% Linux Installation and Getting Started    -*- TeX -*-
% tut-intro.tex
% Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Matt Welsh, Larry Greenfield and Karl Fogel
%
% This file is freely redistributable, but you must preserve this copyright 
% notice on all copies, and it must be distributed only as part of "Linux 
% Installation and Getting Started". This file's use is covered by
% the copyright for the entire document, in the file "copyright.tex".

\section{Introduction}

New users of UNIX and Linux may be a bit intimidated by the size and
apparent complexity of the system before them. There are many good books
on using UNIX out there, for all levels of expertise from novice to 
expert. However, none of these books covers, specifically, an introduction
to using Linux. While 95\% of using Linux is exactly like using other
UNIX systems, the most straightforward way to get going on your new system
is with a tutorial tailored for Linux. Herein is such a tutorial.

This chapter does not go into a large amount of detail or cover many
advanced topics. Instead, it is intended to get the new Linux user running,
on both feet, so that he or she may then read a more general book about
UNIX and understand the basic differences between other UNIX systems and 
Linux. 

Very little is assumed here, except perhaps some familiarity with 
personal computer systems, and MS-DOS. However, even if you're not an MS-DOS
user, you should be able to understand everything here. At first glance,
UNIX looks a lot like MS-DOS (after all, parts of MS-DOS were modeled on 
the CP/M operating system, which in turn was modeled on UNIX). However, 
only the very superficial features of UNIX resemble MS-DOS in any way. 
Even if you're completely new to the PC world, this tutorial should be of help.

And, before we begin: {\em Don't be afraid to experiment.\/} The system
won't bite you. You can't destroy anything by working on the system. 
UNIX has some amount of security built in, to prevent ``normal'' users
(the role which you will now assume) from damaging files which are
essential to the system. Even so, the absolute worst thing that can
happen is that you'll delete all of your files---and you'll have to go
back and re-install the system. So, at this point, you have nothing
to lose.

