Welcome to my ongoing series about Linux. The purpose of this series is to introduce you to a Linux operating system and help you learn how to use it. You will need a basic understanding of the components of a computer, what they are and what they do. I have two pieces of advice before starting on this little adventure. One, be prepared for a learning curve. Linux is similar to Windows, but different in many ways. There is a lot to learn. Two, and most importantly, PROTECT YOUR DATA! Make good backups of all your data before trying anything with Linux. In fact, you should be doing that regardless of whether you try Linux or not. I speak from experience when I say that protecting your data now will save you a lot of heartache and money in the future. If you skip this advice, I will not be held responsible when you lose those photos of Aunt Flossie's 78th birthday bash. Consider yourself warned. A brief note on writing style: Since this is an internet newsletter, I will be including hyperlinks to relevant sites for many topics I discuss. Feel free to check out those sites for a deeper explanation of those topics than I can give in a short article.
What is Linux?
If you ask "What is Linux" you will get two different answers that are both essentially correct. The most accurate answer is that it is the kernel of an operating system (OS). That is, it is the core of an OS. The kernel is the framework that allows your software to communicate and use your hardware. Every OS has a kernel, including Windows. The second answer you will get when you ask "What is Linux?" is that it is an OS. More accurately, Linux is the term that is being used to refer to a whole family of operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Software developers from around the world have used the Linux kernel to create operating systems that run everything from mobile phones and ATMs, all the way up to supercomputers at large research facilities. You may already be using Linux and not even know it! There are also operating systems based on Linux that are for desktop (and laptop) computers. This is the type of Linux we will be exploring together.
History of Linux
Linux was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 in his studies of OS development. It was merely intended to emulate the workings of the UNIX kernel. While retaining the copyrights for himself, Linus released Linux under the GPL onto the internet. He encouraged others to comment and work on the code and things quickly took off. Within a few years, developers from all over the world had helped turn this small research project into a full-fledged OS kernel. Now there are literally hundreds of operating systems based on Linux. These OSes are called Linux distributions or distros for short. If you have ever seen the terms Ubuntu, Opensuse, Fedora, Debian, or Gentoo; these are Linux distros.
What is Ubuntu?
If you are curious about Linux, then you have probably seen the term Ubuntu (pronounced oo-BOON-too) being thrown about rather liberally over the past couple of years. Ubuntu is a Linux distro that has been built for servers and desktops. The whole purpose of Ubuntu is to create an OS that is free and easy to use for the masses. Ubuntu is free not only in the monetary sense, but also in the sense that you can use it however you like. You can take one disk and put a copy on 100 computers, or 1000. You can give your disk to a friend or make copies and give them to as many people as you want. If you have the technical know-how, you can even download the code for Ubuntu and modify it to your liking.
Ubuntu Versions and Editions
Ubuntu is updated with a new version on a six month release cycle. New versions are generally available in April and October of each year. The current version of Ubuntu is 7.10. The version number indicates the year and month that it was released. So version 7.10 was released in in October (10) of 2007 (7). The next version will be 8.04 and should be released sometime in April of 2008. Versions are also given cutsie animal names like Feisty Fawn or Edgy Eft. Version 7.10 is affectionately know as Gusty Gibbon. Ubuntu also comes in several different "editions" that are tailored to more specific uses and interest. Kubuntu is an edition which uses the KDE desktop environment. Xubuntu uses the XFCE desktop environment and is optimized for older, less powerful hardware. Edubuntu includes special programs for education. Goubuntu is a version of the OS for mobile devices. For the purposes of this series, I will be using just plain old Ubuntu. It uses the Gnome desktop environment and is the most widely used and documented of all the versions. If you are confused about desktop environments, don't worry, I will explain what they are in later articles. For now it is not that important.
How can I use Ubuntu?
Ubuntu can be used for many different things. You can use it as a replacement for Windows. You can install it on old machines for which you do not have a Windows license. You can use it to set up a personal web/file/print server for your home. You can do almost anything in Ubuntu that you can do in Windows. Again, the main advantage is that it is free.
What's the catch?
There is always a catch when something is free and Ubuntu is no different. The catch is that Ubuntu is fundamentally different from Windows. Remember, Ubuntu is based on the Linux kernel. This means software written for Windows will not work in Ubuntu. However, the good news is there are thousands of free applications that DO run on Ubuntu and you can find one to replace just about any Windows program.
Downloading Ubuntu
Obtaining a copy of Ubuntu is easy. Just surf over to the Ubuntu web site and download a copy. On the download page, select Ubuntu 7.10 (or whatever the newest version is) under "Desktop Edition". Then select your computer type. I highly recommend selecting "Standard personal computer" since there are some functional limitations in the 64-bit versions (As a side note, I have tried the 64-bit version and there is no noticeable performance boost associated with it over the standard version, only added headaches.). Then choose a location near you for the fastest download speed. You will then be prompted to download the Ubuntu ISO image file. Save it to your desktop or where ever it is your normally save your downloads. Beware, the file size is 700MB.
ISO images
An ISO image file contains all of the contents of a directory structure in one file. It is similar to a zip file in this respect. Once you have downloaded the Ubuntu ISO image, it needs to be burned onto a blank CD. You will need special software for this since this capability is not built into Windows. Luckily there is a free piece of software called ISO Recorder that does just this. You can also use other third party software like Nero or Roxio to burn ISO images if you already have them.
Download ISO Recorder Powertoy
The ISO Recorder powertoy is a great tool for burning ISO images in Windows. It can be downloaded at http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm. Be sure to select the correct version for your Windows installation. You will download a small file, double click on it to install it.
Burning the disc
First insert a blank disc into your CD writer. Once ISO Recorder is installed you can double click on the Ubuntu ISO image file to open ISO Recorder.
Now all you have to do is click Next to start the burning process. It should only take about 5 minutes depending on the speed of your drive. Once the operation is complete, don't forget to label your disc so that you can remember what is on it. You are now ready to begin your adventure!
Alternate methods of obtaining a CD
If you have a slow connection or don't have CD burner you can also buy or get a free CD copy of Ubuntu from the official Ubuntu website. Check out the following link for more information. http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu
Joseph Bales is a writer of fiction and humor, as well as a true computer geek and Linux guru. Visit his blog at josephbales.com.