I'm hoping to get a Linux system. I'm unhappy with Microsoft, and Apple has slowly lost its appeal due to unsolvable problems with my iMac G5. Are there any especially good books or hints about how to start for
1. buying a system with Linux on it
2. Using either an iMac or another machine that I can install Linux on it
3. low cost ways of getting Linux systems

Thank you for taking time to read this post.

Welcome to LQ!

1. If you have a look in my profile & from there to my web pages, I have a list of Linux vendors.

2. Debian would be a good bet with PowerPC architecture.

3. If you can pick up a '2nd user' machine with a 1GHZ or better processor, at least 512mb of RAM and, say, a 40GB hard drive then you'll have a basis for a reasonable Linux system. My test system is roughly of that spec and runs SimplyMepis 8.5 acceptably well.

On the book thing, personally I find various distributions' wiki pages to be a better resource.

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Moved: This thread is more suitable in Linux-Newbie and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

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Thanks for that - a lot of information but not so much it would be overwhelming.

Psystar is asserting our rights to use an operating system (any operating system - what a concept) where we choose. This is the first I heard of this, thanks to your links. When you look at it from that viewpoint you can see what fools we all are to be willing to pay money for a product and then be forced into using it on their choice of platform.

Thanks again.
Shelley

Hey Shelly,

Not sure whether you are new to Linux or not but I found it was much easier to buy a book on the shell (as being a Window's user forever meant I knew nothing of commands) or a book on the particular distribution you want

All documentation is free online but I personally found it was much easier to have the book open and then I wasn't swapping from file to file etc.

Let me know how it all goes

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Not all that much choice for the purchase of systems; most people who are interested in Linux are happy enough to install their own, so the market isn't really there. There are a few suppliers though and I'm sure a search will find some near you.

My first suggestion is to try a Live CD (/DVD). You can try out a system without installing it and get a feel for whether you can get on with it.

I would emphasise that there is something of a learning curve; actually an 'unlearning curve' might be a better expression. You'll have to unlearn some habits that you have accumulated over a period of using another system and while you could force it work like some other system, if you succeed, you'll only have a less good imitation of some other system. On the other side, the promise is that you could actually understand the system and take control (eventually; this may not be an immediate prospect for a newbie) rather than treat your computer as a 'black box' that you can never understand.

I am not so aware of what is available for PPC machines, but would suggest that distrowatch is a good site for details on many of the distros that are out there. The usual advice is to try anything in their 'top ten' but you may have to push that a little further to get both PPC and a live CD.

take a look at UnixAcademy.com they have both Linux Jazz distros and helpful training, if you aren't sure about which to install, take a look on Linux Jazz, my boss has subscription and he shares it and it is nice to figure it out

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ShellyT

Here are some thoughts about your questions --

1) You can buy a system with linux installed from vendors like HP or Dell. You might have to do some searching on their sites as to what kind of computers available, and what distribution will be installed. Limited choices and not very cost effective.

2) Linux will install on most intel macs, although you will need to do some work to get things set up correctly for an install. Without getting too technical, this involves repartitioning your hard drive, creating a file system that is linux compatible and installing a boot loader. I currently use a macbook that boots OS X, linux and Windows XP. Works fine, but kind of involved for someone starting out with Linux.

3) The best low cost way that I know if is to get your hands on a recent desktop of good quality, 2 or 3 years old. Just about any linux distribution will install on it and run well. Good choice, not only as a learning platform but also something that can be used right away.

Hope this helps!

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Linux will run on your Mac. If it has an Intel CPU, almost any distro should work. If it has a PowerPC CPU, though, your choice will be much more limited because most distros are made for x86 (Intel) CPUs only.

Debian supports a very wide selection of CPUs, including PowerPC.

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To find what distro might work for you.

distrowatch.com


To find what applications in linux might do something you need.

freshmeat.net
sourceforge.net


Tons of options. Linux has been my primary OS since 2002. IF I boot windows at all anymore, it's generally been so long since I last ran it, that I get every nag screen ever installed (at the factory) for it. No, cancel, cancel, No, cancel, cancel, remind me in 15 days, No, No, No, hey I can shut the computer down now (3 hours and 22 minutes later), without having done a single task. Why did I boot this again? Oh yeah, I pushed the wrong button.

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Thanks for these sites and recommendations. Will likely finish reading later this week. Altho the Mac is partitioned it's not an intel and is already screwy so would load it on an older PC that already has XP on it and nothing else. I should devote it to a Linux system in the near future once I get a used LCD monitor for it as I've ditched the CRT it came with. Maybe try out a trial version on CD. Will need to wait for a while due to financial obligations. Again, thanks for all the advice from all of you. I hate to put this on hold temporarily but will get to it sometime this summer.
Shelley

I found one of these on Ebay. "Brand New" No serial number. Any thoughts that this is illegitimate?

Hi,

Welcome to LQ!

You didn't say which MAC. Possibly use the monitor on the PC? You could install to the PC then use 'ssh' to it from the MAC via your LAN after setup. That way the thing will be run 'headless'. You then start working with GNU/Linux via the 'ssh' to learn.

Just a few links to aid you;
Linux Documentation Project
Rute Tutorial & Exposition
Linux Command Guide
Utimate Linux Newbie Guide
LinuxSelfHelp
Getting Started with Linux
Bash Reference Manual
Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide
Linux Home Networking
Virtualiation- Top 10


The above links and others can be found at 'Slackware-Links'. More than just Slackware® links!

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Hi,

Look at 'Welcome to CheapBytes'.

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ShellyT - most distrobutions provide their distrobutions free, so what your paying for is the disk it comes on plus shipping

And it should be ubuntu, so I'd say not to even look at that.

Oh and linux doesn't have "serial" numbers. Its free remember

You can request a free ubuntu cd from : https://shipit.ubuntu.com/

however it might take awhile.

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