lots of questions

[dannyp32]

hello i have been researching a little bit about linux and i want to switch to linux. i am currently using windoes xp pro.
computer specs:
amd athlon 64 x2 5200 2.7ghz
4 gb ram
160 gb hd

i have lots of questions about linux
1. are all of the files compatible with windows programs. My school uses windows xp and i am wondering if i will be able to open word documents created on linux at school.
If i have a printer will the installation cd work fine with linux
2.i do not want to dual boot with windows xp, so will i have to use another tool to erase my hard drive?
3. which distribution do you recommend for newbies? best overall not just for newbies?
4. i have seen really impressive looking desktops running linux. do i have to have a graphics card to use things like the cube or the sphere? what if my motherboard has integrated video and sound?
my motherboard:
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-MA74GM-S2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards
5 i have seen lots of commands for the terminal. i do not know any commands right now. is it necessary to learn some before i switch.

please help
thanks

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

Check the link in my signature and I think you'll find the answers to most of your questions.

It's not mandatory to learn commands, but if you want to learn Linux commands and the command line, take a look here:

LinuxCommand.org: Learn the Linux command line. Write shell scripts.

Hope you have fun with Linux!

[Jonathan183]

Welcome to the forums dannyp32

I would recommend initially you setup a dual boot ... it's not essential but you may find a couple of applications you still need to use Windows for & its easier to get ride of Windows later than to reinstall it

Openoffice can read/write MS Office documents ... but best to check with a document.

You will find a poll on the forums for best distro for newbies.

Graphics card must be capable of supporting effects and have the correct driver loaded ...

You can install some distros without using the command line at all ... Ubuntu, Mint, openSuSE being a few example.

[reed9]

1. Check out your printer here for compatibility: OpenPrinting database - Printer Listings. Your windows install CD will not help you in linux. If linux supports the printer, drivers will either be preinstalled or available through your package manager.

2. Almost all distros offer a graphical partition tool during the course of install.

3. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Mandriva. There is no overall best. Each distro has their own strengths and weaknesses and cater to different needs and wants. That said, Arch Linux is the best.

4. I looked at your motherboard specs, and I see it has an ATI Radeon card. I know a lot of folks have trouble with these. The ATI linux driver, Catalyst, is notoriously troublesome. There are pretty good open source drivers, but they do not support all the fancy eye candy with some cards.

5. It's not necessary to use the command line, but in some cases it's waaay easier to use it. It's good to at least know the basics of navigating file systems.

Welcome to Linux!