Where do I start?
Linux is an operating system i.e. an environment that allows
you to interact with your computer. It normally needs to be installed on to
your computer's hard drive - if your machine has Microsoft Windows then that
was initially installed by your supplier and currently occupies your
hard drive. To install and use Linux you can remove
Windows, install another hard drive, or try one of the many Live Linux
Another alternative is to use an older machine to play around with Linux. Warning: Make sure you backup your data before
What is the best Linux distribution?
For a beginner the most important attribute of a Linux distribution is
how easy it is to install, configure and maintain. Distributions that
come with thousands of individual programs can be bewildering to
a newcomer. The download edition of Mandriva comes on a single DVD, and has
an extremely polished installation. Mandriva has made many improvements
to the desktop. Another excellent distribution designed for beginners is
Ubuntu, which is simplicity to install and use.
Although Mandriva and Ubuntu are very easy to set up,
an important factor to in deciding what is the best distribution is probably the one being used by some
friend, or in widespread use in the area -- advice may be needed. If there is a local UserGroup near you, use what they
recommend; their support will be invaluable.
Expert gurus often favor Slackware or Debian -- distributions
that rely more on the console rather than graphical user interfaces.
There is an alternative to installing a Linux distribution to your hard
disk. Many Linux distributions that can be run directly from a CD/DVD, these are known as Live CDs. Knoppix is the most famous
of these live distributions. Due to on-the-fly decompression, the Knoppix CD can have up to 2 GB
(over 8GB on the DVD "Maxi" edition) of executable software installed on it, so there's no shortage of software
for you to experiment with. Naturally, there's a performance hit from
running the distribution from a CD/DVD, as this can never be as fast as running from a hard disk.
How much does Linux cost?
The price of a Linux distribution depends on a number of factors - is
it supplied with commercial software, on media such as DVD and
is printed documentation provided? We would recommend that a Linux
beginner pays some money to get Linux on a DVD - in the long run the initial
expense is easily covered by the time saved learning how to use this
Generally most Linux distributions can be:
Is my hardware compatible?
This can often be a hurdle for the newbie to Linux. Linux currently
supports less hardware than Windows. With most new purchases of
accessories drivers for the Windows based operating systems are
included, yet still Linux drivers are normally not provided. This
situation is changing though with more support from major developers.
It's important to check to see if your hardware is supported
Hardware Compatibility HOWTO
This document describes in great detail what hardware is supported
How do I download Linux?
For the Linux beginner on a dialup connection we definitely
recommend obtaining Linux on
CD/DVD rather than downloading it over the net as it will take forever
to download. However if you have a fast net connection you can download
Mandriva - www.mandrivalinux.com/en/ftp.php3
Ubuntu - www.ubuntulinux.org/download/
Debian - www.debian.org/distrib/ftplist
Fedora - fedora.redhat.com/download/mirrors.html
SuSE - www.novell.com/products/linuxprofessional/downloads/
Where can I buy Linux?
In the US there are a number of Linux distributors that offer extremely
cheap DVDs containing one or more of the popular Linux distributions.
popular companies that specialise in these cheap DVDs are cheapbytes.com and linuxcentral.com. The DVDs do not contain any of the extra commercial software that is
with some of the full price Linux distributions. One disadvantage of
buying these extremely cheap DVDs is that there is no hard copy
documentation provided. Although there is extensive documentation
provided in HTML, PostScript and text formats, a beginner to Linux
definitely benefits from having a printed manual. For this reason we
that a Linux newcomer purchase a 'full price' version; the extra cost
is easily offset by the time saved in becoming acquainted with the operating system. The
companies mentioned also supply the box sets at reduced prices. Both
Mandriva and SuSE can be supplied with an excellent book if you are
prepared to pay for the full priced versions.
For people living in the UK we recommend purchasing a Linux
distribution from the Linux
Emporium. They offer a wide range of
distributions and commercial software at good prices.
A good book for Linux?
Amazon.com lists hundreds of books specifically written for the Linux
operating system. With such a bewildering selection available, the
first thing a Linux newbie, who does not already have a manual, should
consider is to buy a book that covers a recent Linux distribution. Many
Linux books refer to distributions that are one or two versions behind
the most currently available; little use to a beginner that likes to
the latest Linux software.
A great book for the Linux newbie is "Running Linux" (now in
it's 4th edition) which covers everything you need to understand, install, and start using the Linux
operating system. It includes a comprehensive installation tutorial and
complete information on system maintenance. We also like O'Reilly's
popular Linux in a Nutshell, a complete reference covering the core
commands available on Linux distributions and documents a wide range of
There are a number of great electronic books which are free.
included in most Linux distributions and include the "Linux
and Getting Started", "The Network Administrators' Guide" and "Linux
System Administrators' Guide". They contain a wealth of information
which provide a good substitute for the printed copy. Supplemented by
the HOWTOs, FAQs mini-HOWTOs a beginner can learn much without
Do expect to want to buy some generic Unix book further on.
The new editions usually cover Linux as well as other variants, and Linux is
not that much different once it is installed and the system administration
tools have become familiar. The books specifically on Linux are usually
aimed at newbies and the quality is not always very high.
I have a question about Linux -- where can
I ask it?
There are a number of public 'forums' where beginners can ask Linux
questions and draw upon the wealth of experience that exists. Firstly,
there are USENET newsgroups where Linux newbies can seek help depending
on what their problem is:
comp.os.linux.admin for installing and administering Linux
comp.os.linux.help for questions and advice about Linux
comp.os.linux.x for installing and configuring the X server
comp.os.linux.misc is a good place to post questions that aren't
covered by the other Linux newsgroups.
Forums also hosts linux forums, one especially
dedicated for Beginners.
What do I do now?
There are no age barriers, no price controls, and no proprietary
knowledge. The limitations are your own.
Last Updated Saturday, June 21 2008 @ 04:53 PM EDT