Where do I get / download Linux?

cidknee

cidknee

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ok folks, where do I get aq copy ( preferably free) of Linux? Also now I dont want to start any blood fueds but which one should I get?

Now the reason is i have a PC to play with and I wanna learn more about Linux. Never touched it before. Can I burn it to a cd and install it from there?

Please help if u can

Thanks
 
Good forum here. Suggest you have a good read.

I haven't taken the plunge yet, but when I do, this is where I'll go for info;-

http://www.linuxquestions.org/

(Look for the forums link top left).

EDIT: You can download and burn your own. Not all of them are free distro's - I understand Mandriva and Ubuntu are available in "Linux virgin friendly" formats. Although Ubuntu might be a LVF format, I'm not sure.
 
ty ty ty, good post cruddy, and oh yes I am a Linux virgin lol
 
I just hope

a) You've got broadband.

b) You like typing commands into a shell, like DOS.

(b) is optional, because you'll get lots of practise.
 
i couldnt live without broadband and ive used dos a bit, but its not that bed.
 
Oh, you should do OK then. It's not like the early days of Linux.

And the whole POINT is that it's freeform and you can recompile programs how you want 'em.

I was told the other day that most router software these days is written with Linux - can't quite see it myself but the guy should know what he's talking about.

EDIT: I though Mandrake/Free was now called Mandriva? Oh well, these things change fast.
 
CruddyLeper said:
I was told the other day that most router software these days is written with Linux - can't quite see it myself but the guy should know what he's talking about.
Click to expand...
That's true. OpenBSD is another operating system that is commonly used for routers, but lately Linux has been becoming more commonly used.

EDIT: I though Mandrake/Free was now called Mandriva? Oh well, these things change fast.
Click to expand...
It is. Mandriva is an abomination of a name, at least in my opinion, so I still call it Mandrake. That, and I'm lazy...
 
there's also SuSe that just released version 10. They have a pretty good reputation for being easy to use. It was my first linux distribution as well.

you can get it at www.opensuse.org
 
If you don't have a fast internet connection, Ubuntu will send you a cd for free. I'm in the middle of setting up Breezy Badger Ubuntu, and except for some RAID issues, it's fine. There's a large support community if you have questions too. www.ubuntu.com
 
Mandrake/Mandriva will be releasing it's latest version for free public download within a couple of weeks. (It was recently released for Mandriva Club members - it is free to the world about a month later).
I have personally had great experience with Mandriva. I switched from Windows to full-time Linux with Mandrake 10.0. The new version (Mandriva 2006) is the equivalent of Mandrake 11.0, if they had kept the old numbering scheme.

LinuxQuestions.org is a great place for answering Linux questions.

Mandriva can be downloaded for free from http://www.mandrivalinux.com/en/ftp.php3[. Note, 2006 Official is available now, but only as a raw installation tree. If you want to keep it simple (i.e., download the 3 CDs and burn them for install) either get 2005 Limited Edition or wait a couple weeks for 2006. ;)
 
alright folks, great info here... but Im going to warn you, now i know where to get some of this stuff, im gonna need help. Iman UBER newbie when it comes to Linux and well anything but windows. Thanks for all the input.

Basically what I wanna do is download it onto the PC i have running now, and burn it to a cd. or 3 and then walk over to my test bed PC and install fof the Cds. I have very little experience doing something like this so please be patient. I think I might wait for 2006 , but will it be buggy? and need patches? or is that just because Im used to windows?
 
It's just because you're used to Windows. ;)

Mandriva 2006 will be patched, at least eventually. All OSes get patched, if only for security reasons. But with Mandriva, (and most Linux distros) you can keep it up to date automatically, and *never have to reboot your system* to do so.

Mandriva 2006 comes with KDE 3.4, and Gnome 2.10, two of the best desktops around, in versions *just short* of the bleeding edge. They're old enough to be stable, yet new enough to be current. :) Both desktops are as good as, if not better than, the standard Windows desktop. (Personally, I like KDE, but it's an individual choice.)

If you go the Mandriva route, I will let you in on a not-very-well-publicized site that lets you legally have access to all the non-proprietary software available on the 6-CD Powerpack version. (It's not well-publicized because Mandriva would rather *sell* you the full 6-CD set. ;))

As for your questions, feel free to ask here, but don't forget to check out LinuxQuestions.org. (Also, for Mandriva, Mandriva Users Board, the non-official, but better, Mandriva support site.)
 
I stand corrected (okay, I *sit* corrected. :p).

Actually, I didn't say theat the latest versions were included - I said *almost bleeding edge*. KDE is currently working on 4.0, Gnome has 2.12. But what is being delivered in Mandriva 2006 is *almost* the latest thing. "Old enough to be stable, new enough to be current". ;)
 
hmm, I must have bollixed it up, somehow. Try this: http://www1.mandrivalinux.com/en/ftp.php3

Go to the "Download from Public FTP Mirrors" column on the table (bottom right). It currently lists the raw installation tree. The free, public release should be available in a week or two.

If you really can't wait, the CD images for 2005 Limited Edition are below the 2006 links. That's what I'm running right now, and I'm pretty happy with it. Or you could download Ubuntu, like vbraun suggested.

I also just happened to have a thought. If you want to try Linux without actually formatting and writing a hard disk, download Knoppix, and give it a try. Knoppix is what is called a "live-CD": the entire system is on the CD. Just boot your machine with it in the drive, and you are running Linux, without touching anything on your hard drive.
 
wow killer suggestion on Knoppix now heres a question, I can surf the web and everything just the OS is off a cd. Will i be able to save tings to my hard drive etc?
 
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