What is Linux...?

A tiny bit of history

Linux is a free operating system that is heavily based on the worlds oldest and most reliable operating system, UNIX. From the earlier days when only Linux Torvalds was working on the project, there are now millions of people worldwide involved with the free software movement.

Is it any good?

Linux is exceptionally reliable. This authors record for running a system without reboot is 496 days.

Is it difficult to use?

Contrary to the opinions of many who do not know otherwise, Linux is also exceptionally user-friendly and a suitable replacement for Microsoft^® Windows^® and Office^® in many, many environments.

Getting Linux

As with it's predecessor, UNIX, there are many different "flavours" (types) of Linux. To the average user they're all generally equivalant. All that varies is the appearance of the Desktop - what & how you click.

You choose a flavour and just get it off the Internet (or get a friend to give you the disks) - it's free.

You can buy it in a shop, but they should only charge you a nominal fee for the cost of the disks etc; they are not allowed to charge for the software as it is produced by the free software movement.

Which Linux should I get?

Rather than list all possible variations and their websites, this author reccommends Fedora Core. It's based on the exceptionablly stable RedHat, You can use KDE or Gnome on your desktop (you have a choice - Windows^® doesn't give you that!)

What else do I get?

Fedora comes with the truly superior OpenOffice.org productivity or 'office' suite. Your Internet browser will be Firefox, the browser that made Microsoft^® finally sit up and take notice!.