Hi all!

okay! Linux I may be wrong but that is another operating system besides windows, windows xp,vista etc. Anyway is Linux just 1 Operating System or are there many different Linux OS? If so which is the best Linux OS for beginners like me?


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funbrain

Hiya! Welcome to LQ and to Linux.

Yes, Linux distributions are operating systems, as are the Windows ones. And the way it works is like this: All Linux distributions are built around a common denominator: The Linux Kernel. That is the heart of a Linux distribution. And yes, there are hundreds of distributions, all built around the Linux Kernel, and each with their own quirks, included softwares, appearance, etc..

For beginners, Ubuntu is one of the most commonly suggested distributions for beginners coming from Windows. Have a look at distrowatch.com for a rather large listing and descriptions of many of them!

Kind regards.

Sasha

ato'ni'bay,

GrapeFruitGirl has answered you this already. Linux is a kernel. Using all open source applications with it under free licenses under GPL we have GNU/Linux Operating System, offered in hundreds of flavors called "Distributions" or "distros" in short. You can view some popular distros here.

There upon your visit at distrowatch.com you can pick from among the Top Five Popular, they are the once mostly used by beginners: Ubuntu, Fedora, Suse, Mint & Mandriva. Easy to install. Easy to try. Easy to learn. It is fast. And, it's all free.

Good luck.

Linux might be best termed a collection of OS's that use a type if basic component called a kernel.

You can't run only a kernel for the most part. You need other parts to get it to work. All together the kernel and other parts are packaged by individuals or groups of people into what we term a distribution.

Any photos of GrapefruiTgirl anywhere??

atonibay, Linux is easy and free! In my opinion the easiest ones to use going from windows is either SimplyMepis Linux or Mint Linux. I think either is a good easy introduction to Linux for a windows user.

You can get either on a "LiveCD", which means you can run the OS from the CD before installing, to make sure you like it. Also with most linux you can install so that you can dual boot your PC to use either Windows or Linux. After a while most people just remove the Windows part.

Whatever you decide to use, this forum is an fantastic source for info and answers...Lots of Linux smart people here. Good luck and have fun!

Hi,
I would agree with GrapefruiTgirL about Ubuntu - very user friendly and easy to use.
There any many differences between Linux and Windows which can mean you are leanrning how to use you computer all over again, because certain things you take for granted in Windows will behave differently in Linux. But there any some similarities in usage as well, so don't let that put you off. You'll quickly notice things you like better in Linux, things which make you think: "I wonder why Windows never thought of that??!"

How old is your hardware? Sometimes hardware support in Linux as not quite as good as in Windows because the manufacturer's specifications are not generally available. But with a modern distriution such as Ubuntu 9.10 hopefully these problems will be minimal, support is continually improving for recent hardware.

One main difference between Linux and Windows is that Linux is modular, Windows is monolithic. This simply means that the actual Linux operating system is very small, and everything you interact with are in fact applications running on top. Even the Gnome Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the Bash command prompt are applications and not actually parts of the OS. You don't need to worry about installing them though, because they'll be installed by default with the OS. But it does mean it is possible to have more than one GUI installed.

Windows, on the other hand, has most of its main features integrated into the OS. The Windows GUI and various applications on it, such as Explorer and even Internet Explorer are all integrated into the OS.

There's only one Linux (or GNU/Linux) OS, the different distros are variations (or variations of variations) built on it. It's like a song, a basic tune, played by different groups or whatever: the song's the same, but the versions sound different. Something like that, anyway...

Thanks for replying so fast! My concern are how about using apps? Apps like media players, browsers and etc... Are they functioning well? How about bugs? Like for example I am going to use UBUNTU. What are the advantages and disadvantages using it?




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funbrain

You can get a wide variety of apps. When using Ubuntu, the best way to download and install apps is using Ubuntu Software Centre. You can download using your browser and install like you would in Windows, but the Software Center is easier. Ubuntu comes with Firefox pre-installed.
Media Players will probaby need additional codecs, becaused codecs for many formats much as mp3 are proprietery. But even so, it will offer to download & install the appropriate codec for you.
They all function pretty well. As with any other software, bugs are sometimes found. The Software Center keeps track of all your applications and periodically checks for updates for them.