Getting started with Linux

This page is intended as a beginner's guide to Linux.

For someone used to Windows, the main thing to remember is that Linux is different. There is lots to learn, so you need some patience and perseverance. Linux doesn't suit everyone, but that's ok. For more background on Linux and free software, check out this page. And there are some notes on migrating from Windows to Linux.

Linux software is mostly licenced under the GPL, which is different to what most people are used to. Commercial licences, such as Microsoft's EULA, are designed to protect the vendor's revenue stream, but the GPL licence is designed to protect the user's freedom. It's a philosophical difference.

There are bound to be errors and omissions here, so please let me know if you have any constructive suggestions.

1. Preparation

You need some hardware to run Linux on, and better hardware is better. While you can run Linux on older computers, it isn't a good choice for beginners. Getting best performance out of limited resources takes more expertise and even then, there is a limit to what you can achieve. In general, you are better off setting up a dual boot on your modern up-to-date PC, than to try Linux on the five year old, unused PC in the corner.

You need to clear some room on your hard disk for Linux. Microsoft Windows systems often have one big partition on the hard drive. Linux systems can use two (one for system and one for swap) but often have more. Also read about setting up partitions.

2. Choose a Distro

A distro is a distribution of software, a compilation of kernel, drivers, applications and other software, together with an installer. There are hundreds of Linux distros, the most popular ones for general use are
Ubuntu / Kubuntu a popular distro - Linux for humanity
Debian non-commercial distro
Gentoo a source based distro
SuSE a commercial distro
Red Hat a commercial distro aimed at the enterprise market, and Fedora the free version
Knoppix a distro that runs off the CD.
Many distros are built for special purposes. For example, Vector Linux is designed for older, slower PCs with less RAM, Astaro is a dedicated firewall, and Tom's root boot disc runs off a floppy disc.

Knoppix is a live CD (or DVD). This is a great way to try Linux, as it runs completely off the CD and doesn't need to install or change anything on your hard disk. Most distros now come with a live CD version. This is also good for testing hardware before you buy.
You might like to start with whatever distro is popular with the local Linux User Group (LUG) or with your friends, so they can easily help you with any questions. You could also try out the Linux distro chooser.
I've tried a few distros, and I prefer Kubuntu.

• download - check the distro's home page to find a mirror near you. A live CD is 700MB, so you'll need a decent bandwidth connection if you want to download it.
• copy - get someone to burn you a copy, eg ask at your local LUG
• magazine - cover CDs now often include Linux distros, although sometimes these are cut down versions
• book - many books on Linux come with a distro on CD, but sometimes the distro can be well out of date
• purchase the download edition - usually very cheap and mail order (try LinuxShop or CopyLeft).
• purchase the full edition - more expensive, but comes with a printed manual and more software.

3. Installation

Boot off the live CD (you may need to alter BIOS to do this) and just follow the instructions.

When prompted, be sure to enter at least one user, and a root password (if asked for one).

4. Use and maintain

Don't log in as root! Instead, log in as a normal user and only use root privileges when you must. To do this, start a console, then precede the command with sudo and enter your password when prompted.

There's no c: drive! Linux doesn't allocate drive letters, so there is no c: drive, nor a: or d: drives. The Linux filesystem includes all accessible drives and devices in one system under / also called root.

Some info on common commands.

5. Common Problems

modems - Those winmodems can be a hassle. Find out more here.

X server - the X server controls the graphics display, keyboard and mouse. If you boot up and get a text login instead of the graphical one you were expecting, it is probably because some X server settings are wrong. Log in as root and run XFdrake.
If you have a NVIDIA graphics card, you'll want to install the NVIDIA drivers. These come with pretty good instructions (and most problems seem to be when people don't follow these instructions).

ATI graphics cards are generally not well supported on Linux.

5. Getting Help

If you need help, try the places listed below. There are also some good guidelines over here.

• google search - search on the error text, or the model number of the troublesome hardware. Also be sure to search google groups.
• Linux Documentation Project - a massive online collection of HOWTOs, documents, guides, FAQs, and other material
• Linux User Group - if there is a LUG near you, it is a great place to learn more about Linux and get help. NZ LUGs
• newsgroups - there are many Linux newsgroups. Check first (using google groups) to see if your question has been already answered, and if not, post politely using the guidelines for smart questions.
• man pages - From the console, you can get man (manual) pages on commands. Type man man to get info on the man pages themselves, or man ls to get info on the ls command. The man pages are more of a reference than a tutorial or guide. They are quite sparse and technical, but good when you want to know syntax and options for commands.
• project home pages - most of the software applications have a home page, where you can get documentation, updates and other info. Some also have a help forum. Examples; KDE, Gnome, Python, OpenOffice,

6. Philosophy and Community

(some prose on philosophy, community to go here)

7. Windows Applications

You can run Windows applications under Linux using wine. Wine is not an emulator, and instead provides functions as though the programmes are running on Windows.
There is also Crossover for MS Office applications, and winex for games. These are both commercial systems and are reported to do better than plain wine.
In general, I think you are better off finding an application that runs natively under Linux, than trying to run the Windows app on wine. There are plenty of good applications written for Linux, and some written for both systems (like Firefox, OpenOffice and Unreal Tournament).

Updated: 28 February 2009
Please email any comments / suggestions here.