Q. I have tried Ubuntu out once but I didn't really see the point of it and I ended up going back to windows 7. What does linux have to offer that windows does not (apart from the fact that its free)? I'd really love to learn more about linux and play around with it (especially customizing it and tweaking settings to personal preference but I don't know if that's what it's about).
Oh and can someone also please recommend a (or perhaps a few) versions I should try out?
Oh and can someone also please recommend a (or perhaps a few) versions I should try out?
A. I'm so glad you ask this question!
Well, linux is great from many points of view. I hope you take your time reading this, and I hope this will prove helpful to you! :D
1. The main one, which is definitely the best thing for an every-day user is the fact that Linux is virus-free. No antivirus, no problems at all with malwares or malicious software.
2. Open source. Open source doesn't mean ONLY that it's free. Aside of the fact that you have FREE licensed OS, there is a huge open source community, constantly working on your linux version (we call them distributions), fixing bugs, or dangerous leaks and making it better, and better every day. With linux, you will always benefit from the latest updates, which is great.
3. Great security. Having no viruses, being open source (constantly updated), with Linux you can be sure you're system is as secure as it can be. As for myself, I feel secure ONLY on Linux.
4. Optimal. Linux is, no doubt, optimal! It is very fast, even on slower computers. As an example, at the Informatics Olympiads in my country, they test the sources both on Windows and Linux, and Linux is faster all the times, sometimes even twice. Linux is faster because of it's relative simplicity, because of it doesn't have all those additional programs which Windows needs for pretty much everything to slow down your computer.
5. Support for all standard formats. With Linux, you are off to go from the moment you install it. It supports pretty much EVERY standard format there is. In windows, to emulate an .iso you need a program (in Linux you don't; of course you can install, if you want a nice user interface), In windows to unzip a .zip you need a program (in Linux, you don't) etc. etc.
6. Great control over your OS. In Linux you got the Terminal, which allows you to do EVERYTHING you want (including to screw up your computer, believe me :)) ). Basically, in Linux you control the system. In Windows it's different, Windows is a closed box, you can only see it's outside. You are forced to use what they give you, how they give it to you. In Linux you can use what you want, how you want. And that's nice.
7. Just like the OS, you benefit from a lot of open source software, which (some of them) are great! Like GIMP instead of Photoshop, Blender instead of... well instead of nothing because Blender is the best out there for 3D Modelling (IMO)..., Inkscape for vector graphics etc.
8. WINE. If you still need a certain program from Windows which doesn't have a version for Linux, there is WINE. WINE is basically a thing which lets you install and run Windows programs as your Linux would be Windows. You can very well install MSOffice, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, anything you want. Even games! Yes, you can play windows games on linux with WINE. For some of them, you may get even better performance than on Windows itself. With a little bit of learning it's ropes WINE will make you forget about windows.
9. Customization! That's another great thing of Linux. On Linux you can customize, tweak, modify anything at your pleasure, given that you know how to do it. Of course, some of the things you can customize easily, some of them harder, but there's always that feel of happiness when you make your system look like you want to. And when you know you did it!
At first, I would suggest you to use a dual boot: Windows 7 and Linux, so that you can switch to Windows whenever you need, until you get familiarized with linux. For this, it is necessary to install Windows first, and then Linux with it's bootloader so that it recognizes both Windows and Linux at boot.
Finally, as you requested, here are some versions (distributions, like I said, or shorter distros):
1. Ubuntu - it is great, user friendly. If you want full customization you should try older versions of Ubuntu, like 10.10 or 11.04. http://ubuntu.com/
2. Linux Mint 12 - the distro I'm using now. It's as great as Ubuntu, if not greater. It's interface is very very nice, and I love it. http://linuxmint.com/
Have a nice day, and good luck on learning the ropes to this great system, Linux!
I hope I helped!
Well, linux is great from many points of view. I hope you take your time reading this, and I hope this will prove helpful to you! :D
1. The main one, which is definitely the best thing for an every-day user is the fact that Linux is virus-free. No antivirus, no problems at all with malwares or malicious software.
2. Open source. Open source doesn't mean ONLY that it's free. Aside of the fact that you have FREE licensed OS, there is a huge open source community, constantly working on your linux version (we call them distributions), fixing bugs, or dangerous leaks and making it better, and better every day. With linux, you will always benefit from the latest updates, which is great.
3. Great security. Having no viruses, being open source (constantly updated), with Linux you can be sure you're system is as secure as it can be. As for myself, I feel secure ONLY on Linux.
4. Optimal. Linux is, no doubt, optimal! It is very fast, even on slower computers. As an example, at the Informatics Olympiads in my country, they test the sources both on Windows and Linux, and Linux is faster all the times, sometimes even twice. Linux is faster because of it's relative simplicity, because of it doesn't have all those additional programs which Windows needs for pretty much everything to slow down your computer.
5. Support for all standard formats. With Linux, you are off to go from the moment you install it. It supports pretty much EVERY standard format there is. In windows, to emulate an .iso you need a program (in Linux you don't; of course you can install, if you want a nice user interface), In windows to unzip a .zip you need a program (in Linux, you don't) etc. etc.
6. Great control over your OS. In Linux you got the Terminal, which allows you to do EVERYTHING you want (including to screw up your computer, believe me :)) ). Basically, in Linux you control the system. In Windows it's different, Windows is a closed box, you can only see it's outside. You are forced to use what they give you, how they give it to you. In Linux you can use what you want, how you want. And that's nice.
7. Just like the OS, you benefit from a lot of open source software, which (some of them) are great! Like GIMP instead of Photoshop, Blender instead of... well instead of nothing because Blender is the best out there for 3D Modelling (IMO)..., Inkscape for vector graphics etc.
8. WINE. If you still need a certain program from Windows which doesn't have a version for Linux, there is WINE. WINE is basically a thing which lets you install and run Windows programs as your Linux would be Windows. You can very well install MSOffice, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, anything you want. Even games! Yes, you can play windows games on linux with WINE. For some of them, you may get even better performance than on Windows itself. With a little bit of learning it's ropes WINE will make you forget about windows.
9. Customization! That's another great thing of Linux. On Linux you can customize, tweak, modify anything at your pleasure, given that you know how to do it. Of course, some of the things you can customize easily, some of them harder, but there's always that feel of happiness when you make your system look like you want to. And when you know you did it!
At first, I would suggest you to use a dual boot: Windows 7 and Linux, so that you can switch to Windows whenever you need, until you get familiarized with linux. For this, it is necessary to install Windows first, and then Linux with it's bootloader so that it recognizes both Windows and Linux at boot.
Finally, as you requested, here are some versions (distributions, like I said, or shorter distros):
1. Ubuntu - it is great, user friendly. If you want full customization you should try older versions of Ubuntu, like 10.10 or 11.04. http://ubuntu.com/
2. Linux Mint 12 - the distro I'm using now. It's as great as Ubuntu, if not greater. It's interface is very very nice, and I love it. http://linuxmint.com/
Have a nice day, and good luck on learning the ropes to this great system, Linux!
I hope I helped!
How do you install a program on linux?
Q. I am new to linux and do not understand the file extensions, i have a tar.gz file that is the Wicd Network Manager because it doesn't work so i am trying to install it because it is not found on the system. How do i go about installing this file.
A. The file tar.gz is a compressed file, much like a .zip file so first you must uncompress it. Usually double clicking in many distros will work.
Then you will have to install it. The methods to do this depend on the linux distro (ubuntu, SUSE, mint, knoppix, red hat, DSL) you are using and the file type (.deb, .sh) that is compressed in the tar.gz file (also called a tarball).
Also, you have to understand what dependencies you need to fulfill to install the program (what libraries you need).
Search the forums for the program you wish to install for the specific linux distribution you are using.
I highly reccomend that you buy a book for your new linux distro. That is how I learned. Linux is not windows, you can't just doubleclick everything you want to install. It makes it harder to install programs but in the end provides a more stable and secure system.
Then you will have to install it. The methods to do this depend on the linux distro (ubuntu, SUSE, mint, knoppix, red hat, DSL) you are using and the file type (.deb, .sh) that is compressed in the tar.gz file (also called a tarball).
Also, you have to understand what dependencies you need to fulfill to install the program (what libraries you need).
Search the forums for the program you wish to install for the specific linux distribution you are using.
I highly reccomend that you buy a book for your new linux distro. That is how I learned. Linux is not windows, you can't just doubleclick everything you want to install. It makes it harder to install programs but in the end provides a more stable and secure system.
Can anyone help me with installing programs on Linux?
Q. I dont have internet on the computer i have linux on, am i screwed or is there still a way?
A. Some software is distributed in "Source form". This means you download a file containing all the source code for the application you want to install, unpack it, and compile it on your system. Compiling is the process of turning the source code into an executable binary. It is a fairly straight forward process.
Typically applications you must compile from source will come as a ".tar.gz", ".tar.bz2", or ".zip" file.
You'll probably want to operate from inside your home directory. If your user is (for example) username, your home directory will be /home/username/. Downloaded your zip file containing install files to /home/username/src. If you do not have a src directory, you can create it with the following "mkdir" (make directory) command:
Code:
mkdir /home/username/src/
So, we have our source package in /home/username/src/.
Change to the /home/username/src/ directory with the "cd" (change directory) command like so:
Code:
cd /home/username/src/
Use the "ls" (list directory contents) command, to see the file is present:
Code:
ls
We now need to unzip the zipped file, this is done differently depending on the file extension.
for files ending in .tar.gz, use:
Code:
tar -zxvf <filename>
(replacing <filename> with the name of the file).
for files ending in .tar.bz2, use:
Code:
tar -jxvf <filename>
for files ending in .zip, use:
Code:
unzip <filename>
You should now have a new directory, containing all of the source files. To confirm it exists, and to get its name, use the "ls" command again.
Code:
ls
we now need to go into the new directory, so use the cd command:
Code:
cd <directory>
This is where things will differ. Some packages will have an INSTALL or README file which will contain installation instructions. use "ls" to see if the software has an install or readme file. If it does have one, you can use the "more" command to read it, like so:
Code:
more INSTALL
Generally, the final 3 stages are as follows:
- Configure the installation
- Compile the software
- Install the binaries
The pre-installation configuration is done by executing ./configure:
Code:
./configure
This will perform some requirements testing on your system, and create a "Makefile" which will explain to the "make" utility how the software should be compiled.
The next stage is to compile the software, this is done using "make". When you run "make" it will read the instructions in the Makefile and build the application binaries.
Code:
make
The final stage is to install these binaries, ie, copy them to a more permanent location. Typically only the "root" user can do this, so you will need to swich to the root user with the "su" command:
Code:
su
Once you are root, install the binaries using the "make" command, followed by "install", like so:
Code:
make install
Typically applications you must compile from source will come as a ".tar.gz", ".tar.bz2", or ".zip" file.
You'll probably want to operate from inside your home directory. If your user is (for example) username, your home directory will be /home/username/. Downloaded your zip file containing install files to /home/username/src. If you do not have a src directory, you can create it with the following "mkdir" (make directory) command:
Code:
mkdir /home/username/src/
So, we have our source package in /home/username/src/.
Change to the /home/username/src/ directory with the "cd" (change directory) command like so:
Code:
cd /home/username/src/
Use the "ls" (list directory contents) command, to see the file is present:
Code:
ls
We now need to unzip the zipped file, this is done differently depending on the file extension.
for files ending in .tar.gz, use:
Code:
tar -zxvf <filename>
(replacing <filename> with the name of the file).
for files ending in .tar.bz2, use:
Code:
tar -jxvf <filename>
for files ending in .zip, use:
Code:
unzip <filename>
You should now have a new directory, containing all of the source files. To confirm it exists, and to get its name, use the "ls" command again.
Code:
ls
we now need to go into the new directory, so use the cd command:
Code:
cd <directory>
This is where things will differ. Some packages will have an INSTALL or README file which will contain installation instructions. use "ls" to see if the software has an install or readme file. If it does have one, you can use the "more" command to read it, like so:
Code:
more INSTALL
Generally, the final 3 stages are as follows:
- Configure the installation
- Compile the software
- Install the binaries
The pre-installation configuration is done by executing ./configure:
Code:
./configure
This will perform some requirements testing on your system, and create a "Makefile" which will explain to the "make" utility how the software should be compiled.
The next stage is to compile the software, this is done using "make". When you run "make" it will read the instructions in the Makefile and build the application binaries.
Code:
make
The final stage is to install these binaries, ie, copy them to a more permanent location. Typically only the "root" user can do this, so you will need to swich to the root user with the "su" command:
Code:
su
Once you are root, install the binaries using the "make" command, followed by "install", like so:
Code:
make install
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