Getting Started With GNU/Linux
There are many, many introductory guides to help getting started with GNU/Linux. This article is in no way intended to be definitive and it is recommended that reading around the topic will prove invaluable. This page, however, will hopefully help you to ask some of the right questions which will help point you in the right direction, depending on your needs...
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Contents
- LiveCD - Would you like to play with GNU/Linux first, without affecting your current PC?
- Desktop Environment - So you've decided to fully install GNU/Linux, but which desktop environment should you choose?
- Distribution - You've picked a Desktop Environment, but which of the plethora of distributions should you start with?
LiveCD - Would you like to play with GNU/Linux first, without affecting your current PC?
If you do not want to install GNU/Linux on to your computer's hard disk, the easiest way of seeing what it is capable of, is to use a LiveCD. This is a distribution of GNU/Linux (or another free operating system) which is provided on a bootable CD-ROM. You can put the CD in your drive, start the computer and - assuming your BIOS is set to boot from the CD drive before the computer's internal hard disk - it will load and run a version of GNU/Linux direct from the CD. This involves no permanent installation on to your own PC and allows you to try out the software before committing yourself to a hard disk install. Some LiveCDs will also let you store config data and files on USB flash disks or as a single file on your computer's hard disk, if you tell it. The one thing to bear in mind is that when comparing the speed of the LiveCD to the operating system already on your hard disk, please remember that the LiveCD can't usually make use of things like hard disk swap-space and, generally, runs only as fast as your CD-ROM drive will spin - which is typically nowhere near as fast as a hard disk! So, if you like using a LiveCD, you can be almost guaranteed of some significant speed improvements if you permanently install it.
Don't throw GNU/Linux away because it seems slow on a LiveCD - remember, that the "other" popular OS doesn't even come in a LiveCD form, so you can't compare it's performance to a LiveCD distribution!
Knoppix / Gnoppix
MEPIS
Damn Small Linux
Fedora Live CD
Mandriva One
PCLinuxOS
Feather Linux
Puppy Linux
Ubuntu / Kubuntu / Xubuntu
Desktop Environment - So you've decided to fully install GNU/Linux, but which desktop environment should you choose?
Once you've decided to install GNU/Linux on to your computer, many people will suggest you should choose your distribution next. However, we'll recommend you actually ask an intermediate question at this point. Most distributions ship by default with a particular piece of software called a Desktop Environment. In unix terms, the Desktop Environment is the software that manages the graphical user interface (GUI) to the user. It can provide icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers, and abilities like drag and drop. As a whole, the particularities of design and function of a desktop environment endow the end-user experience with a distinctive look and feel.
There are two main, heavyweight Desktop Environments - K Desktop Environment (KDE) and GNOME. The differences between the two projects are heavily documented elsewhere and the reader is directed to the KDE and GNOME wikipedia articles, respectively, for detailed information. In a soundbite, though, the GNOME project's development adheres to a strict set of consistent Human User Interface guidelines, to ensure that all applications look and work consistently. This is intended to make the interface more user-friendly, especially for those new to it. However, GNOME is sometimes criticised for hiding a lot of useful features and options away from the user. KDE, on the other hand, is less restrictive and it's equivalent components are more likely to include a wealth of functionality and customisations which, it has been argued, can be overwhelming for a new user. There are other alternatives to KDE / GNOME, though they are less likely to be installed by default in general-purpose distributions. Many, such as Xfce, eschew the heavyweight functionality of the larger environments and concentrate instead on the lighter, basic functionality, without as much emphasis on clever but pointless eye-candy effects. This makes them very popular for old or low-end machines, thin-client networks, or for those who would like to get more performance out of their hardware.
Most distributions can be cajoled into running one or more of the desktop environments, which saves you having to choose. However, for some distributions there is a "default" desktop environment and you may find that if you try to run an alternative, that things may not have been as well tested and that simple tasks under the non-default environment do not work as smoothly as they should. Some of the most popular general-purpose distributions, suitable for those new to GNU/Linux are detailed below with information on their default desktop environments:
Distribution |
KDE support |
GNOME support |
Other support (e.g. Xfce) |
openSUSE (formerly SUSE Linux) |
Install Option |
Default |
? |
Fedora (formerly Red Hat Linux) |
Install Option |
Default |
? |
Mandriva (formerly Mandrake) |
Default |
Install Option |
Install Option |
PCLinuxOS |
Default |
? |
? |
Ubuntu |
Post-Install Option |
Default |
Post-Install Option |
Kubuntu |
Default |
Post-Install Option |
Post-Install Option |
Xubuntu |
Post-Install Option |
Post-Install Option |
Default |
So, if you like the sound of KDE's power-user functionality or Gnome's ease-of-use ethos, make sure that you select a distribution which is well-tested with your Desktop Environment of choice. Ubuntu users are particularly well served here, as there are three releases which ship with KDE, Gnome or Xfce respectively.
Distribution - You've picked a Desktop Environment, but which of the plethora of distributions should you start with?
This is the hard question. Many people swear by their distribution of choice, and you'll find advocates for all the major distros who will be happy to help you into their fold. The best advice is for you to think about the answers to some of these questions: what do you need the OS for? who around you will be able to help if you get into difficulty?
A good place to look for information about distributions is distrowatch.com. As well as details of every distribution available, this site also includes useful rankings such as a list of the most-viewed pages, which can be used as an indicator of how popular a distribution is.
Listed below are a few of the major general-purpose GNU/Linux distributions for a new user to investigate. Try out a few and see what fits best for you. Remember, if you have specific requirements, like your PC is going to be a Media PC or an audio/video editing environment, there are custom-distributions which may well serve better - ask in the main ALUG mailing list or google for more information.
openSUSE (formerly SUSE Linux)
Recently purchased by Novell, this is now one of the biggest commercial distributions and has been the subject of controversy of late, following a deal signed between Novell and Microsoft. Historically, SUSE was born in Germany and is one of the oldest GNU/Linux distributions available. RPM-based and with a range of commercial sister variants, openSUSE is the popular community version of Novell's product family.
Fedora (formerly Red Hat Linux)
Another of the earliest distributions, Red Hat is the poster child for proving that a company can make money from an open source product. Red Hat has a range of distributions covering use in the enterprise, with Fedora being the RPM-based community version of the desktop product originally known as Red Hat Linux.
Mandriva (formerly Mandrake and Conectiva)
Forked from Red Hat a long time ago, RPM-based Mandrake was originally intended to be a more user-friendly and cutting-edge distribution than the older, stable, parent distribution. After merging with Conectiva, the distribution was re-branded and grew a reputation for being a strong desktop operating system.
PCLinuxOS
A popular, fast-growing LiveCD distribution which can be installed to hard disk, PCLinuxOS was originally derived from Mandrake and is supplied with over 2 GB of software out of the box.
Ubuntu / Kubuntu / Xubuntu
Based on the rock-solid Debian, the ubuntu family of distributions is made up of the same basic operating system, which comes pre-packaged for Gnome, KDE or Xfce, respectively (although it is possible to install the other desktop environments alongside the default, after installation). The apt-based package management is exceptional and the commercial entity behind ubuntu development, Canonical, deliberately maintain a hands-off attitude so that the development is very community-driven. The popularity of ubuntu has steadily increased over the last few years, and is generally considered to be a good compromise between the stability of the traditionally hardcore Debian and the cutting-edge featureset expected by modern desktop users.