[lug] Forwarded message for assistance

[Paul E Condon]

On Sun, Oct 26, 2003 at 09:40:12AM -0700, Ken Weinert wrote:
> The info@ address received the following message:
> 
> I have a WinXP Pro system and want to see what Linux looks like. I
> live in +Thornton and I'm setting up a virtual pc for Linux to run on
> but not sure which +one to do. It looks like Mandrake would be the
> easiest for me as a home user +but don't know which one to do,
> i.e.-i586, IA64, etc. Is there only download to +due or more than one?
> 

Unless you have broardband connection, downloading is a drag. My experience
(from several years ago) was that I never got Linux working until I had
a set of install CDs. My first success was with Red Hat Boxed Set. 

Now I use Debian and I prefer it to the way Red Hat was a couple of
years ago. You should expect to spend a lot of time learning about
Linux. You should look at and try more than one distribution. Debian is
perhaps the most difficult to get started with. This is mostly because
the other distributions follow a model exemplified by RedHat, and most
of the available writing on Linux is about this (RH) model. If you try to
do things according to the expectations of a RH user when working with
Debian, you can become very confused. 

Also, my experience is that you get to know a lot more about how your
computer really works when you use Linux than when you use Windows. If
you are curious about computers, and not just driven by a desire to
excape from viruses, worms, and the Evil Empire, choose Debian. Nothing
is hidden in Debian. But maybe start with Knoppix. You don't even need
to install Knoppix to use it. It runs from the CD. 

Maybe, even if you know already that you want to install and use Linux
seriously, you should start with Knoppix. If Knoppix doesn't run on
your hardware, you can be pretty sure that no other distribution will
install easily, and you save yourself a lot of grief. Knoppix is also
great if you are shopping for a computer in a store. Don't ask the
salesman if it will run Linux, he doesn't know. Just pop the Knoppix
CD in and reboot. If it boots up, you can buy.

I have a set of Debian 3.0r1 CDs that I can loan/give you to try. I
live in south Lafayette, close to the 287 and e470 intersection, pretty
close to Thornton. 

-- 
Paul E Condon           
pecondon at peakpeak.com