Most people who are familiar with computers are only aware of two operating systems (the software that makes your computer function) being Macintosh and Windows, but did you know that there are may more and that these versions are free to use and share with others? Well to some this may sound like science fiction or something that you would find in Alice and Wonderland, but belive it or not, ITS TRUE!
The reason why I'm revealing this "computer gold" as you may call it is because for a long time I was in "the dark" on this subject and I always thought that to build and operate a computer meant that I would also have to purchase an Operating System, thus always being doomed to having a useless PC just laying in the corner, waiting for the day that its plugged in and does something more than beep. Now I know some of you are reading this and already know of this gold that I'm speaking of and are already going "Well duuuuuhhhhhhh, its called Linux man get with the times!", and I know that, but we're most likely the only ones we know who actually "KNOW" about Linux as well as how to get it. Believe it or not 80% of people are lucky enough to even hear about it! This means that you and a group of about 10-20 peers and the technology teacher have the right to purchase the badge stating that all of you guys are 100% of the 20% of people in your school, or dare I say Neighborhood, who have at least heard of Linux at all.
And yes, I have searched the blogs for any information on the subject "Linux" and I got a few patrons of the penguin but when I tried for the words "Ubuntu" or "Fedora", all I got was a Barron wasteland of nothing but digital dirt, even without the capitols. We now stumble across the main purpose of why I chose to blog about Linux at all, I want to change that 20% to at least 70% of people in the world into someone who has at least heard the words Ubuntu or Fedora, heck, even Red Hat 'll cut it!
First I'll start out with just two links that can do way more talking than I ever could.
Ubuntu - Linux for the rest of us.
Red Hat sponsored - Fedora
In my opinion these are two of the best Linux based Operating Systems out there, mainly because they regularly update their kernels and source code, for Fedora this would be between 4 to 6 months and Ubuntu's updates can be expected every April and October of each year with the 11.10 RC set to release on October 13, 2011. Of course there are plenty others available, but if you're like me and just want to get the job done the easiest and fastest way possible, Ubuntu and Fedora would be right in your ballpark. As a convenience to those who are Linux enthusiasts and those who just want to give it a try, I'll be posting Quick links to the direct downloads of each release ASAP below for both the 34 and 64 bit versions.
But before we get to the downloading and installing, there are a few grounds we need to cover, first being the fact that you will have to burn the ISO onto a blank CD before you are ready to test the software out. You may ask "why do I have to burn it onto a CD in the first place?" and the answer to that question is that for the companies to produce a free Operating System efficiently and effectively they compile all the necessary software into one large file called an ISO or disk image, and then distribute them through a download, making them as free as possible. To explain what an ISO is, imagine that you had the worlds best Polaroid camera, a camera so powerful that it could take a picture of all the data on a music CD, well an ISO would be the image that the camera spits out, hence "Disk Image". Furthermore, if you don't want to go through the hassle of burning a CD, then you can also download handy programs that run on windows that can either install inside your current operating system or convert them to a bootable USB form, but you'll need at least a 1 Gigabyte Thumb-drive. I'll also post a link for those programs as well under their related Operating Systems. The second thing to cover would be the fact that you can't use Windows or Mac software, like Word or Safari, on a Linux based Operating System, but no need to worry because both Fedora and Ubuntu have hundreds of free programs to get just about everything you need to get done plus a few extra! And always remember never to install a new Operating System without backing up all of your important files and your old Operating System as well, just in case you're not fully satisfied with Linux.
11.04 34 Bit (recommended)
Fedora 15 32 Bit (recommended)
* All links under category are direct links, meaning that once you click the link your software will automatically start to download without all of the hassle.
jbbartram-illu
ellievsbear
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