[NCLUG] Old newbie ... seeks counsel

[JustBillH at aol.com]

Dear nclug,

I have recently moved to Ft. Collins.  I am a retired engineer who has spent 
the last 22 years of my usefully employed existence interfacing with a system 
based on a mainframe using the UNIX OS.  I was a user ... and ran program 
designed for the system specifically.  I don't pretend to be a programmer or 
a computer guru.  However, I became reasonably adept at writing my own cutsey 
scripts to perform some neat little tricks for my particular needs.  But, in 
the crunch, I always had to defer to the SA.

My personal computers at home have been force fed the MS line of operating 
systems ... continually evolving and each version costing more bucks than I 
want to spend to keep the latest changes (mostly chrome and fuzzy dice) 
current.  I made the break a couple years ago and setup one of my machines to 
be a LINUX machine with the intent of learning to do the system 
administration stuff and edify myself ... to be free of MS.  I've done a 
mediocre job, but my system was up and running before I moved.  Currently it 
is still packed in the garage and awaiting space in our new smaller quarters 
while I make do with this laptop.  But, when I unbox it and set it up, I need 
to get on line.  I have asked my ISP (AOL) for the information needed to set 
up my web access and have been greeted with a stonewall of " Sorry, we 
haven't a version of AOL for LINUX as yet."  Which wasn't the question I 
asked.  I asked for an IP address and the e-mail interface address.  

I need advice in how to connect to AOL ... if any of your members have done 
that ... or I need advice on a new ISP and all the appropriate instructions 
to get hooked up with them.  I deeply appreciate any help given.

bill hendrickson (justbillh at aol.com)