Things To Know Before Using Linux
Linux Operating System has been myth for many of the people out there.. Most of the people has wrong inception regarding Linux. Those who dare to make the transition get caught in the partition or they failed to understand the Basics of Linux. “The applications and the OS itself†. Its pretty natural for a Mediocre user to get used to different terms at once..
Linux has cleared all the obstacles and now stand as a great alternative for Home Users Desktop OS.. Linux has emerged as one of the great alternative to Windows and it is must if you want to make the transition..
Linux rapid development has caught the attention of Big Multinational Giants like Dell, IBM and others and now implementation of Linux is increasing whether its Servers, Desktops, Mobiles or Net books. Though the lack of complex and professional software like Photoshop, high end Video and Audio composers/editors are not available.. But with the increase demand I hope developers will change the lane ..
Linux has it all what it takes to provide a strong, stable and secure desktop. Thanks to the concrete architecture, Linux don't have Viruses and hackers out there fail to Hack Linux box! So having Linux at your end just free your mind with Virus attacks, hacks and all..
Coming from Windows ? Need help regarding Linux .. Then this thread is for you ! Here I will try to clear your confusion/misconception regarding basic terms like Partitioning , Installing Applications, The Desktop, The OS and Kernel , Gnome/KDE and the day to day applications..
Index : -
- Intro
- About Linux & GNU/OSS
- Getting Started Installation and Partitioning
- Desktop and Windows Environment
- Operating System and Package Managers
- Application for daily use .
- How to install Application in Linux
- Points to ponder..
Linux & The GNU
Linux is the name usually given to any Unix-like computer operating system that uses the Linux kernel. Linux is one of the most prominent examples of free software and open source development: typically all underlying source code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone.
The name "Linux" comes from the Linux kernel, originally written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. The system's utilities and libraries usually come from the GNU operating system, announced in 1983 by Richard Stallman. The GNU contribution is the basis for the alternative name GNU/Linux.
GNU is a computer operating system composed entirely of free software. Its name is a recursive acronym for GNU's Not Unix; it was chosen because its design is Unix-like, but differs from Unix by being free software and containing no Unix code. Development of GNU was initiated by Richard Stallman and was the original focus of the Free Software Foundation (FSF).
Linux is considered as an Operating System though Linux in itself is not an OS ! Linux basically known as Kernel which works as a heart of the OS. Linux combined with Gnu/Foss Software and Desktop Environment constitute to a Full functional Operating System.
Linux has gone through radical changes .. and with some heavy development and improvements Linux has emerged as a usable Desktop now. Linux now has started dominating other fields too like use of Linux in mobile phones has drastically increased, and within no time Vendors have started shipping Linux based phones over Windows Mobile .. Mobile giants like Nokia, Motorola has adopted Linux/Gnu as they had been shipping Linux based Mobiles and after Symbian goes Open Source you can expect a lot from upcoming Nokia phones
[BREAK=Getting Started : Installation and Partitioning]
Getting Started : Installation and Partitioning
Installation is the main part of any software and applications.. Though most of the user are aware of Applications installation but when it comes to a Operating System Installation most of the users find them at Sixes and Sevens ..The Partitioning of Windows is not user friendly and intuitive though the Disk Labeling is clear and easy to understand. The Alphabet Numbering helps you differentiate b/w Disk easily.. Today most of Linux Distribution provide option of Live CD's . .A Live CD provides you Live Desktop Experience without installing it on Disks.. But a Live CD environment do no provide True potential like using Live Disk for an OS will slow down the system a lot so its better to install the OS to get the most out of it..
Filesystem Explained
The Main advantage of Live CD is that it provide a mirror reflection of the OS , it helps user to learn the component easily without risking his/her Data.. Live CD comes in handy in taking Backup, temporary usage and portable OS
Linux has now been focusing on Desktop ..With their mind set Linux developers has done lot of things to ease the experience from Installation to General usage... Now Linux comes with Graphical Installer which is even easier when compared to that of Windows.. Though few people might get stuck in Partitioning part if and only if you have a habit of clicking “Nextâ€. .. Most of the Linux provide easy Application like Install Setup with proper Help and Guideline though most of the people don't go through it and loose their data and blame on Linux..
These Screen shot will guide you through the installation steps..
Now onto partitioning . Linux is not Windows ! Remember this and everything will go smooth.. People still think that Linux uses NTFS an NT-based File system for Base Installation though it is wrong. Linux uses it own Generalized File system Ext2/3/4 , XFS /JFS for installation. Though most commonly supported are Ext2 and 3. The ext4 file system is still in heavy development and is supported by few Operating System..
To Install Linux you need two partitions.. One partitions is for the Base System Installation and other for Swap .. Swap works as a Temporary Folder which shifts unused application in it for quicker access.. Today most Linux Distribution comes with Guided Mode.. This mode help you resize the largest partition and automatically create / and swap partitions .. this mode helps you if you have low knowledge for Partitioning ..
I always prefer Manual Partitioning .. To create a partition use the Gparted Partition Editor and create 2 partitions of 4-8 Gb for Base and 1-2 Gb for Swap .. Now in the Partition Screen select Manual Partition and mount the bigger sized partition with / and smaller swap partition with swap .. You can even mount the the /home [Refer the FS Chart for Description] to a different partition.. Mounting /home partitions to a different partition will help you save your settings and files if you are accustomed of saving Files to My documents..
To mount just double click the desired partition and select / and swap
Make sure to backup your data if you are doing for the First time or you are too paranoid about your data..
[BREAK=Desktop and Windows Environment]
Desktop and Windows Environment
An Operating System is of no use if its not easy to interact .. As the whole purpose of OS is to ease the communication gap between User and Computer.. To help users understand and interact with computers easily there are Graphical Shells.. These Graphical shells provide an easy and interactive interface to interact and to work with your system. With the inclusion of Graphical Shell/Desktops its easier for User to work without using Commands ..
In X-Window System or in Unix like Computer these graphical shell/environment are termed as Desktop/Windows Environment.. A desktop environment typically consists of icons, windows, toolbars, folders, wallpapers, and desktop widgets. ..Operating System like Windows and OSX do not allow users to use different Windows/Desktop Environment thus the User is restricted to only one kind of GUI while there are lots of choice in GNU/Linux.
Though there is a major difference between Desktop Environment and Windows Manager. The difference is the availability of Applications. A Desktop Environment provides users with Full set of application and tool along side with a Graphical Environment .. while the Windows Manager only provide a Graphical Shell thus relying on other source for Application. A Windows Manager is usually light on system then DE..
Desktop Environment are more scuttle and sophisticated for a new user. The provide enhanced GUI couple with handy applications and tools to ease the computing experience . .Few Major Desktop Environment available for Linux platform are K Desktop Environment [KDE], Gnome Desktop Environment, XFCE.
Gnome | KDE 4.x | KDE 3.5.x Desktops
These have their own toolkit for creating Desktop and applications like QT is a toolkit used for KDE and GTK for Gnome and XFCE .
Despite having different set of codes and base the applications made are cross platform .. i.e. you can easily run GTK based applications in KDE and vice versa.
On the other side Windows Manager doesn't come with handy tools and application. Though they are created to utilize both QT and GTK based applications.. Some of the popular lightweight Windows Manager are IceWM, Flux Box, Openbox, Enlightment etc..
All Desktop Environment comes with their own Windows Manager...
[BREAK=Package Managers & Linux Distributions]Despite having different set of codes and base the applications made are cross platform .. i.e. you can easily run GTK based applications in KDE and vice versa.
On the other side Windows Manager doesn't come with handy tools and application. Though they are created to utilize both QT and GTK based applications.. Some of the popular lightweight Windows Manager are IceWM, Flux Box, Openbox, Enlightment etc..
All Desktop Environment comes with their own Windows Manager...
Package Managers & Linux Distributions
A software is distributed in packages , these packages ease the installation process and don't haphazard users with unwanted component of Compiling Packages..A package consists of important files for installation and for software program to work properly..
Windows user must be aware of .exe extension .. The .exe is a closed sourced package which help user install software easily and efficiently.. But in Linux exe packages don't work as exe is MS exclusive package meant only for MS Windows.
Similarly to help user install components easily Linux Distributions comes with packages ..There are many package formats, with .tgz, .deb and .rpm being the most common. Others like .pup, .pisi, .tazpkg and .mo are less common. Source code is usually distributed as tar.gz or tar.bz2 files, but some distributions distribute their binary packages this way as well. Most of us probably use .deb or .rpm packages.
.. Some of the most commonly used packages are :--
- .deb : - .deb is a Debian developed package meant for Debian and Debian based distributions.. Some say that deb packages work faster than rpm but I have no problem with any of them.. Some distro using Debian Package Manager are Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Dream Linux etc..
- .rpm : - .rpm is another popular package developed by Red Hat for its RHEL and Fedora Os. Some other distribution using rpm package manager are openSUSE, Mandriva, PCLinuxOS.
- .tar.gz : - This is another package manager though not used by many distribution as the main package manager but still a great alternative to rar and zip packages..
- Distro Sepcific Packages : There are few distro that uses their own package manager .. Some of them are Arch Linux, Paradus and other..
These distro works/use the above mentioned package manager to provide a sophisticated environment to newbies and professionals.. With increasing in Linux market developers/companies are focusing more on work experience by including easy configuration tool and applications. Few of the most popular and easy to use Linux OS are Ubuntu, Mandriva, Dream Linux, openSUSE etc..
Here is a segregation of distro on the basis of functionality and ease of use..
- Easy to Use : - Ubuntu, Mandriva, Linux Mint, PCLOS, Sabayon, Dream Linux etc...
- Power Users : - Ubuntu, Mandriva, openSUSE , Fedora etc...
- Multimedia Out of the Box : - Mandriva, Linux Mint, Dream Linux, Sabayon etc...
- Do it yourself distro : - Arch Linux, Slackware etc...
- Media Center Distro : Mythbuntu, eAr OS, GeeXbox etc...
Application for daily use
An Operating System is not complete without a set of useful applications and handy tools.. When it comes to Applications Base nothing beats Windows but this doesn't meant that other platform doesn't have alternatives.. Though most of the developers focus on Windows but platform like OSX and Linux do have some astounding applications.. .
There is everything for you , ranging from Office Suite to Graphics Editing to Internet Browsing and so on..
The best part of having a Linux at your end is that you don't have worry about carrying CD/DVD case with you because all Linux distribution comes with all stuff lock and loaded. .So if you are used to collect CD's and dump space on HDD to take s/w backups then forget about that ...
Though the applications developers do try to provide a similar environment like Windows Application but there are few differences .. People used to Photoshop might find it hard to work with GIMP and vice versa .. But there is saying if you perfect a field you need not to worry about the platform ...
The application base of Linux is quite huge and satisfying .. But if you still want to use you Windows application in Linux then you can use several Windows Emulator available like Wine, Crossover, Cedega..
The chart below will give you an idea about the applications available for daily use : -
Application Chart for Day to Day Applications
How to install Application in Linux
Installing applications might be a daunting task for newbies, since most people are accustomed of using .exe files, which do not work in Linux by default. Therefore its necessary for people to learn the installation process of Linux.. People using Linux has lots of choice when it comes to installing application .. You can install applications using the following methods :-
Compiling Source Code : - Compiling Source is the best way to install applications, though not the easiest way to do ! Therefore to make things easy developers comes with Distro centric packages explained above.. Or with some new a stunning technology.. To compile a package from Source first download the source code of the software from its site..
Now unzip the package using the inbuilt package manager.. After that open Terminal.. Terminal act as Command Prompt in Linux.. To open Terminal navigate to
- Gnome : - Main Menu – Accessories – Terminal
- KDE :- Kmenu – System Tools – Konsole
After that we will change the path of the Terminal to the folder path in order to access the directory . To change the path simple type
Code:
cd <path of the folder>
Code:
./configure
make
sudo make installWell compiling software is big no no for a newbie/mediocre user, compiling applications is time taking and might confuse the guy ! To get rid of this problem all distro now comes with simple programs..
Add / Remove Manager : - Just like in Windows , Linux too has add/remove programs for simple installation of programs and system tools.. Though in Linux the add/remove works as a portal for both installing and removing applications. All you need is an Internet Connection and after that just enter the name/description and select the application for installation .
All the packages available in the program are maintained by company/individuals owing the distro, so you don't have to worry about the functioning and security of the package.. Some of the popular Add/Remove programs of distro are Synaptic Package Manager, Ubuntu Add/Remove, openSUSE Zypper/Yast2, Mandriva URPMI/rpmdrake etc. Few distro linux Linux mint comes with unique installation software just enter the name of software in Mint Install and it will search and ask you to install package in simple steps..
Ubuntu Add/Remove | Synaptic Package Manager | Mandriva rpmDrake
Third Party Repositories / Websites : Its not necessary that you will find every available application in the Default repositories . In that case you have to enable Non-Free / third party repositories. Every distro comes with some non-free set of repos like medibuntu for Ubuntu based, PLF for Mandriva based and so on... just add the repos from their website and just after adding repositories you gain access to much larger software library..
If somehow the software is not available then you can switch to third party website for packages.. Though the software home page will list the packages but incase you don't have distro specific package listed there and you don't wanna compile either then in such situation you have access to some website those maintain distro specific package which are safe to use and works well..
Some of the site good for packages are
- GetDeb : - Getdeb is a website which contain software packages for Debian based distribution. You can easily download packages from there and install by double clicking it..
- RpmFind : Rpmfind.net is another package site for RPM based distro .. The website has vast collection of software , this site contains distro specific rpm like you will get different rpm packages for mandriva, openSUSE and Fedora.
Multi platform Install Wizard : - Yes I am talking about CNR { Click 'N' Run } , a Linspire {now Xandros} initiative for installing software on you Linux BOX.. A unique way of installing applications. All you need is to install CNR Client on any supported Linux distro and search the software in the CNR website. Download a small cnr file and double click to install it... CNR maintains a huge repositories with user reviews and ratings for better search and recommendations.. CNR maintains software regularly though I found the installation a bit sluggish than inbuilt package manager.. .The service is still in its beta stage but certainly a boon for those who prefer hassle free installation..
CNR is currently limited to Ubuntu/Debian based distribution only though the site promises to deliver client for RPM based distro like openSUSE, Fedora and Mandirva.. The image of CNR is still under mist as Xandros hasn't cleared that it will continue its support for other distro or not !
[BREAK=Points to ponder..]
Points to ponder..
Using Linux is easy ! Its becoming more and more user friendly with the introduction of new software and technologies, and with the support of huge companies like Intel, AMD , Adobe, Goggle , I am sure Linux will surpass other OS in terms of software/driver base and usability.. Though there are certain points you must know :- -
- Linux is not windows..
- Do no panic.. Yes most people mess things by taking restless decision..
- .exe files will not work in Linux.
- Filesystem/Partitions do not need fragmentation as Linux file system do not allow fragmentation of files while copying ..
- Every partition in Windows are detected/displayed as separate Medium that's why its easy to name the disk, while in Linux partitions are displayed as sub-directories thats why its sometimes hard to recall the partition .. You can re-name partitions using ntfsprog for NTFS, e2label for ext2/3, jfs_tune for jfs, xfs_admin for xfs..
- Till date there are no Viruses for Linux therefore you don't have to install any Anti Virus software in Linux.
- You can run supported Windows application/games through Wine .
- You can access MS Office , Photoshop files using Open Office and Gimp..
If you have any doubts please ask
Keep the comments and suggestions coming !
Regards Darky
