I was just reading a thread in the UF about some guy, a n00b, who’s trying to get dual monitors working in Hardy; his first ever Linux setup (technically dual-boot XP and Hardy). I have dual monitors and have had since I was still using Gutsy a year ago, but I also have an Nvidia card, so configuration was as easy as running the Nvidia config utility with gksudo, enabling the second monitor, saving the changes and logging out/back in. Just as easy as XP, and I didn’t even have to reboot. This guy, however, is using the notoriously poor “fglrx” ATI driver. I used to be an ATI fan and faithfully bought their cards (and installed their cards for people who wanted upgrades) for years, but then I started investigating Linux. Their Linux support was so pitiful and so far behind their Win support (I expect a little behind, but they were ridiculous) that I thought, “Fuck this–I’ll vote with my wallet”, and switched to Nvidia. Haven’t looked back since. Anyway, what he’s trying to do is not likely to be simple with ATI’s crappy driver, but it probably do-able. Why does it qualify for a “Wow”? Well, because this man has 20+ years computer experience, stretching all the way back to DOS 3.1, but all of that experience is with MS OSes. Probably the worst “Win-switcher” is the power user; the person who has used nothing or nearly nothing but MS for many years, and knows it very, very well. I know–I was one, and it was difficult (and often frustrating) to learn new ways. Still, so what–lots of power users have switched, so what makes this particular one special?

The man is 75 years old. I can only hope that by the time I’m 75, I’m still willing to not only learn to use a whole new OS, but also not give up if it doesn’t co-operate immediately. By chronology, that man is old, but he really isn’t because he hasn’t given up learning. “I’m too old” is a cop-out; if your brain still functions, then you’re not too old to at least try to learn something new. Our brains are like anything else…use ’em or lose ’em. Props to you, old dude; you’re awesome, and although I can’t help you much with ATI, I sure wish I could because you deserve it.

Oh yeah…”liberated” these from some site:

Ten Commandments for New Linux Users

1. Thou shalt not log in as root.
Use “sudo” or “su -” for administrative tasks.
2. Thou shalt use the package manager when possible.
Sometimes installing from source code can’t be avoided, but when you use your distro’s package manager to install software, you can also use it to update and remove it. This is one of the main strengths of Linux.
3. Thou shalt be a part of the community.
Freely give what you have received for free. Offer help and advice whenever you can.
4. Thou shalt read documentation and man pages.
Always read the documentation. The people who wrote the software tried to anticipate your questions, and provided answers before you asked.
5. Thou shalt use the available support system.
Switching to Linux can be tough. It can be frustrating, but there are a lot of people out there who want to help you. Let them.
6. Thou shalt search.
In most cases, your question or problem has already been addressed. Try to find the answers that are already out there before asking someone to provide a new one.
7. Thou shalt explore.
Linux opens a whole new world of options and possibilities. Try everything you can.
8. Thou shalt use the command line.
Especially when it comes to configuration, use the GUI tools to get your system working, but get to know the command line versions as well. In many cases, the command line is the only way to use some of the more advanced features.
9. Thou shalt not try to recreate Windows.
Linux is not meant to be a clone of Windows. It’s different. Embrace and appreciate the differences.
10. Thou shalt not give up.
I tried several distributions before I found one I liked. I still try other distros from time to time. I also tried several different programs to serve one purpose before settling on what I use now (amarok, xmms, beep, exaile for music – azureus, ktorrent, deluge for bittorrents). If you don’t like the defaults, remember that you can change almost everything to suit you.

I have one to add:

11. Thou shalt not tell me what to fucking do or how to do it. The reason I chose Linux in the first place is because my computer is mine and it does what I tell it to do, when I tell it. When you pay for it, you can tell me what to do; until then, STFU. 😀