All the Free Resources You Need to Advance Your Linux Savvy

Looking around for good Linux applications or perhaps some tutorials? You'll find many applications in our database here at OStatic (just click on Software and enter your request in our Search field), and we've also collected some free and very accessible resources to know about.

In this post, you'll find some of the easiest ways to develop your Linux savvy, ranging from downloadable books to free online courseware.

It's worth taking some time to find out about Open CourseWare for Linux from College@Home. This is a good find. The site offers free online courses on many Linux-related topics. You can take concise courses on using Ubuntu, GnuCash (finance software for Linux), FreeMind (mind mapping software), Gentoo Linux, GIMP, and more.

When it comes to educational Linux sites, though, my favorite remains Unix-Tutorials.com.  Check out the long list of Linux topics you can dig into down the left rail of the home page, with content aggregated from around the web.

Keir Thomas, a noted Linux author, has made available a free book online: Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference. It's very good, and has already been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. You'll find information for beginners, and more advanced material.

Ramesh Natarajan is giving out free copies of his ebook, Linux 101 Hacks. Though it targets a farily experienced audience, it is also a handy reference for those common command line tasks that arise every so often -- but not often enough that you completely recall how to do them.

One of the chicken-and-egg problems that keeps some users from trying out Linux and becoming skilled is lack of adequate documentation. How are you supposed to learn effectively without it? The good news is that there are good, free guides you can get online. You'll find tons of documentation for nearly every Linux distro at Linuxtopia. See this post for details. 

Looking into Linux apps? If so, Linux App Finder is a well-known database of Linux applications and information about them. The site offers multiple ways to search, and you'll benefit from spending some time exploring.