The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Penguin Fanciers
 Roger Brown		  

You've heard lots about Linux but perhaps you're not quite sure what all the fuss is about. Roger Brown tells us "everything you wanted to know about Linux but were afraid to ask".

Linux is an operating system, just like Windows, originated by a Finnish student, Linus Torvalds in 1991.

But unlike Windows, Linux was always intended to be available free, not only for others to use but for others to modify and improve. The present versions of Linux represent the contributions of possibly thousands of individual contributors.
 

Associated software for Linux is also almost exclusively free and freely modifiable on exactly the same basis - thus making Linux almost entirely a community based operating system.

How is linux pronounced?

Well firstly, it is NOT pronounced "Line-ux" (first syllable rhyming with 'fine' or 'pine') Linus Torvalds (pronounced "Lee-noos" - as in "wuss"), being Finnish, pronounces it "Leenoocks" but in English you will mostly hear it as tinnicks" (first syllable rhyming with 'tin').

Just for geeks?

This sounds like something for `geeks' or computer experts - what has all this got to do with ordinary users? It's true that originally, Linux was best suited to programmers and computer experts but things have changed greatly over the years. Linux is now a computer operating system that ordinary users can easily install and operate and it has many advantages over commercial operating systems.


The popular KDC desktop - note the multiple desktops which avoid
clutter far better than anything Vista can offer

What are these advantages?

Why would an ordinary user consider installing Linux?

  • Firstly, Linux is free! That's a very important consideration these days when we all need to watch the dollars and cents so carefully. Why spend maybe hundreds of dollars on Windows and its associated software when you can get an equivalent system for $0.00. And remember, not only is the Linux operating system free but all
    the applications are free is well.

  • Linux is easy to use. You'll be using a desktop which looks very similar to the Windows desktop you've been used to - except that it will have extra features that Windows just doesn't have. Most users find that running programs and setting up the computer is even easier than in Windows.

  • You get all the apps you need - completely free. No more having to spend extra dollars just to use that computer that you've already spent big money on! And the software is high quality - often as good or better than the Windows equivalent.

  • There are few, if any, Linux viruses or Trojans. And all those nasties aimed at the Windows operating system just won't run. And the design of your Linux system would make it much harder for a virus to do any real damage even if it did manage to run.
That doesn't necessarily mean that you shouldn't adopt safe computing practices or keep computer security in mind, but things are nevertheless so much more relaxed in Linux. And Linux is an ideal platform for sensitive applications such as Internet banking.
  • Linux is easy to install - much faster and easier than Windows. Often all you need to do is to answer a few simple (non technical) questions and the job is done automatically.
Provided you have enough disk space, Linux can be easily installed to co-exist with Windows (called dual boot) or it can replace your existing operating system.

Linux has also pioneered the 'live CD install'. You simply insert a Linux 'live CD' in your CD drive, reboot the computer and Linux will run completely from the CD without in any way touching or altering what's already on your hard drive. You can test out the Linux system and the programs included on the CD and if (and only if) you're completely satisfied, you click a button on the desktop and Linux will be installed to your hard drive.

What could be easier than that?

Extra software installation is a breeze - much easier than in Windows. Provided you have a reasonably effective Internet connection, virtually any available Linux program can be installed simply by selecting it from a list (point and click). Linux will automatically download the software and install it fully ready to run without any further action on the user's part.

No more having to worry about whether the software site you've chosen is legitimate or not and certainly no worrying about the effect on your credit card!
  • Linux is flexible - you will NOT have to buy expensive new hardware even if your computer is not the latest model. Linux can easily be configured to run on low spec.' hardware and with limited RAM. You can easily give new life to that aging machine that is no longer up to running the latest version of Windows.
Are there disadvantages?

Of course. But the first thing to say is that Melb PC users have only to ask on newsgroup melbpc.computing.misc and informed help will be provided - not only by 'experts' but by ordinary users who've already made the switch.
You will need to keep in mind that:
  • Linux is a quite different operating system to Windows. The desktops may look similar but at some point you'll need to get used to some different ways of doing things. You will also need to adapt to the use of different programs. If a certain amount of experimenting and improvising isn't something you're comfortable with, then you may not get the best from Linux.

  • Some users, particularly those who previously used high- end commercial software of various sorts may find that some Windows programs don't quite have an acceptable Linux equivalent. How to deal with this is beyond the scope of this introductory article but there are strategies that can help. Again, melbpc.computing. misc is your first port of call.

  • Hardware compatibility, while improving rapidly, is still not as comprehensive as in Windows. This is largely because hardware manufacturers take great pains to ensure that their device works in Windows - to do otherwise is commercial suicide. Unfortunately, many do not yet see the same justification for providing Linux support. Nevertheless, modern versions of Linux are increasingly able to detect most common hardware just as well as Windows can.


The Suse 11.0 live install CD in action - note the XP/Vista style menu and
the desktop install button ready to press for a hard drive installation
How to get linux

There are many different versions of Linux - known as 'distributions' or 'distros' because they also include a substantial amount of pre installed Linux free software - possibly quite enough for your immediate needs.

If you have a good Internet connection, the best way is to download the CD or DVD images from the Internet. The site www.distrowatch.com will show you what's available and what's currently popular.

Increasingly, a quick browse of your local newsagent's shelves will reveal several Linux magazines which include CDs or DVDs of popular Linux distros. Look especially for the English magazine Linux Format - not cheap, but an excellent read. No-one would ever claim that Linux may not occasionally give you moments of frustration and the opportunity to practice a vocabulary not normally heard in polite circles! However, it can also provide a very reliable, secure and enjoyable computing environment - and for the best available price ($zero).

Reprinted from the September 2008 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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