Is Linux a good operating system?

Question

Where can I download Linux for free?

Answer 1

Linux Ubuntu 7.10 is simply awesome.



Ubuntu is free as it is open source, the download link is :



http://www.ubuntu.com/



Once you have downloaded Ubuntu 7.10, you will have an ISO image file. You will then need to create a bootable disc of the file.



This can be achieved by using Nero Burning ROM if you have it or MagicISO a free trial of which is available for download :



http://www.magiciso.com/



Once you have created the bootable disc, we are going to call it the LIVE CD.



Start your PC from the Ubuntu live CD, select start or install when prompted, once the Ubuntu desktop has appeared in the top left hand corner there is an option to install, double click and the installation screen will appear.



Once Ubuntu has asked you about regional settings etc. it will then take you into the partitioning table, if you select the default setting which is on the top, Ubuntu will then automatically sort the space it needs and install its own Grub bootloader.



I am so taken with Ubuntu 7.10, I have ditched windows altogether and I am now running Ubuntu as my primary operating system.



You can run quite a number of windows applications on Ubuntu using WINE, a piece of software that emulates windows. For details of this visit :



http://www.winehq.org/site/download-deb



http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wine



Using Linux may initially seem daunting in places, but you will get use to it, I did.



You can also run Ubuntu using the Live CD without any kind of installation. However this will be somewhat slower and you would be restricted as to running applications, it would just for browsing the web really.



I work with both Ubuntu and Vista, Vista has been an expensive disappointment for me and sits mainly redundant on my hard drive and I consider Ubuntu to be far superior of the two.



I will break it down in to categories and give each system a rating out of 10.



System resource friendly :



Ubuntu 10/10

Vista 4/10



Graphics (Eye Candy) :



Ubuntu 10/10

Vista 6/10



Ease of use :



Ubuntu 7/10

Vista 9/10



Software compatability :



Ubuntu 4/10 (Open Source alternatives in some cases are available) also WINE as described above can be used.

Vista 8/10



Wireless compatability :



Ubuntu 5/10 (but is improving)

Vista 8/10



Networking compatability :



Ubuntu 7/10

Vista 8 /10



Security :



Ubuntu 10/10 (I run Ubuntu without taking any security measures at all, no problems try doing that with windows)

Vista 7/10



Gaming :



Ubuntu 6/10

Vista 8/10

This category sourced from various sites.



Office software :



Ubuntu 10/10 (Free)

Vista 2 /10



Price :



Ubuntu 10/10 (Free)

Vista 2/10



Overall performance :



Ubuntu 9/10

Vista 6/10



It should be noted that these ratings are based on my experience working extensively with both Ubuntu and Vista.



Enjoy.

Answer 2

Linux is an excellent operating system, but actually it's a family of operating systems all based on the Linux kernel. Almost all Linux distros are free. Some of the best free ones are:



OpenSUSE:

http://www.opensuse.org/



Linux Mint:

http://linuxmint.com/



Ubuntu:

http://www.ubuntu.com/



Kubuntu:

http://www.kubuntu.org/



Debian:

http://www.debian.org/



Fedora:

http://fedoraproject.org/

Answer 3

I think the other responders have answered your questions, I want to let you know about a new super easy way to install Ubuntu. See the link below. You do not have to burn a cd. You simply download a file called wubi (Windows UBuntu Installer) and run it. It will download the ubuntu system and install it on your system. If you want to remove it you use windows Add Remove feature to completely remove it. Be sure to read the FAQ. The second link is where you donwload wubi. The third and fourth links will help you do things in ubuntu. The way you get something done in linux is not the same as in windows so to have a pleasant experience it is necessary to read the tutorials and instructions. Have fun

Answer 4

Linux is like water. There are many people that package and distribute it. Just like mineral water cans get distributed.



Fedora (fedoraproject.org) or Debian (debian.org) or Ubuntu (ubuntu.com) will be a good starting point for you if you want to download and install Linux.



Look for SLAX or UBUNTU or KNOPPIX if you are interested in a CD/DVD that can boot into Linux and when you switch off the computer and remove the DVD, you get to boot into your old system. That kind of DVD is called a live DVD.

Answer 5

Listen to linux geek hes got it right for ya. The only thing I would change is try freespire for your first time out CNR is the easiest way to install mainstream apps. http://distrowatch.com/ is a great place to get downloads.

if you have trouble burning one for yourself they have them for sale also for cheap.

And yes its a great OS for surfing the net, its fine for begginers if you use freespire or a ubuntu based distro they are very easy as far as linux goes. Support is at a minumum but there are spots that offer paid support ubuntu for one I believe.

Answer 6

Technically Linux is not an operating system, but there are many systems based upon Linux which many of us consider superior to Windows. You might want to check out: http://www.ubuntu.com/

Answer 7

Yes, it is.



http://ubuntu.com/ is a decent choice for someone new to Linux.



http://fedora.redhat.com/ and http://debian.org/ are a couple of the many other options out there.

Answer 8

it is good enough for me. i have tried it out. but i prefer windows.



www.ubuntu.com

it is one of the most popular linux os.

Answer 9

For the novice? No. Basically, there is VERY little support for it because it is "Open Ware" (the user community supports it).



GL