Linux in general

Well blow me down with a feather! I'm typing this little missive on a copy of Sun Microsystems' "StarOffice" running on a Linux box that I'm logged on to through a Window on my Windows/ME machine. How cool is that on the geek scale of 10 to freezing? This is seriously clever stuff. Got a spare PC lying around? Wanna have a laugh with something new? You need Linux, that's what you need mate. Over the past couple of weeks I've been playing around with Linux in order to gauge for myself whether or not it has the mettle to be a serious competitor to Windows. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that the answer is ...  Read the complete review

Linux. The chances are you've heard the name, a few of you may know a little more about it, but to the majority of users Linux is nothing more than myth. You've may have heard its better than Windows, more stable and reliable, but where do you get it from and what does it do? Just incase you don't have a clue; here’s a basic guide to what Linux is. What is Linux? -------------- Linux is an alternative to Microsoft Windows. This means when you turn on your PC you won't see the Windows screen, instead Linux will load. I know this may be a shock to some of you because the sad truth is that not many people realise that ...  Read the complete review

"Be Prepared!" (be warned, this is quite a long article) I have no personal experience of downloading a Linux distro from an ftp site and burning a CD, so this advice will principally be about CDs included in books, given away with magazines, or bought as a package. Computers users will have seen many, many times, the familiar instructions to back up your files before proceeding. It’s very sensible advice - as anyone who has inadvertently trashed their hard disk will tell you! So please don’t plunge into a Linux installation without spending some time reading, planning and backing up. It will save you an awful lot of heartache if ...  Read the complete review

So. Linux, eh? Wot do I write about dat? I hope to give you just a basic introduction and some weblinks to kickstart your interest in the Linux OS. Firstly kids - it's an Operating System. I'm going to use the abbreviation "OS". Makes things simple. Operating Systems are the programs that run on your computer that let you run other programs - such as Mac OS, Linux and Windows. But - not all OS'es are created equal. No no no no no. Some OS'es are better than others. And, the OS which is most popular, as with pretty much everything isn't the best one. But - I'm here to tell you about Linux. Which is one of the ...  Read the complete review

The first problem when it comes to Linux is the name. Should it be pronounced "lie-nux" or "lee-nux"? (A: Officially, it's whatever you prefer.) Should it really be referred to by its "full" name of "GNU/Linux"? (A: Yes, but practically no-one bothers, so I'll follow suit.) And should a system running, say, the Mandrake distribution of Linux, be referred to as being a "Mandrake Linux" system or a "Linux Mandrake" one? (A: Oh, for heaven's sake man, who cares? Get on with the damn op, will you?) Now, the first thing to say about Linux is that, whatever its diehard supporters (and there are ...  Read the complete review