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There are two paths before you: The soft transition process would be installing Ubuntu or Linux Mint, which are distributions that lack a lot of the "hard core
by david_shaw 16y ago
There are two paths before you:
The soft transition process would be installing Ubuntu or Linux Mint, which are distributions that lack a lot of the "hard core" command line configuration that drives away a lot of UNIX neophytes. These distros are geared towards the end user, and the transition should be soft -- some of the programs you use normally (Word) won't be there, but replacements (LibreOffice) are at your fingertips.
The I-want-to-learn-right-now path would involve installing a more technical distribution like Gentoo, FreeBSD, or (my personal favorite) ArchLinux and learning from the ground up. Based on your post it seems that you just want to get out of the Windows bandwagon rather than learn the intricacies of Linux, so this might not be the easiest option for you.
Either way, the *nix family welcomes you with open arms!
- abdd0e78 16y agoI am not a UNIX noob. I've been using FreeBSD on and off for 10 years, and have developed in C++ on Unix systems on my own for about the same amount of time (have done Perl also and some Ruby too) so that is not the issue. The issue is 1) no "hard" experience working on these systems and 2) how to make what experience I do have seem applicable to businesses that do use UNIX which by the way, seems very limited after becoming aware of all the jobs we get for the MS stack. Also, for some reason my employer specifically targets MS users so that makes it even more difficult in my current position.
- bmelton 16y agoPerhaps getting some technical accomplishments in Solaris or one of the 'bigger' nixes (HP/UX, AIX, et al) will give you an easier way to illustrate your nix experience to potential employers?