Introduction; About This Manual - Read This? Please - Red Hat LINUX 7.2 Manual

Section 0.1:About This Manual — Read This? Please?

Introduction

Welcome to the Official Red Hat Linux Getting Started Guide!
By now, you should have read the Official Red Hat Linux Installation Guide and successfully in-
stalled Red Hat Linux. This manual is designed to help new and intermediate Linux users navigate
and perform common tasks. Keep in mind that Linux looks, feels, and performs differently from other
operating systems you may have used. Forget about the conventions of other operating systems and
with an open mind, approach Red Hat Linux as a new, interesting, and versatile alternative.
This manual is task-oriented. You will find useful tips, hints, warnings, and screen shots interspersed
throughout. First, you will learn the basics of using Red Hat Linux, such as customizing a desktop,
configuring a printer, and getting online. Once the basics are covered, the tasks covered in this manual
become progressively more advanced.
Most users choose to work within either the GNOME or KDE graphical desktop environments (other
desktop environments are available). The Official Red Hat Linux Getting Started Guide focuses pri-
marily on how to perform tasks in these two environments.
Topics discussed include:
• Using the GNOME and KDE graphical desktop environments
• Managing files and directories
• Navigating the filesystem
• Connecting to the Internet
• Upgrading applications
• And links to online resources covering common questions and answers, computer basics, an ex-
planation of Red Hat Linux system directories, and more.
After conquering the basics of your Red Hat Linux system, you may need information on more ad-
vanced topics. You can find this information in the Official Red Hat Linux Customization Guide and
the Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide. All of our manuals are available in HTML and PDF
formats at http://www.redhat.com/support/manuals.
About This Manual — Read This? Please?
This book explains how to get started with Red Hat Linux using both the graphical user interface
and the shell prompt. New users tend to be more comfortable using the graphical interface, so each
chapter explains graphical procedures first and shell prompt procedures second (see A Note About
Environments and Chapter 10, Shell Prompt Basics for more on working from the shell prompt).
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