First of all, What is Linux?
Linux, or GNU/Linux properly, is an operating system. Mac is one example of an operating system and Windows is another. If you are asking what Linux is, then you are probably a Windows user. That's okay because many Linux users were once Windows users too.
Why would I want to switch to Linux?
There are many reasons to switch to Linux:
1. You may be frustrated that you can't tweak your computer just the way you want. With Linux, the possibilities are only limited by your imagination (and your hardware).
2. Maybe you are tired of using all your computer memory on anti-virus and spyware programs, just to end up with viruses anyway. Linux is safer and more secure than Windows.
3. You prefer to salvage an old computer rather than throw it out because the hardware is outdated. There are several distributions (versions) of Linux that are specifically built to make that old, slow box run like new.
4. Maybe you like the thought of knowledge freely shared by millions of people. It's called Open Source Software, which means that anyone can use it, tweak it, re-write it, improve it, give it away or anything else because it's free to use!
5. Perhaps Windows completely crashed due to a virus and you can't afford to buy another copy. Most versions of Linux are free, as in no cost as well as open source.
6. Speaking of sharing, there are entire communities of people who dedicate themselves to particular distributions (versions) of Linux and they are happy to help you learn! Often times, you can talk to the creator of the distribution directly! They are real people just like you and me and they just want to share what they know. Linux users like to share what they know through communities, where they can talk about their computers, help others and play games.
7. Maybe you just like to brag! People who use Linux don't complain how slow their computer is, or how crappy it runs. If one distro (short for distribution) doesn't work the way they want, they just find a different one! That's called "distro-shopping" and believe me, it's addicting! Linux users brag about how great their computers run and sometimes even get into disagreements about which distro is the best!
Okay, I'm interested. What do I do first?
1. You have to decide if you are willing to dedicate time and effort into learning Linux. (To really learn it, that is.) Linux is NOT Windows and it is NOT Mac. It is different from them. If you want to learn Linux you will have to have an open (source) mind and be willing to do searches for information. There are many people who are happy to help with a problem, but they want to know that you have made the effort to find the answer first. There's a saying in the Linux world, "Read the f--king man pages." This refers to the "manual" pages that give instructions on the various applications in Linux.
2. If you have decided that you like puzzles or have a Dr. House personality or are just a geek looking to diversify, then the second thing you need to do is BACK UP YOUR PERSONAL INFO! This is SO very important that I put it in Caps. When first starting out with Linux, you WILL make mistakes, often and lots of them. That's normal and part of the learning fun but you don't want to lose those Sunday picnic pictures or your favorite song so make sure to copy them. There are various options, from CDs to DVD backups, a portable hard drive, flash drive...you get the idea. There are times when you will screw up the system so bad trying to figure things out that you will be forced to reinstall whatever distro you've chosen. This is when you will be glad you did a backup.
3. So now, if you have decided that Linux is for you, or that you at least want to check it out and give it a try, time to go to the next page, where we will discuss what you need to do from here. If you are still nervous about it, that's okay too. I was in the beginning. The first step page involves making a Live CD, which is a way to "test drive" a distribution of Linux WITHOUT changing a single thing on your computer, so rest easy. You can try Linux out all in fun!
2. If you have decided that you like puzzles or have a Dr. House personality or are just a geek looking to diversify, then the second thing you need to do is BACK UP YOUR PERSONAL INFO! This is SO very important that I put it in Caps. When first starting out with Linux, you WILL make mistakes, often and lots of them. That's normal and part of the learning fun but you don't want to lose those Sunday picnic pictures or your favorite song so make sure to copy them. There are various options, from CDs to DVD backups, a portable hard drive, flash drive...you get the idea. There are times when you will screw up the system so bad trying to figure things out that you will be forced to reinstall whatever distro you've chosen. This is when you will be glad you did a backup.
3. So now, if you have decided that Linux is for you, or that you at least want to check it out and give it a try, time to go to the next page, where we will discuss what you need to do from here. If you are still nervous about it, that's okay too. I was in the beginning. The first step page involves making a Live CD, which is a way to "test drive" a distribution of Linux WITHOUT changing a single thing on your computer, so rest easy. You can try Linux out all in fun!
Click on the button to go to the First Steps Page, where all the fun starts
