# Hi, I'm a Linux newb with a ton of questions... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 31, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-im-a-linux-newb-with-a-ton-of-questions/306206 "2005-05-31T13:38:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-im-a-linux-newb-with-a-ton-of-questions/306206/21 "2005-06-02T03:19:09Z")
Thank you all for the help. Fedora is now up and running on the computer. Turns out a lot of those applications were already included (that explains the 4 CDs). Overall, it was a much better experience than the last time I tried to use Linux (a certain LiveCD distro overheated a laptop, killed it, and cracked the table beneath it… but that’s another story). Now I just have to finish configuring the system. And **black455** , thank you for that chart. It’s really useful. As for antivirus: If nothing else, Windows taught me that it’s usually better to be paranoid. I download and use a lot of apps and I don’t have the knowledge to go through source code and examine it. I just want to be sure the binaries I run aren’t talking to anything unless I want them to. I’ll see if ClamAV or the other AV programs on that chart would work. Anyway, thanks again for the assistance 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-im-a-linux-newb-with-a-ton-of-questions/306206/22 "2005-06-02T04:26:11Z")
Also posting a thank you for your replies. I got Qt installed and working today. I think tomorrow I may try to get synaptic up and running, but I swear if I run into one teensy little problem getting it to work I will put it on the back burner for now. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-im-a-linux-newb-with-a-ton-of-questions/306206/23 "2005-06-02T04:48:06Z")
> [@Digital Stimulus](#): > > I put the actual command to be typed on the command line in bold; the **&&** causes **apt-get update** to run and then, if it succeeds, the **apt-get install synaptic** will be run. Ugh. That’s really badly written because I was in a rush – sorry about that. Let me try again: If you type **apt-get update && apt-get install synaptic** on the command line, you’re actually specifying two commands. The system will run **apt-get update** (the first command) to completion. Only if that completes successfully will the system run **apt-get install synaptic** (the second command) , due to the **&&** (logical _and_). There, that’s better. You probably didn’t need it, but I _hate_ it when I give confusing explanations. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-im-a-linux-newb-with-a-ton-of-questions/306206/24 "2005-06-02T08:01:39Z")
> [@Digital Stimulus](#): > > Just so’s you know – that’s the beauty of apt. It (should) take care of all the dependencies and such for you (which is the very reason I dislike rpms by themselves). As they say, by running the command I copied in my last post, it should just work. > > I feel the need to add the disclaimer that I haven’t done it yet myself, so I can’t claim first-hand knowledge. Having done it myself, it _does_ take care of all the dependencies. It (Synaptic) really is a lovely little front end for apt, and makes installing programs so easy. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-im-a-linux-newb-with-a-ton-of-questions/306206/25 "2005-06-02T12:39:20Z")
The new version of ZENworks (currently in beta) will be able to read apt repositories, and also figures out all the dependency issues. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hi-im-a-linux-newb-with-a-ton-of-questions/306206.md?page=1)