LINUX. How to get started - and how easy?

[Mjc]

My local computer supplier is constantly suggesting that it would be better to switch from Windows to Linux. Being a total greenhorn, I have a number of questions which I should like to ask of those who have experience of both and who are possibly unbiased .... but can you please keep it simple?

1. Where do you get Linux... and what do you actually get?

2. What does it cost?

3. How easy is it to learn?

4. Apart from avoiding viruses, what are the advantages?

I thank that will do for starters, but I'm sure I shall think of many more questions as I learn more.

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[Hegs]

1. Amazon or any good online software place, either RedHat or SuSe "distributions" are rated, or even on the cover of computer magazines. If you are handy with a CD-writer and have a very fast connection you can download disk images as well. You get a set of CDs, if all goes well they will set up a "dual boot" environment so you can choose between Windows and Linux. If all doesn't go well, you might lose the Windows data so back up.

2. The last one I installed personally was RedHat 9, about a year old, the latest RedHat versions are called Fedora. It was UKP 35 from memory.

3. One problem with Linux is that each of the distributions is different : different user interface, different commands, different location of files, so it is hard to generalize. However you need to learn a series of "command line" commands to do most things, you can choose.

One thing to bear in mind is that off-the-shelf software you have bought or used (games, productivity, etc) will no longer work and you may not be able to find Linux equivalents. There is a reasonable Office replica, good mail, web and other internet servers and clients, software development tools, graphics tools, some games. At a personal guess 99% of commercial end user software is not available for Linux though.

Another thing is that Linux driver development is donkey's years behind Windows and hardware providers are only starting to produce drivers for many cards, you may have to rely on those written by hobbyists which are often not so hot.

4. A few viruses have existed for Linux, but don't spread as rapidly due the low number of home users who don't keep up to date with patches. The sort of security vulnerabilities that happen in Windows still happen, but with less regularity. If Linux gets past the 5-10% mark of home user desktops, the viruses will no doubt follow.

It is so cheap it is worth trying so long as you back up your PC, don't expect miracles though. It's still much more suited for servers than for home users.

 

 

 

 

[Alex@FPS<P>http:<a target=_blank href="http:www.france-property-services.com">www.france-property-services.com<A><P>]

Linux is available in a number of forms - red hat, mandrake ......

The best way to find out more is to look online with goggle - ask your question and you will be amazed at what information is available .

I use mandrake 10 it installs very easily and recognises my computer hardware etc (not my main computer that is windows XP prof)

You can normally get the latest version in a newsagents in the Uk it can cost from 4 or 5 pounds upwards. You can also download it from many different websites worldwide (normally free but it takes a while to download without broadband . Different versions require different subscriptions etc . In france you can buy it at major supermarkets in the form of a magazine called Linux something... It is normally multi language so you can chouse english if you prefer . If you go online always download the "stable version" not the beta or test versions as they are designed for testing and are not always stable on all types of computer etc...

How easy - well if you are a mean windows person it takes a while and can really ??!"££"I*&T ..get on you nerves ! but its free and doesn't give you the blue screen of death ! There are many good books available on the subject .

If your whole life is going to depend on it - i would suggest you stick with windows and learn beforehand

If you are just playing - run it on a second machine or buy another hard drive and install on it .

you get a huge amount of software one of which is openoffice.org equivalent to microsoft office (but free) a windows version is available for free download at their site . I use it for everyday use on one of my computers .

Linux gets a bit tricky on new hardware and winmodems etc (ie it does not work always or is difficult to configure for a novice )

viruses do exist for Linux despite popular beliefs . This is just the tip of the iceberg - check out online is my best advice

good luck

Alex

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I've been using Linux on and off for a couple of years now..I always found it a bit tought to use, having migrated from windows, at first I used Redhat, then SuSe, then Mandrake.. All of which have graphical installs and Graphical interfaces as standard.. I found them hard to use becouse I knew nothing about how linux works, or where files are stored.. I eventually plumped for Debian, which is supposedly the most newbie-freindly linux distro, with the most horrible install.. I loved it, no graphical install, and having a base system to add stuff to as I whent along was a great catylist for learning linux properly, it's probably not an option for the faint hearted however!

Anyway, to answer your specific questions:

1. Where do you get Linux.. and what do you actually get?

Linux is available from most reputable compter shops, on-line shops such as Amazon or from the manufacturer directly..

You get an operating system based on the GNU open-source project that is consistently more reliable and stable (and often quicker) than it's windows counterparts.

2. What does it cost?

As Linux is based on the GNU open-source project, it is in most cases FREE (think free speach, not free beer..) If you buy from a place such as Amazon, or from a computer shop, prices are usally around about the 60€ mark. If however you look around, there are various websites that sell copies for as little as 1 Euro.

Most distributors of linux have aplace on their website where you can download CD or DVD images from, then all you have to do is burn them to CD. You can in most cases also install via the internet, but this only really applies if you have a high-speed internet connection.

In France, there are several Linux magazines, almost all of which will have a Linux Distro on the front..

3. How easy is it to learn?

This will depend on several factors, firstly your own aptitude towards these sort of things, secondly your attitude - if you want to learn it, it will obviously seem easier. As a generalisation, the learning curve is fairly steep to begin with, then eases off after you become more familliar with your own distro and the commands etc. It should propably be said however that linux is an OS with which you will continue to learn about even after years of usage.

4. Apart from avoiding viruses, what are the advantages?

As I mentioned above, Linux is considered to be faster, more stable and generally more reliable than it's windows counterparts. It also offers improved secutirty over windows. The obvious one is that becouse it's open-source, there is a vast catalouge of free software for linux, ranging from games to word-processing, in fact, just about anything you can come up with..

If you are still interested, let me know, and I can sort you out with a couple of Distro's to get you started..