The thing about Linux is...

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Updated October 10, 2006:

Ok, everywhere I look I see commentary from ostensibly intelligent people who imply in one way or another, that Linux is not quite up-to-speed as a Desktop Operating System.   Linux operating systems are quietly, reliably running web servers, network firewalls, systems mundane and eclectic of which I have no inkling, and an unimaginable number of ordinary computers owned by ordinary people all over the world.   A goodly number of those ordinary people wouldn't be able to own or use a computer at all without a freely available operating system.   I did a google search on the phrase "I can't use Linux because" and got a very mixed bag of results but most of them boiled down to the same four words, "I don't know how".   Let me reassemble that sentence for you:   "I can't use Linux because I don't know how".   That's it; that's the main complaint most people have with Linux and I know this is true because for about four years now I've been saying "I'd love to start using Linux but I'm afraid of the learning curve" which is no more than a paraphrase of those same four key words "I don't know how".

The thing is, by waffling over making the switch to Linux, I'm supporting Microsoft and I really don't believe they deserve my support.   I've heard all the arguments for, and against Microsoft and I honestly don't know if Microsoft is the evil "Big Brother" they're often made out to be but I do know that they've enjoyed a virtual monopoly for too long now and by continuing to support them I'm helping to protect their monopoly.   So, it's not about Microsoft anymore; it's about self respect; I don't want to keep doing the wrong thing and to do the right thing I've got to stop using Microsoft products.

There's no way we, my wife and I, can just suddenly switch Operating Systems.   We wouldn't be able to write our ezine or do anything with the website until we learned how to do all that in Linux, so simply switching was out of the question.   Somehow we had to allow for a transitional period and it seemed to me that the easiest way to accomplish that would be to find another computer to use as our Linux "test bed".   That initial thought has grown into not simply one, but several computers and several different Linux Distributions but after our initial flurry of experiments, we've settled down to just two extra computers.

The first, our flagship Linux box, is an HP, Pavilion (1.7 GHz, Celeron w/512 MB RAM), currently running PCLinuxOS which is our hands-down favorite Linux distribution.

The second is a Dell, OptiPlex G1 (333 MHz, Celeron w/128 MB RAM) currently running Debian 3.1 (stable).

I bought the 333 MHz Dell at a flea market for $10.00 complete with monitor, mouse and keyboard.   It has two RAM slots and came with a single 64 MB card but I spent a few weeks carefully shopping on ebay and bought a 256 MB card and a 128 MB card, thus expanding it to 384 MB and I also bought a 16 MB video card for it so that I could get 1024 X 768 video resolution with 32 bit color.

The 1.7 GHz Pavilion (less monitor, mouse and keyboard) cost me nothing but I expanded the RAM to 512 MB.

Next, for roughly $20 apiece, I bought two KVM switches so that each of our two existing Windows computers could share a Keyboard, Monitor and Mouse with a Linux computer.   Fortunately I'd already purchased a four-port router which allowed our two Windows computers to share our DSL internet connection.   Right now we're learning, by stages, how to do everything we normally do with Linux instead of Windows.   Once we feel completely comfortable with Linux we plan to stop using Windows entirely.   I'm very much looking forward to the day when we're no longer helping Microsoft to perpetuate their monopoly.

Note: Before installing Linux on these computers I recovered the Microsoft installation Key codes because they're valid codes and while I may have no further use for them they may later come in handy for a friend or family member.

Key recovery can most easily be done with the Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder.

SIW not only recovers the Key but provides a great deal more information about your Windows computer.


The best way to begin learning about Linux is to use a live CD.   Live CDs load the operating system into your computer's RAM without changing the operating system on your hard drive.   In some cases you'll have to change the BIOS on your Windows computer so that it will boot from a CD but this isn't normally difficult to do.   Helpful instructions on setting your bios can usually be found on the same site that offers the Linux distribution you wish to try.   PCLinuxOS and Kanotix, which I've mentioned are both live CDs.   The PCLinuxOS live CD desktop offers a button marked "Install to hard drive" making for a fast painless install if you're bold enough to take the leap.   Many other Linux distributions can be installed from the live CD with widely differing levels of computer skill while a few distributions offer separate install and live CDs.

Other distributions which we've tried from live CDs.

Beatrix (Lisa liked this one but it needs a lot of RAM)

DSL (A little limited in features but blazingly fast. We both liked it.)

DSL-N (Larger than DSL with more features but still comparatively small)

feather

Kaboot Lite

Knoppix (as the first ever live CD, Knoppix started the "stampede".)

Puppy

SLAX (also needs a lot of RAM but a truly impressive live CD.)

Ubuntu and Kubuntu

Some Linux distros require you to partition the hard drive prior to installation.   That can be a very intimidating job for a beginner but here are a couple of potentially useful tools.
gparted
PartitionLogic

If you're curious, googling "Linux" will get you started or, if you're worried about information overload, here are a few of our favorite Linux-related sites:

NewsForge, Linux.org, DistroWatch, Linux.com, DesktopLinux.com, LinuxJournal, LinuxToday, LXer, LWN.net, , OSDir and there are many, many more.

Update: February 2007

Because learning Linux also involved learning a little more about the "innards" of a computer, learning to build my own computers, mainly from used parts I've purchased on eBay, seemed a logical progression.   My latest Debian Sarge machine is an 800 MHz Duron and Lisa's set her PCLinuxOS computer aside, temporarily, while she's learning Debian on a 750 MHz Pentium III.   I'm also slowly building a computer which will be used as a home recording studio.   It's Operating System will be the 32 bit version of 64Studio, a very nice Linux multimedia distribution which is built on Debian Linux.   We're still newbies when it comes to Linux but each day we feel less intimidated/frustrated and more able to do the things we're accustomed to doing in Windows.