Installing Linux
<div class="IPBDescription">help me out</div> I would like to install linux on my computer. I already have a separate partition that I can use for it. I haven't used linux before at all, and I mostly want to have it so I can become familiar with it. What version should I use? I know there are lots of versions out there, but I am not familiar with any of them. Also, a set of nearly idiot-proof instructions to go along with it would be nice. If you need more information to be able to give useful advice, feel free to ask. Thanks in advance.
Comments
We'll help you out. We're good with noobs.
When I started with linux 2 years ago it broke 2 of my windows partitions, because I didn't knew what I did. There are so many things you can do wrong, it's fun...
If you don't need it but want to try it out without any danger, I can sugest you <a href='http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-mirrors/index-en.html' target='_blank'>Knoppix</a>.
It's basicaly a Linux edition with all the software you will ever need, everything in an ISO which you burn on a CD and run completely from it. Just boot up from the CD and it runs. Don't want it anymore? Reboot, eject cd, windows boots from hard disk.
If you get that far where you actually like it, you will be already knowing something about other installable distributions.
*URL Fixed
-Most games only work at a Windows OS
-I can't program much more than VB.net
-Linux is... case sensitive and has lots and lots of cryptic commands
Although Linux is 99% free of all known virusses and worms, seems to perform a lot better than any Windows OS, AND is free and opensource, so you can change anything you want.
Yep, I've got that one too, it's pretty good.
When I say I'm installing it, I mean it's already installed and it's compiling xorg. Yea...
I recoment Mandrake for newbies though, SuSe isn't bad, I just had more luck with Mandrake.
I'd recomend gentoo, but it's not very newbie friendly... <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> Once you get it installed though, all you have to do is type emerge <program> to install a program.
If you really want to learn, get gentoo, if you want a toy, get Mandrake, it has a nice GUI installer.
You completely misinterpreted it. :P
It'll detect that you have data in other partitions, and it won't touch em unless you specifically tell it to. If I remember right, it gives you 3 options:
1) install to empty space (it'll automagically make new partitions as needed)
2) erase all LINUX partitions (this won't bork up windows) and then 1)
3) erase ALL partitions (this will) and then 1)