CNET Labs:
Tune-up: Letting in Linux
Tune-up: Letting in Linux
By Mitt Jones
(July 7, 2004)
(July 7, 2004)
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 Illustration by Gordon Studer. |
Sometimes referred to as GNU/Linux, today's incarnation of the OS constitutes a complete Unix-like environment made up of a Linux kernel and OS utilities developed by the GNU Project. Most Linux versions also include the XFree86 X Window System graphical user interface and at least one Windows-based desktop environment, typically KDE or GNOME, which should make Windows and Mac users feel at home. Though these components are essentially free, many companies and organizations add installation routines and a wealth of additional software to create their own Linux distributions. Some examples include Debian GNU/Linux, Mandrakelinux, Red Hat Linux/Fedora Core, and SuSE Linux.
Linux is easy to embrace once it's up and running, and many distributions come with enough software to satisfy the great majority of needs. But installing and configuring Linux can present some challenges, particularly when the OS doesn't recognize certain hardware components. If the idea of having to sift through documentation and user-group postings to figure out how to install a driver or solve some other problem scares you, you're better off leaving Linux to the more adventurous. For our project, we added dual-boot capability to two Windows XP test systems by installing Mandrakelinux 10.0 Official ($49). The steps are similar for other Linux distributions, but installation routines differ.
Mitt Jones is a contributor to Computer Shopper magazine.
Tune-up is featured monthly in Computer Shopper magazine; this originally appeared in the August 2004 issue.
Tune-up is featured monthly in Computer Shopper magazine; this originally appeared in the August 2004 issue.
