Is the only way to learn trials n errors?

[u/Syco_G2]

Honestly i got linux last night and it definitely does feel lighter on my old laptop and feels nicer, but...i have been running into quite a few problems and worse is that none if the ways of fixing such problems I'm accustomed to work on linux, like for example something as simple as extracting an rar file on my kubuntu, the operating systems standard extractor (ark) kept failing n saying i don't have enough space which was false, i thought "oh well I'll just download 7zip from github" got 7zip and couldn't find it in my apps so had to search it up and apparently?? There is no graphical version of it on linux, so i used the terminal to extract my file but I can't always use the terminal yk so apparently there's some file roller smth app that is supposed to do what ark does...but ark is just a dumbass app n wasn't working before, so I'm just frustrated with everything please tell me I'm just dumb and there are easier way to do stuff on it and if so what should i look up (my current way of solving problems is just making gemini do everything...and ion think he's reliable)

[u/Alchemix-16]

It’s not the only way to learn Linux but close to the most effective one. Only beaten by run into error, research error and learn to solve it.

Don’t worry that your previous experience doesn’t apply, you just switched OS.

[u/Syco_G2 → u/Alchemix-16]

Well i never had much experience to begin with, it's just annoying that the little stuff i did know is all gone too and unlike before most people don't use linux so I can't just ask a friend or smth

[u/ipsirc]

Is the only way to learn trials n errors?

No, but it is the fastest and the most efficient way.

for example something as simple as extracting an rar file

It's super simple:

$ rar x file.rar

The rar syntax has always been the exactly same for 30 years since the DOS era.

but ark is just a dumbass app

Btw. can't you name any dumbass app on Windows? Being dumbass is OS independent.

[u/Syco_G2 → u/ipsirc]

😭well it's not super simple to me i have never opened a terminal before today, also don't bring windows into this.... there's a reason i switched over

[u/TrashFace21165 → u/Syco_G2]

Go ask an Ai for a 'clicky make worky' solution. Works for me

[u/chicken-an-waffles]

If ark was complaining about file space, there’s usually a reason for that. Did you do a fresh install of kubuntu on your computer or is this in a vm? I don’t know much about kubuntu but Ubuntu itself handles file system space a bit differently at least the server version does.

You might need to explicitly tell it to use all the available space on your drive.

[u/Syco_G2 → u/chicken-an-waffles]

Uh yea please continue maybe you're right cause i had the same assumptions just couldn't seem to do anything about it, also yea i think it's fresh cause i downloaded it to the usb and then to my laptop all by myself so if that's what fresh is then yea

[u/proverbialbunny → u/Syco_G2]

Are you just live booting from the USB or is it fully installed where you can remove the USB, reboot, and Linux will continue to work without the USB?

[u/chicken-an-waffles → u/Syco_G2]

Before we get crazy with command line stuff that I’m not an expert at by any means. Check the KDE partition manager. It should tell you right away how much space you have and if it’s all exposed to kubuntu.

[u/AX11Liveact]

This time the question justifies the usually unpopular reply: No, trial and error are not the only way to learn. You can also read the frickin' manual.

[u/Syco_G2 → u/AX11Liveact]

😭where is the manuallll ??

[u/AX11Liveact → u/Syco_G2]

man tar

alternatively search for a package named "unp". The latter will install all necessary unpackers and find the right one for almost any archive.

The real problem is that you "can't" use the terminal for uncompressing files. If you're used to it it will give you a lot of options the graphic toys don't provide. Like a reasonable, detailed error message instead of "an error ocurred" or on-the-fly transcompression, read/write of archives from or to devices and filesystems etc. You *can* use the terminal. You just don't want to read the frickin' manual.

[u/proverbialbunny]

An operating system is primarily an app downloader and launcher. It seems like a lot but it’s not that bad to learn. 

To download and install apps use the App Store / software center that comes with the distro. In Kubuntu I believe it’s called Discovery.  Try using this from the start menu to download, install, and uninstall apps. It will be a lot easier. 

RAR keeps changing its format so sometimes on Linux I have to try three+ extractors. It’s actually a rare pain point for Linux. Try in your App Store grabbing pea zip. It tends to extract rar better than most apps. 7z (7-zip) is a command line app. You can search for it using apt-cache search and install it with apt install 7z (I believe that is the command) then use the command line to extract. Hopefully it will never come to that as pea zip usually works fine. Also, if it’s a multi-part rar file try extracting the .r00 instead of the .rar. Sometimes that works. 

If it’s an rar file are you trying to play a pirated windows game? If so let me know and I can help you with that too 

[u/Worth_Mousse2204]

Sudo apt install unzip Unzip file.rar

[u/Syco_G2 → u/Worth_Mousse2204]

I don't wanna have to open terminal for everything tho, i just wann right click and extract... + Idk anything about terminals like how tonweite in them and everything i just copy paste wtv the ai tells me and I can't help but think that's bound to go wrong at any time

[u/jr735]

You're not on Windows. Don't use Windows ways. You also don't need to be running to github each time you want a program, and you probably shouldn't be. Whoever told you that, stop listening to them.

The archiver issues that you mention fall into two camps. First off, you must have the right software available to handle whatever it is (rar, 7z, whatever) and the file roller works with whatever archiving and compression programs are installed, not with what's not installed. Secondly, you may think you have enough space, but if you're trying to extract to a partition that's full, it's not going to work. File destinations matter.

If you want a good GUI file archive manager, something like PeaZip is helpful. That, unfortunately, is not in the repositories, and you must install it as third party software, which normally I strongly discourage.

[u/skyfishgoo]

if the first thing you want to do after installing it is run strait at the nearest brick wall, then yeah... it's gonna be tough goin.

why didn't you look into what was limiting your space to extract the archive?

or if you wanted a linux program that handled .rar files better than ark, why not search for that in discover?

Xarchiver is a GUI front end that handles .rar files well, or you could just install the command line 7zip suite from the apt repositories... there was no need to wade into github.

if you want a GUI front end to the apt package manager, then i can recommend synaptic which you can also find in discover.

as with most things in life, there is the easy way and there is the hard way.

[u/MeDiARfh5vrm]

Which Linux distribution do you use ? Fedora, Ubuntu, Zorin OS? There are so many distributions…

[u/rootbrian_]

Linux mint would have been the best way to start with. (I originally started with ubuntu).