How YOU Can Get Started With Linux

Every month when my column posts, I get a bevy of e-mail. And every month, there is a contingent of readers who have one question for me: How do I get started with Linux?

It’s a simple question, and I wish there were one simple answer for the folks who’ve decided they’ve had enough with Microsoft Windows, and that it’s time to make a switch. I’ve been trying to answer this question in various ways for years now. Back in 1999, I contributed to one attempt at an answer, and the result was a lengthy, sometimes confusing set of instructions that really don’t apply anymore, for a simple reason: You don’t need to be a geek to install Linux these days.

So this month, I’m taking another shot at the topic. Here, dear readers, is my advice for you if you’re done with the spyware and the adware that keeps creeping in from new directions. Here’s the plan if you want to leave your virus scanner behind and grab most (perhaps all) of the software you’ll ever need off the Internet. This is the road to a new relationship with your computer, brought about by software that is built by a community, not a monopoly. It is a road less traveled, and it makes all the difference.

Option 1: Buy a Cardboard Box, Get Software and a Book

I’m recommending two different courses of action, depending on what sort of user you are. The first option is for folks who want to engage in some hassle-free computing today, as in right now.

If you’re not a tinkerer or a self-described power user, and if you use your machine mainly for a few key tasks (Web, e-mail, office apps, music, photos), then what I want you to do is shell out some cold, hard cash for a copy of Xandros Desktop OS Deluxe Edition 3.0. This is about as friendly as Linux gets: The box, which is covered mainly with an impressive list of features, should have a “Zero Linux Experience Required” sticker on it. Inside, along with the installation discs, is an extremely well-laid-out, 350-page user manual with a 24-page index. It’s likely to be all the hand-holding you’ll need.

Option 2: It’s All About Headware

The second option is for folks who don’t mind getting their hands dirty, and who want to explore everything that Linux has to offer while taking advantage of its Free nature. This path won’t cost you a dime, save the cost of some blank discs. If this sounds like the angle for you, then head on over to the Fedora Project and start downloading some installation CDs.

Entire Article at PCWorld