Installing Linux

If someone hasn’t already installed and configured a Linux system for you, this chapter is going to help you get started so you can try out the Linux features described in the rest of the book. With recent improvements to Linux live CDs and installers, getting your hands on a working Linux system is quicker and more solid than ever before. If you are a first-time Linux user, I recommend that you:* Try a bootable Linux—This book’s CD and DVD include several bootable Linux systems. The advantage of a bootable Linux is that you can try out Linux without touching the contents of your computer’s hard drive. In particular, KNOPPIX is a full-featured Linux system that can give you a good feel for how Linux works. Using the DVD or CD, you can try out several different live CDs, as described in Appendix A. Some of these live CDs also include features for installing Linux to your hard disk. Although live CDs tend to run slower than installed systems and don’t keep your changes once you reboot, they are good tools for starting out with Linux.

* Install a desktop Linux system—Choose one of the Linux distributions and install it on your computer’s hard disk. Permanently installing Linux to your hard disk gives you more flexibility for adding and removing software, accessing and saving data to hard disk, and more permanently customizing your system. Installing Linux as a desktop system lets you try out some useful applications and get the feel for Linux before dealing with more complex server issues.

This chapter provides you with an overview of how to choose a Linux distribution, and then describes issues and topics that are common to installing most Linux distributions. Appendix A describes which Linux distributionsare included on this book’s DVD and CD and how to run them live or use them to install Linux permanently. Each of the other chapters in this part of the book is dedicated to understanding and installing a particular Linux distribution.
After you’ve installed Linux, you’ll want to understand how to get and manage software for your Linux system. These are important topics that are covered throughout the book, but this chapter describes the major packaging formats and tools to get you going.