Linux intro

From WikiPaul - Paul Swanson's wiki

Where to start...

An operating system is a way for you to tell a computer what to do, and the computer to show you what's going on. Most people know of an OS or two; probably Microsoft Windows (3.1, 95, 98, 2k, XP) and Apple OS (1-9, X).

Well, there are a few problems with each of those. First of all, they are owned by for-profit companies. That means everything they do will be based on the bottom dollar. Every option they have is maximized for making them more money. They don't write code to make your life easier or better, they do it so they have more dollars in their pocket. It sounds paranoid, but it's true.

Thankfully there is an alternative. Where the above programs (and their like) are called proprietary, there is a movement called open source. This means that programmers publish their source code and allow anyone to use it for free! These people aren't motivated by profit; they're motivated by people liking their program! That means they will make it as good as they possibly can.

Linux experience

Or: How to choose a distro

Most people's initial experience to Linux is most heavily affected by what Desktop Environment and Package Manager they are using.

A desktop environment is a collection of software that provides a standard look and feel for an operating system. For example, in Windows (by default), the start button is in the bottom left, clock is in the lower left, and all the programs are rectangles along the bottom. In OSX, the clock is in the upper right and you launch and refocus programs through shortcuts on the dock.

However, in Windows and OSX, you have no options when it comes to your desktop environment. However in Linux, you have quite a few options, and each of those can be extremely customizable.

Linux DEs come with a window manager, file manager, a set of themes, and programs and libraries for managing the desktop. The two most popular are Gnome and KDE.