Find out how you can join the Linux community,

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OK, I want it, but I'm scared
Don't be. While we don't recommend Linux for the casual home user, it isn't all that complicated. It just takes some careful preparation and logical thought.

  1. Take an inventory of your system
    The key to a successful Linux install is preparation. Know your system inside and out. Most modern Linux installs are deft at automatically detecting your hardware configuration, but if you hit a snag, you'll need to know what's in your box.

    I recommend Belarc advisor to give you a clear snapshot of your hardware. You can download it for free from Belarc.

    If Belarc doesn't work for you, or if it can't read a particular piece of hardware, you'll have to visually inspect the hardware. Remove the case and dig in. Most hardware has labels with model numbers.

  2. Get a couple of books

    Some may scoff, but a combination of Linux documentation and an independent guide to Linux installs will serve you well. The documentation will guide you through the proper steps and tell you what to expect from your particular distribution of Linux. The independent guide can elaborate and explain a little more about how Linux works.

    You can get documentation when you download Linux, or in the box when you buy it. For the other book, I used "Complete Idiot's Guide to Linux" (see below), but Linux Online has a selection of basic Linux books.

  3. Pick your distribution
    For first-timers, we recommend a version of Mandrake or Caldera. Caldera's better for experimenting, but it's not as powerful. If you still want an easy install but with full power, try Mandrake. There are many packages of Mandrake and Caldera, including Macmillan and Corel. (Screen Saver Kevin Rose recommends Red Hat and SuSE, so you might give those a look as well.)

  4. Decide how you're going to boot
    If you've got a separate machine that you'll devote to Linux, you don't need to worry about booting up. However, if you're installing Linux on a machine with Windows or another operating system, you'll need to create a partition before you start.

    You may hear that you should never install Linux before Windows. This isn't true, but it's not a bad idea to install Windows first. (LILO, the Linux multiboot manager, originally didn't work well with Windows NT, but that's no longer true. Plus, Red Hat now has GRUB, which is a much nicer boot manager than LILO.)

  5. Begin the partitioning
    Whether you're going multiboot or not, you'll need to partition your hard drive. You can use PartitionMagic to resize your partitions, but Linux will do the main partitioning for you.


May your passage into Linux be a good one.

If you're interested in buying "The Idiot's Guide to Linux," click below.


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