| Of all the open source operating systems, LINUX | | | | system, but also programs that enhance it in many |
| heralded an era of freedom from licensed softwares | | | | ways. Anyone who wants to put together his or her |
| and signalled the end of the road for monopoly | | | | own Linux distribution is free to do so, and we know |
| softwares from the giant Microsoft. With the arrival | | | | of more than 200 different Linux distributions that fill |
| of LINUX and its many versions, users got | | | | special "niche" purposes. But we advise new users to |
| themselves liberated from the shackles of Windows | | | | stick with one of the five or six most popular |
| operating systems and soon found that they could | | | | general-purpose Linux distributions until they know a |
| edit and tinker with LINUX to generate new versions | | | | little about what Linux can and can't do. You can get |
| of the famous OS. Linux has gained an unexpectedly | | | | Linux from a number of online software repositories, |
| large amount of interest in the home market over | | | | including the official Web sites for each distribution. It |
| the past two years. This could be due to any number | | | | helps to have a fast connection and a CD burner so |
| of reasons including, it's both free and open source, | | | | you can quickly download an .ISO image of the |
| almost all applications are free and open source, the | | | | distribution and burn it onto a CD. You then can load |
| stability is unsurpassed, the code is constantly | | | | the bootable installation programs that lead you, step |
| revised, updated and added to by a numerous | | | | by step, through the process of getting Linux on |
| amount of programmers across the world. Linux is | | | | your computer. |
| undisputable a giant in the OS world, with just the | | | | The more popular distributions are available in many |
| name Linux being a symbol of stability and security. | | | | computer stores and directly from each distribution's |
| With the interest in Linux growing, many new | | | | publisher. The convenience of a distribution on CDs, |
| distributions have surfaced offering easy installation | | | | including manuals, generally makes your first |
| and configuration. Well-established distributions such | | | | installation so much easier that it is well worth the |
| as Redhat are also striving to meet the same goals. | | | | money. |
| Linux is an operating system and therefore is the | | | | Linux boasts of some of the best free online support |
| basic set of programs and utilities that make the | | | | for its operating system.Take advantage of some |
| computer run. Some other common operating | | | | free, expert technical support: the Linux Users Group, |
| systems are Unix (and its variants BSD, AIX, Solaris, | | | | or LUG. The heartbeat of Linux support, and of Linux |
| HPUX, and others); DOS; Microsoft Windows; Amiga; | | | | itself, is the LUG. There are LUGs in almost every |
| and Mac OS.Linux is Free Software. In a nutshell, | | | | country in the world, where you can get Linux advice |
| software that is free in the sense that Linux is | | | | and help from people who live near you, speak your |
| distributed along with its source code so that anyone | | | | language, and are willing to donate their time so that |
| who receives it is free to make changes and | | | | new users can learn about Linux without going |
| redistribute it. Users are free to make copies of Linux | | | | through any more head-scratching than |
| and give them to friends, it's also fine to tweak a | | | | necessary.Each LUG operates independently and has |
| few lines of the source code.The only catch is that | | | | its own style and meeting schedule. Note that if |
| the user who modifies it has to necessarily make | | | | there is no LUG close enough for you to conveniently |
| available the source code to all users. Linux is not | | | | attend meetings, most LUGs maintain email lists you |
| owned by anyone. One misconception many | | | | can join and use to get answers to any Linux |
| first-time readers have is that this site, Linux.com, is | | | | questions you have. |
| similar to Microsoft.com, which is owned and | | | | The best-known corporate GNU/Linux distribution is |
| controlled by the company that produces the | | | | REDHAT. Mandrake Linuxwas the first Linux |
| Windows operating system. No one company or | | | | distribution that worked hard to make Linux easy for |
| individual "owns" Linux, which was developed, and is | | | | ordinary desktop users. Freely downloadable version |
| still being improved, by thousands of | | | | available; commercial versions have pre-integrated |
| corporate-supported and volunteer programmers all | | | | sofware packages and are easier for first-timers to |
| over the world. | | | | set up than the download edition. There are other |
| Users are generally provided with Linux distribution | | | | distributions like Fedora, Debia, Knoppix,Suse, |
| that contains not only the basic Linux operating | | | | Slackware, MEPIS, Gentoo and so on. |