Linux: Where to begin?

[Pseudonym]

I am interested in making the switch from Windows 2000 to Linux, but I'm unsure where to begin. I've looked around the net a bit, but most of the information about Linux seems to assume that you already understand what you are doing.

So, I appeal to the greater knowledge of EN World. Is one version better than the rest, or are they pretty much the same? Are some versions better supported? I'll need a browser, mail and news client and some sort of document/spreadsheet program. The rest is gravy, as I don't really play games much anymore. Are there MS Office equivelants available for Linux, and does one stand out above the rest?

Will I need to do a complete wipe of my system, or can I partition things to have both Linux and Win2K until I get the bugs worked out? I'm thinking that drivers may be an issue, but I think my two main toys (copier/scanner and webcam) have Linux drivers available.

Any help, advice or warnings would be appreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I am not a Linux Expert (or even amateur) (a shame, since I study Computer Sciences ), but I know that you can get all kinds of software for Linux.

Check OpenOffice.org for a M$ Office variant. (As far as I know, Openoffice = Staroffice - official support). It does also exist for Windows, so you could even download and install it now to check it out.
(One advice: Have a good (cheap & fast) internet connection if you really want to use Linux or other Open Source products. You will find most useful utilities online, even if there are distributions CDs out there)

Mustrum Ricully

 

[Tsyr]

I use OpenOffice exclusivly on all my computers, be they windows or linux based. I've never had reason to complain, I find it very full featured and (IMO) the interface is slicker and more intuitive than Microsoft. It can do most anything you need... text documents, HTML editing, PDF creation, presentation creation (Similar to PowerPoint), spreadsheets, etc.

Likewise there is kOffice, which has similar features, though I don't like it as much, personally.

I use Mozilla when I'm in linux, though I admit I use IE when I'm in Windows. Other than the same oddities Mozilla displays in windows, it works fine.

I check my e-mail via webmail, but there are plenty of e-mail clients out there for Linux, and same with newsreaders.

I'd suggest downloading morphix (www.morphix.org) first, and giving that a try. You can give linux a spin without ever installing it that way, and if you end up installing it, you could do a lot worse than installing Morphix (Though I'm personally a mandrake guy... And all you Debian sorts, hush )

 

[pensiv]

First thing to know about "the switch" DISTRIBUTIONS
Linux, since it's free and modular has been bundled in different "flavors" known as Distributions. RedHat, Mandrake, Debian, SUSE, Gentoo, etc. are all different distributions of Linux that approach the operating system from different angles.
Each distribution tends to package with it different groups of software and each has their own method of installing.

RedHat/Fedora and Mandrake are known for being the best options for people familiar with Windows, but not Linux. They have relatively simple installation procedures that use a "wizard" approach and allow the user to either customize their install (somewhat) or install a pre-selected group of packages.

I would recommend you try out Fedora or Mandrake to start.

Yes you can install Linux along side Windows. The installation documentation on the Fedora or Mandrake websites should include instructions for doing so.

Tsyr has a good suggestion with trying out Morphix (there's also Knoppix) to get a feel for how linux works without actually having to install it.

If you're wondering at all, I personally use Gentoo and would recommend it to anyone that has a little experience with UNIX or Linux. Gentoo is a distribution that provides excellent documentation to help you install Linux almost from scratch (Linux From Scratch takes that philosophy another step further) which I feel is a great way of learning exactly how everything works.

 

[JamesL85]

While we're on a Linux thread.....

How tough is it to get a Linux machine to recognize an XP network? I know that SAMBA is involved, but I haven't done enough research to find out how to do it. I'm going to upgrade a couple of 450 Mhz machines to 2.8G and network them to my 2.4G machine that has an internal DSL modem (with extremely unstable drivers). I'm wanting to get an external USB DSL modem and use it to access the internet, and then network the three XP (Pro) machines to it.

I know that I should probably get a Router, but I have Zone Alarm for all the XP machines, and I understand that Linux out of the box is better than a Zone Alarm protected Wintel machine.

Any suggestions????

 

[pensiv]

SAMBA is the software for connecting to a Windows network, you got that right.
If you have a linux distribution which includes SAMBA, check what version you have and consult the web documentation.

Good luck using the USB DSL modem with Linux. In my experience, USB networking equipment can be a pain to get working, especially if you don't have a really up-to-date version of Linux or "supported" hardware.

It might be easier to buy an external router, but you will have a lot of flexibility if you can learn how to use your Linux box as a router.

"Out-of-the-box" Linux is rarely ready to be used as a router, so check the documentation for your distribution to find out what you have to do to accomplish turning your Linux into a router.

 

[Henry]

In addition to Morphix or similar, I would pick up one of those "Linux for Dummines" type books (there is an actual "linux for Dummies"). Years ago, when I got started in understanding Unix, the For Dummies book got me started, explaining why's and wherefore's, and giving me the most essential things to touch and stay away from.

 

[Rackhir]

Tom's Hardware has a series on converting to Linux that might be useful. It looks like it's aimed at inexperienced Linux users.

http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20040329/index.html
http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20040412/index.html