UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

knew nothing about unix - linux untill a week ago when i started out to learn the basics.
I think i'm aproaching unix wrong, i'm trying to compare unix with dos, searching similar commands.
Did some great things for dumbass newbie like writing scripts to mount cdrom and floppy, that's the farrest i came.
now i unzipped (or tarred ) a tar file and there are some html and gif files in it.
Now is my question; can i view those files. With cat I see the html-code but can i view it like a web page?
Sorry for being new. man -k search came up with sgml and pod files so i guess the html files should be converted to those files perhaps?
btw I'm working in text environment of red hat 7.1 : 2.4.2-2

ps is it just to say you work with unix in the linux text environment? (i know it has a different kernel)

It's OK to say you work with Unix, but in some cases you will want to let people know exactly which Unix variant you're working with, since each is slighly different.

To view the .html file, see if you have the "lynx", or "links" commands available. The images, you won't have much luck with in a text-based environment, unless you're on the console (telnet / ssh won't work for framebuffering).

There are lots of places that compare vaious DOS and Unix commands, but most are simple command, like "cd" and "ls".

You're on the right track using "man -k"... Also, since you are using Linux, try the "info" command. You can start with "info info".

thnx livinfree

so since i haven't installed the GUI for red hat, i'm not able to view the gif's and the html I suppose. Oh well, that would be another comparasion to dos, since you only can view gif's if you have paint (thus winblows) installed.
I must say, unix looks very interesting.
I guess now I'll start working with the networking side of it.

again thnx and 'till next Q

no wait, i'm wrong
i Can view the html files with lynx.
woohoo another (small) victory!

If you're on the console (sitting in front of the box at a monitor - not connected via a telnet session, etc...), you may still be able to view images using a framebuffering program.
Basically, what it will do is dump an image to your screen by directly accessing the video hardware.
I can't remember the names of any of them at the moment, but I'll post back if I do -

Anyone else know of a good FB image viewer?

PS - look at some of the FB projects at http://freshmeat.net
One of them might help you out.