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    Linux newb, well....

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by Thaenatos, Sep 11, 2006.

  1. Thaenatos

    Thaenatos Zero Cool

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    OK I would consider myself a newb...well a reborn newb as I have touched or seen a linux OS in over 10 years; and when I did it was so little that I barely remeber. Now I have heard of something called linux box (correct me if Im wrong on any terminology) where I can mess around with linux inside windows. I was wondering if this is a true application and if it is free to use? I would like the use it for a bit while I practice using the OS before I fill one of my partitions with a true linux OS.

    Let me know if Im out of place, but please be gentle. :)
     
    Thaenatos, Sep 11, 2006
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  2. root

    root Notebook Consultant

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    May i recommend http://www.vmware.com/

    You can use it to virtualize a second computer, or third or fourth.
     
    root, Sep 11, 2006
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  3. jeffsmythe

    jeffsmythe Notebook Geek

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    Many linux distributions have a "live-CD" version. Download it, burn it to a CD and then boot up your computer off the CD to give it a trial run.

    This is a great way to try out a distro without doing anything permanent. There is nothing written to your HD (unless you want it to), and most hardware is automatically detected and configured, though there is still a lot of stuff that is hit-or-miss.

    As a linux newb, you may want to try ubuntu, www.ubuntu.com or another 'user-friendly' linux. Ubuntu has a great forum/userbase for help.
     
    jeffsmythe, Sep 11, 2006
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  4. Thaenatos

    Thaenatos Zero Cool

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    thanks Ill get this started when Im home and I have my decent download speed.
     
    Thaenatos, Sep 11, 2006
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  5. Pitabred

    Pitabred Linux geek con rat flail!

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    Yeah. A LiveCD is great, but it's limited in what you can do on it without needing to install. You can use it, see if everything works, but you can't really use it repeatedly. VMWare is a great solution if you just want to play a bit. It's good because you can break it, and all you have to do is restore a copy of your virtual disk. Keep the original file you download if you go with vmware, you'll almost certainly need it. (and I highly recommend ubuntu)

    BTW, a "box" is just a generic term for a computer. So a Linux box would be a computer dedicated to running Linux. Usage: I have 3 Linux boxes at home :)
     
    Pitabred, Sep 11, 2006
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  6. Paul

    Paul Mom! Hot Pockets! NBR Reviewer

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    I would suggest combining the aforementioned solutions. First, download the Ubuntu LiveCD. You can pop this in and reboot, and make sure your hardware is compatible with Ubuntu. Also, Ubuntu's LiveCD has a nice feature that allows you to install from that CD rather than having to download another CD/DVD for installation.

    Secondly, I recommend downloading VMware server. It is free (just fill in some information about yourself, real or made up) and you get a free license key. You can use this to do a lot more than the other free option... VMPlayer. With Server, you can create a VM, install VM tools etc (make the VM run faster). Then use your Ubuntu CD to install Ubuntu into VMware. You could download a pre-built Ubuntu VM, but doing it this way will allow you to get used to the installation and setup process without having to do it on your hard drive.
     
    Paul, Sep 11, 2006
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