Linux Guide #1: Making the Switch

OK. Let’s start with the technical stuff now. Before you attempt to install Linux, you have to know a few things that are very different between Linux and Windows.

Program Installation in Windows
Download the .exe file, use the Wizard.

Program Installation in Linux
Two choices:

Download the sources, make, make install, and then install

Download the binaries, use a package manager to install

Most programs in Linux are available in either source or binary form. A source code form means that the software needs to be compiled by you. The binary form is like an executable file that is all ready to go, but with a binary, you must use a package manager to use the binary files (unless you are a bit more advanced). Don’t worry if you didn’t catch all that – you will “get it” soon.

Using Windows
A pretty Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Using Linux
A Window Manager based off of X11 Server, which runs directly from shell; thus requiring you have some knowledge of shell commands.

“Huh?” All this means is that you don’t need to know DOS to use Windows, because Windows 2000 and higher are not even based out of DOS. The Window Manager is an integral part of the operating system (although some would argue otherwise). In Linux, many people use Gnome or KDE, which are Windows-like interfaces. Again, don’t get too worked up here. We will go over it all step-by-step later on.

Manipulating Files in Windows
Use the Windows Explorer Interface. Do whatever you want.

Manipulating Files in Linux
Since permissions are very important, and because you often do not run as root, you are restricted from viewing certain files and folders by your own system for your own protection. Also, media drives are treated as folders instead of separate drives. They must be “mounted.”

As you can probably easily see, Linux can make things seem very complicated. However, what is basically happening is that Linux does less things are done automatically for you – or, in other words, the user has more control over the operating environment.

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Alan
Oh, so you think you’re happy with Linux, eh? How about the half-day you spent getting the video to work and the new card that you had to buy? How about the assumption that you are an expert and the consequently shorthand instructions that are useless to anyone but an IT graduate? How about the instructions that are just plain wrong (“All you have to do is download it and burn a disc…”) How about having to go to four different forums to find an answer because the first two of them tell you that it’s easy and you should be able to figure this out after you klemtate the horgel and doesn’t tell you that it won’t unless you fleeg first, and the third one starts talking about some other issue like how evil Microsoft is for providing the world with OSes that work. How about unspecified dependencies? How about the whole attitude that people really want to spend their time solving puzzles instead of getting to accomplish the work that they got their computers to do?