10 Things An 'Average Joe' Must Know About Linux
Autor: Gabriel Costa | Publicado: 2014-02-24T13:45:00-08:00


                                                                                                    
Lots of people have chosen to make the move from Windows to Linux but do
 they have 'it' in them to know and understand what's in store?&nbsp; 

 

Saturday, January 25, 2014:&nbsp; 
    


  Well, frankly speaking nobody is perfect, and in the current 
discussion not everyone is a tech-savy geek. But does that mean they 
don't have right to feel and enjoy the 'best' things in life (in this 
discussion, the same pertains to technology). Over the years, many 
people have switched from Windows to Linux primarily owing to freedom 
that the latter provides. But, the question remains- is the 'average 
joe' in you truly familiar with what Linux really is? 

This goes out to all the 
people who have heard the term Linux and want to know a bit more but 
have no clue where to begin. Here are 10 things users must know about 
Linux:What is Linux?"Linux is a Unix-like 
computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open 
source software development and distribution. The defining component of 
Linux is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released 5 
October 1991 by Linus Torvalds." is how Wikipedia puts it. Most of you 
will probably have the Windows operating system that has seen a number 
of versions over the years. Now Windows is an Operating System, while 
Windows Kernel or the Windows NT Kernel is basically the engine for it. 
From the Windows NT Kernel multiple versions of Windows are formed 
including the home, professional and ultimate editions.     Now
 coming to our point: there is a common misconception that Linux is an 
Operating System (or as even Wiki calls it). Linux is however the engine
 that spawns a whole host of different operating systems known as 
distributions.What is a distribution (distro)? The
 distribution is in fact the actual operating system. So you could look 
at it like this. There are multiple distributions each aimed at a 
different target audience. The difference between Linux and Windows is 
that there are hundreds of choices of Linux distributions with majority 
of them being free.How do I know which distribution is right for me? This
 basically comes down to personal preference. A lot of distributions 
provide live CDs which makes it possible to insert the CD into you CD 
drive and restart your computer and it will boot straight into the Linux
 distribution. Simply try out all the functions without worrying about 
messing up your Windows installation and if you like it you can then 
install it. However, blindly downloading distributions is not advisable 
for newbies. You can always visit www.distrowatch.org that convineantly 
lists the top 100 distributions. Further, the search tool can be used to
 search on the distribution type.        Searching on 'older 
computers' provides a list of distributions that run well on older 
computers. Then there are distros for gamers, education and so on. Each 
distribution has a description which states the major goals of the 
projects. You can also see screenshots and read reviews.For first timers however, Ubuntu, Linux Mint or Zorin OS might be useful!What is a desktop environment? A
 desktop environment is simply a series of menus, taskbars, windows and 
keyboard shortcuts that you use to start and run applications. Linux 
offers an abundant choice of desktop environments. The main desktop 
environments in use are Unity, Cinnamon, Mate, Gnome, KDE, XFCE and 
LXDE.  Where can I get Linux distributions? Most 
distributions of course come free, however, some distros make it more 
complicated than others when choosing what to download. Ubuntu is fairly
 easier since there is only one desktop choice (Unity) and so you simply
 get the choice to download a 32 bit version or a 64 bit version. How do I install Linux but keep Windows? Some
 Linux distributions can run from inside Windows or as well as Windows 
without affecting the Windows install at all for those of you still 
wanting to hold on to Windows while trying out Linux. For instance, 
Ubuntu has the Wubi installer which runs Ubuntu from inside Windows. 
While, many other distros enable you to install the Linux distribution 
alongside Windows so that when you boot your PC you can choose whether 
to use Windows or Linux.Can I still run my Windows applications? WINE
 enables you to install Windows applications within the Linux operating 
system and run them straight from within Linux. While, VirtualBox 
enables you to install a copy of Windows within a virtual machine 
whereby you can install the Windows applications you wish to use.Is my hardware supported by Linux? The answer is a yes! The best thing however is to try out the live version of a distribution first and test all your hardware.  How do I get support for Linux?  The
 major distros have forums that you can go to for help. If the forums 
don’t work then there are the ICQ chat rooms. Then there is of course 
Google and Youtube.Why would I want to use Linux instead of Windows?  If
 your machine is running slowly or it is getting older then you might 
not be able to upgrade to a later version of Windows. However, the 
current version of Windows will eventually lose support and there is 
every chance security holes will be found and not plugged. Moving to a 
version of Linux that is designed for older computers will give you 
peace of mind that you are running on an operating system designed for 
you.  Source: Everyday Linux User





          Saurabh&nbsp;Singh, EFYTIMES News Network&nbsp;
        

 


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