Linux Advocacy

Linux Advocacy

Firstly note that this page is *not* designed to be any of the following;

• A place to moan about the shortcomings of any particular OS or application.
• Somewhere to argue about the relative merits of one application over another.

What is is envisaged to be is a resource for the ‘Soon-to-be’ Linux user or ‘Newbie’ who needs help in the transition from another OS or platform to Linux. So this will include, but not be limited to;

• Listing Linux based applications which are roughly equivalent to apps on other operating systems.
• Listing commands, applications or websites which can be a useful resource during the transitional period.

Where can I get Linux ?

There are a large number of Linux distributions. Each has their own advantages and key factors that make it different from others. Some people prefer easy to install, simple distributions such as RedHat ( http://www.redhat.com ), Mandrake ( http://www.mandrakelinux.com/ ), SuSE ( http://www.suse.com ), Lycoris ( http://www.lycoris.com/ ) and others. Some people prefer other, arguably more secure and stable distributions like Debian ( http://www.debian.org/ ). Which one should you use? That’s a tricky question to answer. Most people try a couple of distributions before settling on one.

If you have a fast internet connection and a cd-burner you could download the ISO images from http://www.linuxiso.org/ and write them to CDRs. Downloading the ISO images is fine from a licensing point of view. Linux is free from licenses which prevent you from copying the CDs. If you know someone who has Linux, you could ask them to make a copy for you.

Alternatively you can buy the CDs from one of the many /LinuxShops.

Another option would be to attend one of the HantsLUG meets and bring along your PC to have it ‘readjusted’.

Is Linux free ?

If you mean “free from nasty licenses keys and controls” the answer is “yes”. If you mean “do i need to spend money to buy a copy of Linux” then the answer is generally “no”.

Can I try linux without losing my Windows applications ?

Sure. There are a number of Linux distributions which boot from CD, and do not touch your hard disk. This is great for playing with Linux for the first time. One example is Knoppix ( http://www.knoppix.net ). You can download the CD image from their website, or from http://www.linuxiso.org/. Alternatively find someone who has a copy of Knoppix and ask them to make a copy for you (possibly in return for a blank CDR or two for their trouble).

You can try cygwin ( http://www.cygwin.com/ ), which in their own words is “… is a Linux-like environment for Windows”. Also you could try coLinux ( http://www.colinux.org/ ), which allows you to install any version of Linux you like under Windows. Of the two, cygwin is more mature.

There used to be a project known as “Lin4Win” that was provided by Mandrake.

Windows Equivalents

Here follows a non-comprehensive list of Windows based applications and some Linux based equivalents (also see SoftwareReviews). The really different thing about Linux is that you don’t have to hunt these applications down in tucows etc – they are all there for free. How you install them will depend on your distribution and your Internet connection. See LinuxHints/ManagingPackages for details.

Running Genuine Windows Software

Wine (Wine Is Not [an] Emulator) is a bit of software for Linux that can be used to run (some) genuine Windows applications on x86-compatible processors. Wine is still in development. As a result a lot of software still doesn’t work. However development is ongoing, and a large library of software does work under wine. Wine can be obtained from http://www.winehq.com/ .