game.

For example, make a text/console program that generates a number from 1 to 1000, then the user has to guess a number, and the program outputs whether your guess is higher, lower or equal to its number, and when you get it right, it says you won and asks if you want to play again.

This may sound super simple but it's about the right level of challenge for writing your first program.

[ArchimedesWojak]

ok ok i have a couple of questions

(1) what is the best version of Linux and where can i get it and if i install it will it could i switch back and forth between Linux and Windows

(2) can i run Mac OS on a windows laptop

(3) is it possible to make it so that when i turn on my pc Linux will run instead of Windows or do i have to run Linux manually

[bloop_bleep]

Most Linux distributions allow you to dual-boot Windows and Linux meaning you can choose pre-boot whether to boot Windows or Linux.

[Starver]

"Best" version of Linux is also a very difficult question to ask.

The *buntu family seems to be pushed a lot for new users. I personally haven't liked their builds (visually), but for much the same reasons as I don't like newer Windowses, so you can probably ignore my feelings on that. (Also, 'buntus are very varied, I know, across their range.  I think Zorin is supposed to be a good transitional one.)

Mint is touted as a beginner option (again, different - excuse the pun - 'flavours')

Elementary is Mac-like (apparently), so given the second of your couple of questions[1].

You maybe could try out something like Puppy/DamnSmall on a removal media without even messing with your Windows boot (but they tend to not be very Windows/Mac-like).


Arch/CentOs/Suse might be at the technical end to install and use, but I think there are versions of each made for "default, minimal clicking" installs.


(I'm using a slightly old Fedora distro, right now, on one of my machines. I got it sort of how I liked it, again, after the last major upgrade I did royally messed around with the simplicity and not too much style-over-substance of the install, and I didn't want to risk that again so it's slightly more archaic than it should be, apart from the occasional necessary manual updates.  Don't try to be like me, though.)



[1] Which I don't know the answer to, but probably not (anywhere near as easy than if you instead go get a Mac-like Linux/reskin, anyway).

[ArchimedesWojak]

thank you for the information

i will look into the different versions and decide later

Arch seems to be the thing im looking for

[Starver]

[...]

edit: I actually was just going to post the first sentence of this post, but got carried away. And I'm fairly sure there are more authoritative opinions than mine around, on the relative merits of flavours and distros. I just really wanted to say that it's a complicated thing to answer.  Ah, drat, you've read and replied to it... Right, putting it into a new post.

[Starver]

Ok, real reply to your choice: I haven't tried Arch for... years. It was 'interesting' to set up, back then and I think I didn't stick with it enough to make the effort worth the while.  Probably been streamlined since then. Someone who has more recent info should probably step up and let me back slowly and gracefully away from any further discussion of the specifics.

[ArchimedesWojak]

thank you Starver

there are 25 versions (on the download page of linux.org)

i was trying to figure out which version was right for me

im still reading about all of them

again thank you Starver for the information

[feelotraveller]

The best Linux distribution is the one that you are using. 

Anyways, the go to place for Arch is its wiki - https://wiki.archlinux.org/ and then follow the link to the installation guide.  Getting Arch up and running is a bit more complicated than many distro's (insert obligatory Gentoo mention here) but is well worth it (imo).  Its wiki on the other hand is a masterpiece, a view often shared even by users of other distro's!  If you are a do-it-yourself type then Arch will suit you down to the ground.  It has forums if you really get stuck but be prepared to do your homework beforehand to avoid a rather frosty reception.

One of the things about an arch install is that the distro rolls, that is it remains up to date so no reinstallation necessary.  I want to say that this is a great thing but it comes with the (very minimal) risk that your OS can break with an update.  Be prepared by having another way to boot into your system in case this does happen.  It's not common though, for me, like once in several years (and then it was just a matter of locating the update which borked it and reverting it - a working revision of the update was available from the distro within an hour or so).  I've just got a thumbdrive with another distro on it, that also serves to allow me to backup the entire system from time to time.

If you've got (simplish) questions I can try to answer them.  But honestly just give it a try, the tinkering is fun!  Do back up your shit (to an external source) first, just in case. 

Fake edit: ninja'd, but still relevant (maybe)

Real edit:  The place I've always found best for comparing/choosing distro's is https://distrowatch.com/.  It has a very good reputation.

[Ziusudra]

ok ok i have a couple of questions

(1) what is the best version of Linux and where can i get it and if i install it will it could i switch back and forth between Linux and Windows

There is no objective best version. And by partitioning your hard drive(s) you can install as many OSes as you have room for.

The first question you need to answer is do you want rolling release or fixed release. A fixed release is less likely to break from an update but you'll need to install a new version every so often. But a properly maintained rolling release can continue working for many years.

(2) can i run Mac OS on a windows laptop

Probably not. OSX has limited driver support. And the EULA probably forbids running it on hardware that isn't Apple branded.

(3) is it possible to make it so that when i turn on my pc Linux will run instead of Windows or do i have to run Linux manually

Yes, once you install a boot manager, you choose which OS it boots by default.

Starting is with Arch is a bit like learning to swim by just jumping into the deep end of a pool. And it requires quite a bit of work to get a working system - though it will then mostly work exactly how you want it to.

[ArchimedesWojak]

ok ok i have a couple of questions

(1) what is the best version of Linux and where can i get it and if i install it will it could i switch back and forth between Linux and Windows

There is no objective best version. And by partitioning your hard drive(s) you can install as many OSes as you have room for.

The first question you need to answer is do you want rolling release or fixed release. A fixed release is less likely to break from an update but you'll need to install a new version every so often. But a properly maintained rolling release can continue working for many years.

(2) can i run Mac OS on a windows laptop

Probably not. OSX has limited driver support. And the EULA probably forbids running it on hardware that isn't Apple branded.

(3) is it possible to make it so that when i turn on my pc Linux will run instead of Windows or do i have to run Linux manually

Yes, once you install a boot manager, you choose which OS it boots by default.

Starting is with Arch is a bit like learning to swim by just jumping into the deep end of a pool. And it requires quite a bit of work to get a working system - though it will then mostly work exactly how you want it to.

boot manager?

does that come with Arch or is it a separate download

if it's the latter where can i get a boot manager?

[Ziusudra]

boot manager?

does that come with Arch or is it a separate download

if it's the latter where can i get a boot manager?

Yes, Arch provides multiple to choose from during installation.