What to do to switch to Linux?

[madclown]

I have heard lots of good things about linux and wanted to start using it. im getting a new laptop soon and it comes with windows vista. i want to keep vista on but i also want linux (so i think i need something called a multi-booter). I looked up stuff about linux and there are like tons of types of linux so i dont know which to get. i heard that ubuntu is good and something called wine.

Can somebody tell me where to download the best linux and then what to do after that. And i have been using windows my whole life so i want something that might be able to run win programs

[aliov]

As a good Linux distro , yes ubuntu is a good choice , you can download it and install it easily . (get the correct one for your processor, if you have a 64 bit processor or a 32 bit one).

In case you have any trouble or questions concerning ubuntu , there is a lot of help you get from this forum and from a google search , because a lot of articles have been written to describe the steps to get some special piece of hardware to work, and many other useful articles.

The installation of ubuntu will takes care for the dual boot -

wine is a opensource emulator for Linux to run windows binaries.

But in order to enjoy your life with Linux , forget everything related to windows when you boot up your Linux partition , in case of problem restart is not a magic functionality under Linux, everything in Linux is clear and separated , virus and spyware and the blue screen of death doesn't exist in Linux.

to install ubuntu all what you need it's to use a free space allocate one swap (recommended to be equal to your physical RAM ) and one / (the root partition) you can format it using ext3 or reiserfs Linux filesystem.

More than Welcome in the Linux World-

Regards.

[devils casper]

Hi madclown !

Welcome to the LinuxForums.

First of all, I would suggest you to install 32bit version of any OS even if you have 64bit Processor. There isn't any Performance difference in both. More details are here.

Make sure to create a free space for Linux before Installation. You can use any Partition Manager for that. Vista is already installed, so you should use Windows based Partition Manager only.
10-12GB disk space is enough for any distro. Create free space and Leave it Free/Unpartitioned. Start Linux Installation and Select Free/Unpartitioned Space in Partition Section during installation. Installer will create and format partitions for you. Dual Boot is default in all Linux Distros.
Check the Link in my Signature. It will help you a lot.

Good Luck !

[darrelljon]

I recommend Kubuntu, pcLinuxOS, Kanotix, Sabayon or MEPIS rather than the famous Ubuntu.

[Juukamen]

madclown welcome after, I've also just switched from windows to linux, i was stupid enough to choose ubuntu 64 bit. I will extremly reccomend you to choose 32 bit for now, since not all software are amde for 64 bit and i'm fighting that.

I've choosen ubuntu and i like it, also, just abuse these forums, casper don't got a life and is always here to help. Also, get on IRC, we are on irc.freenode.net in the channel #linuxforums where all of the fun is and lotsa stuff to learn.

[oz]

Can somebody tell me where to download the best linux and then what to do after that. And i have been using windows my whole life so i want something that might be able to run win programs

Welcome to the forums!

The best linux is very subjective, so take a look at the link in my signature for lots of good information on getting started with Linux.

Above all, have a fun experience with Linux.

oz

[budman7]

With the laptop having Vista pre-installed, you can use Vistas partition manager.
Just bring up disk management just like you were able to do in XP and you will see the option to resize your disc.

If you have any further questions about Vistas partitioner don't hesitate to ask.

[Neo-Penguin]

I strongly suggest Ubuntu 7.04.

After you resize your partitions and install Ubuntu then install Automatix, download the .deb package that works with Ubuntu.

Thats it. There are two things to look at to install packages (programs) and to see what is available. Synaptic Package manager which is in your menu/system/administration and Automatix which will be in the menu/System Tools.

Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty i386)
The link for Ubuntu is: Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu
The link for Automatix is: Installation - Automatix Wiki

[questio verum]

I recommend Kubuntu, pcLinuxOS, Kanotix, Sabayon or MEPIS rather than the famous Ubuntu.

I see you recommend Kubuntu but not Ubuntu. I assume you're referring to release 7.04. Would that have anything to do with Kubuntu auto-detecting video hardware correctly on the first try, where Ubuntu just chokes? Or is this just my experience?

madclown...
I would second the recommendation to stick with a 32-bit flavor -that's where the bulk of applications are. And if you have a broadband connection you might just download and burn a collection of Live CD's to play with. A lot of distro teams are making their .iso's "Live CD's" now.That will enable you to boot from cd, take those various distros out for a spin, poke around and get a good look without having to worry about "breaking" your existing windows installation in the process.

For the past three weeks I've been d/l'ing, installing, whacking, reinstalling, tweaking, and generally having a great time with a handful of late-model distros. I can say this much for sure... The various distros and the components that come with them (window managers, DE's, pre-configured utilities, and the like) are far, far more user-friendly than they were just five short years ago.

My install experience with Kubuntu was nothing, if not smooth as butter. It installed in less time than WinXP ever took. And it all happened on one pass. No error messages or multiple reboots. Just a clean, functional desktop. Since installation it's been solid as a rock.

The desktop environment (KDE 3.5.6) does insulate me from the underlying OS, but for a n00b that's a good thing. It allows me to complete tasks (the same tasks I would do in WinXP) without cratering my system, while I ease my way into the world of the shell. That has enabled me to let go of WinXP completely, except as a temporary reservoir for old files (personal data, mp3's, etc.).

About the only caveat that I would offer is this: some devices, such as certain printers, winmodems, scanners, and in my case, a firewire hdd, require a little tweaking to get right.


qv

Enjoy your Linux!