momopi_IHB
New member
This thread is intended for those new to the Linux OS.
Basic Linux Information (Linux 101):
http://linux.about.com/od/linux101/Linux_101.htm
http://www.linux.org/lessons/
There are over 300 distributions of Linux, but only a handful are really popular. You can see the rankings here:
http://distrowatch.com/stats.php?section=popularity
There are 2 Linux distributions that I use, Ubuntu and Puppy. Info here:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=ubuntu
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=puppy
If your computer is a Pentium 4 or better with at least 512MBs of memory, I'd recommend Ubuntu. If your computer is older and has 256MBs of memory, I'd recommend Puppy. Both can be downloaded from the internet. But if you prefer to have the CD/DVD and printed manual, you could order the Ultimate Ubuntu 7.10 package ($48):
http://www.thelinuxstore.ca/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=41_47
Good on-line resource for Ubuntu Linux installation:
http://linuxondesktop.blogspot.com/
http://linuxondesktop.blogspot.com/2007/11/creating-your-ultimate-ubuntu-710.html
Momo's Q&A:
Q. Can I try Linux without installing it to my computer?
A. Yes. You can download the "Live CD" image, burn to CD-R (ISO to disc), then boot from the CD to try it out.
Q. Can I run both Windows and Linux on my computer?
A. Yes, but if this is your first time installing Linux, I recommend using an old or spare PC. Back-up all important data from the hard drive before installing. Most Linux distributions include a boot manager, which allows you to choose which OS you want to run at boot-up.
Q. Is Linux easy to use?
A. Yes and no. The "ease of use" of recent Linux distributions has reached somewhere between Win95 and Win2000 level, but it's not up to WinXP yet. There are still many customizations that require command-line input.
If you're looking to buy something for a person who's clueless about computers, take them to your local Apple store and get them a MacBook (Laptop) with AppleCare extended warranty. If they have any problems, have them bring the laptop in to the Apple Store's Genius Bar.
Q. Will Linux support my hardware?
A. Most commonly-found hardware are supported by modern Linux distributions. Rare or specialized hardware is sometimes not supported. For example, Ubuntu will probably support 99% of all video cards sold in 2007, but not the old Promise SX-4000 RAID controller (for RAID5 config) in my garage. You can research hardware compatibility issues here:
http://www.linuxcompatible.org/compatibility.html
http://hardware4linux.info/
Q. Is Linux virus-free?
A. No. Linux free, but not virus free. There are Linux anti-virus programs avail, please use it.
Q. Will I be able to find all the programs I use in Windows for Linux?
A. No. There is no Microsoft Office or MSN for Linux. However, Linux does have a large collection of freeware that allows you perform most of the tasks (word processing, web surfing, graphics editing) that you'd do on a computer. Free programs such as Open Office (openoffice.org) offers reasonable level of compatibility with MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Ubuntu also installs Pidgin by default, which is compatible with MSN, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, etc. networks: http://www.pidgin.im
Q. How do I download and install programs in Linux?
A. Most modern Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, has software catalog where you can pick and choose (add/remove) free applications to download and install. There are also commercial applications avail.
Q. How do I get support for running Linux?
A. There are on-line documentation, forums, chat rooms, and mailing lists dedicated to various Linux distributions. For example:
http://www.ubuntu.com/support/communitysupport
http://puppylinux.com/forums.htm
Q. What is the advantage of using Linux over Windows?
A. From cost point of view, the retail price of Windows XP Pro + MS Office Pro is higher than what many computers are sold for today. You can skip these software expenses by installing Linux and Open Office, or AbiWord if you only need word processing. On the down side, there will be some time-consuming adjustments switching from Windows to Linux. Also, many games are only avail on Windows, so you may want to retain a Windows PC for your MMORPG addiction. There are ways to make games like WoW run under Linux, but it takes some work:
http://www.wowwiki.com/Linux/Wine
Basic Linux Information (Linux 101):
http://linux.about.com/od/linux101/Linux_101.htm
http://www.linux.org/lessons/
There are over 300 distributions of Linux, but only a handful are really popular. You can see the rankings here:
http://distrowatch.com/stats.php?section=popularity
There are 2 Linux distributions that I use, Ubuntu and Puppy. Info here:
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=ubuntu
http://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=puppy
If your computer is a Pentium 4 or better with at least 512MBs of memory, I'd recommend Ubuntu. If your computer is older and has 256MBs of memory, I'd recommend Puppy. Both can be downloaded from the internet. But if you prefer to have the CD/DVD and printed manual, you could order the Ultimate Ubuntu 7.10 package ($48):
http://www.thelinuxstore.ca/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=41_47
Good on-line resource for Ubuntu Linux installation:
http://linuxondesktop.blogspot.com/
http://linuxondesktop.blogspot.com/2007/11/creating-your-ultimate-ubuntu-710.html
Momo's Q&A:
Q. Can I try Linux without installing it to my computer?
A. Yes. You can download the "Live CD" image, burn to CD-R (ISO to disc), then boot from the CD to try it out.
Q. Can I run both Windows and Linux on my computer?
A. Yes, but if this is your first time installing Linux, I recommend using an old or spare PC. Back-up all important data from the hard drive before installing. Most Linux distributions include a boot manager, which allows you to choose which OS you want to run at boot-up.
Q. Is Linux easy to use?
A. Yes and no. The "ease of use" of recent Linux distributions has reached somewhere between Win95 and Win2000 level, but it's not up to WinXP yet. There are still many customizations that require command-line input.
If you're looking to buy something for a person who's clueless about computers, take them to your local Apple store and get them a MacBook (Laptop) with AppleCare extended warranty. If they have any problems, have them bring the laptop in to the Apple Store's Genius Bar.
Q. Will Linux support my hardware?
A. Most commonly-found hardware are supported by modern Linux distributions. Rare or specialized hardware is sometimes not supported. For example, Ubuntu will probably support 99% of all video cards sold in 2007, but not the old Promise SX-4000 RAID controller (for RAID5 config) in my garage. You can research hardware compatibility issues here:
http://www.linuxcompatible.org/compatibility.html
http://hardware4linux.info/
Q. Is Linux virus-free?
A. No. Linux free, but not virus free. There are Linux anti-virus programs avail, please use it.
Q. Will I be able to find all the programs I use in Windows for Linux?
A. No. There is no Microsoft Office or MSN for Linux. However, Linux does have a large collection of freeware that allows you perform most of the tasks (word processing, web surfing, graphics editing) that you'd do on a computer. Free programs such as Open Office (openoffice.org) offers reasonable level of compatibility with MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. Ubuntu also installs Pidgin by default, which is compatible with MSN, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, etc. networks: http://www.pidgin.im
Q. How do I download and install programs in Linux?
A. Most modern Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, has software catalog where you can pick and choose (add/remove) free applications to download and install. There are also commercial applications avail.
Q. How do I get support for running Linux?
A. There are on-line documentation, forums, chat rooms, and mailing lists dedicated to various Linux distributions. For example:
http://www.ubuntu.com/support/communitysupport
http://puppylinux.com/forums.htm
Q. What is the advantage of using Linux over Windows?
A. From cost point of view, the retail price of Windows XP Pro + MS Office Pro is higher than what many computers are sold for today. You can skip these software expenses by installing Linux and Open Office, or AbiWord if you only need word processing. On the down side, there will be some time-consuming adjustments switching from Windows to Linux. Also, many games are only avail on Windows, so you may want to retain a Windows PC for your MMORPG addiction. There are ways to make games like WoW run under Linux, but it takes some work:
http://www.wowwiki.com/Linux/Wine
