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The Linux Operating System

Linux is an operating system that has been in development for since the early 1990's. Based on Unix, Linux has made some inroads in to modern computing; especially in the server market, based primarily on it's lower cost of ownership and excellent security and reliability. Where Linux has not made any real market headway is in the home user market, in the desktop environment currently dominated by Microsoft Windows. Linux desktop solutions have not been as easy to install or use, and there has not been software support for the more ubiquitous MS applications like Outlook Express, MS Office and so on. So, despite the low cost of Linux solutions ( most releases, called "distributions") are free to download and use.) Linux hasn't really caught on for the average user, and most hardware and software developers have only begun to fully support the platform.

My personal experience in Linux is outlined below. I have found a commercial distribution of Linux called " LindowsOS " that has come a long way in alleviating the concerns above, and I use it at home and at work. In the year since I've put it on my PC, I've really come to like it. I've tried other distributions as well, and briefly comment on them below. Please feel free to contact me with questions about my setup. In the long run, I think we'll see Linux commonly used on desktop environments within the next ten years as the operating system continues to mature and development and support from manufacturers respond to market demand.

Linux Operating system distributions I have used:

Lycoris: I recently picked up aa copy of the Lycoris distro from a Linux mag and took it out for a spin. Installation was a breeze, and hardware detection was good. The desktop itself was obviously designed to be a complete clone of WinXP. Downright scary, it was. I suppose the idea was familiarity=comfort to those new to Linux. the interfaces were good and easy to use. The downside was the age of the underlying software. In Linuxland, software libraries frequently update and if you can't update with them then you lose out on a lot of functionality and software capability. Lycoris had some old, old software, and you had to pay to update, so for me, that was enough to get it overwritten...

XandrosOS 2:  Another entry in the 'tastes like chicken' category, Xandros offers a quick loading, easy to use Debian style of Linux. It looked and felt like it was really designed for office use, but was friendly enough to get around in. I especially liked their file system, it was very easy to navigate within. The commercial version of the release comes packed with Crossover Office as well, so you can plug in those MS Office products and feel right at home. This is a somewhat new release, and a quick trip to the Xandros networks revealed my fears to be true: Most of the packages for download won't work on the new version of the OS. Bummer! Time will take care of this as the developers port over software to make it play nice with the new release, but in the mean time what you see is pretty much what you get.

RedHat 9 : Redhat Linux dominates the North American Linux server market, and the OS is really at it's best running as a server. As a desktop environment, I found it to be functional but a bit industrial in look and feel. RH9 used a software system called the Redhat package manager, and it's relatively well supported and easy to use. This distribution really struck me as one that would be excellent for someone who already knew Linux. You can download RH9 for free, but documentation will cost you some money. You can buy a boxed set with full documents and CD's for around $50USD.

Debian: Debian is one of the "purest" distributions in that it adheres tightly to the open source mantra of the Linux community. As an operating system it is amazing; fast and secure, easily updated, great hardware support... a winner. It's also the hardest one to set up. You really need to have a good handle on the terminology and a solid knowledge of what Linux module does what function if you want to have a prayer of getting it running. If you're new to Linux, don't jump in and go for Debian. Rather, wait until your comfortable and have some experience under your belt. When you're ready, it will impress! Until then, it will frustrate and enrage like nothing you've ever used before. No, I'm not kidding.

Update! I finally managed to get Debian installed at home after 3 days of poking around with configurations... whew! It was great until I tried to upgrade to the new 2.6 kernel and I successfully hosed the whole thing.

Linspire: Formally called called Lindows,* Linspire is the polar opposite of Debian in that it is the hands-down easiest to install and most Windows-like of the Linux distributions I've tried. The money you'll spend for Lindows gets you the CD to install it and a membership in their "click and run" warehouse. This is essentially a giant ( 2000 or so titles) software library that you can download from by simply clicking on the title you want to have. It's awesome if you have no interest in learning the somewhat tricky Linux manual software loading procedures. The Linspire experience is designed to offer enough similarities to MS Windows to make a new user feel comfortable using it. For the most part this works well, and the OS itself is reasonably quick and reliable. Linspire is based on Debian, so if you peek under the sheets a bit the core is rock solid. I recommend and use Linspire.

*It cost Microsoft $20 million dollars to have Lindows rename the OS as Linspire. More importantly, Microsoft dodged a bullet by avoiding a court case that would have likely rendered the phrase "windows" as being generic and non-patentable. Kudos to Linspire.com for standing up and taking the heat... and the money!

General comments about Linux:

I like Linux, as it has the tools and capabilities I'm used to from Windows. It is essentially immune from most common virus threats, and it runs very well on lower spec'd PC's. Downsides include weak USB support, and on older hardware drivers can be very hard to come by. The Linux community, though a bit self-righteous, is strong and very active. In order to run some Microsoft programs, you'll have to buy some additional software too.

My current setups:

Home PC

AMD64 3200+, 1GB Corsair ultra low latency ram, Nvidia GF4MX400, ATI TV Wonder, dual 20gig Western Digital Hard drives.

Dual Boot Windows XP Pro, and whatever the most current Linspire 5.0 beta is.

Work PC

Athlon XP 2200, 384 MB Ram, Nvidia GForce 4 MX 400, dual 20 gig WD Caviar HDDs ( seriously hobbed together!)

Dual Boot Windows XP / LindowsOS 4.5

Software:

Both my home and work Linux setups are essentially the same...

Operating system: LindowsOS 4.5 ( the most current version)

Supplemental software: I used Codeweaver's CrossOver Office to run Microsoft Office and Photoshop, Transgamers WineX3 to enable use of Windows games like Unreal, Quake and so on. Crossover Office is around $40, and WineX3 is $15. I recommend these additions to your Linux environment, as they will let you continue to use the MS products you are used to using. If you really need to run Windows, try Netraverse's Win4Lin. This allows you to load Windows 9x or WinMe and run it as a process within Linux.

Hey! Go get counted as a Linux user! Press here and get yourself counted! It's worth the click because the more software and hardware companies see Linux users are out there, the more likely they are to write and release products for it. Plus, you get a cool little image like this...