Link to linux please

comp builder

comp builder

comp builder

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hi i have looked around for ages and every link to a linux download is out-of-date.
Can somebody give me a link to a beginner friendly version of linux please.

You can dual boot with linux can't you?
Thanks
 
http://software.opensuse.org/old/10.2

I've not used 10.3 but it doesn't have as many options as 10.2

I used to use PCLinuxOS ( google it u'll find it ) but it kept dropping my network after a few minutes

Yes you can dual boot, just be carefull, as i had half my stuff on linux and the other half on windozs, then windozs failed so i reinstalled it..... it over writed ed the boot loader ........... NOOOOO !!!!

LOL
 
Thanks guys :)
to answer billytheimpaler, it's just when i tyoe in something like 'linux download' into google it seems every page i go into the link just dosn't display or times out
 
I highly recommend Ubuntu, there's even different flavours of it with a different GUI (Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Edubuntu etc) if you don't like the standard one (GNOME, I prefer Kubuntu which uses KDE).

Also, the LiveCD distros allows you to boot up a test version running off the CD as a teaser before you decide to install (which is just done by clicking the icon on the Live desktop).

Just make sure you have free or unpartioned HDD space so you have an easier time with the installer. It automatically installs a boot-loader so you can dual-boot with Windows if you have it installed.
 
Ubuntu is deffinately best to start off with.

But OpenSuSE is also good, try it after you've got used to Ubuntu.

Xubuntu and Kubuntu are also very good.
 
swinnie said:
If you are new to Linux I suggest Ubuntu.

Link
Click to expand...


i downloaded ubuntu from this link (took 1hr 17mins)
I also had to download ISObuster to open the file. However i have extracted it and when i click start it just comes up with a screen offering me firefox, thunderbird and a word processor but says nothing about ubuntu install, am i doing something wrong?
 
ISO is an image file format that you burn directly to CDs or DVDs. You don't extract them and run the files usually (unless you use something like Daemon Tools).

If ISObuster doesn't have an option somewhere to burn to CD, google for one that does. Something like MagicISO or InfraRecorder.

When you've burnt it, go into your BIOS and make sure you set boot to CDROM as the first entry and you're away.
 
ImgBurn is my preferred program for .iso burning on Windows.

As above it's a bootable CD image. You can burn it to a disk or, if you want, run it in a virtual machine like virtualbox to test it out before actually creating a physical disk.
 
If you don't want to burn to a CD (although you should really, imo) DJ Jestar earlier posted a link to wubi-installer, which allows you to install Linux from within Windows.
 
Thanks guys. I thought i was like something you downloaded in a .zip file, you extract it, click run and install it. So just burn everything to a blank cd? Do i just click the file i downloaded and burn it from a .iso extractor (will probably download that ImgBurn) or do i extract it and burn everything from the extract to a cd?
 
As recommended by the others, get ImgBurn (it's free) and install it. Then load it up and click the option to open an image to burn; this is where you browse to the .ISO you downloaded.

Lastly select a drive that can burn CDs then click the big button in the bottom-left and it'll start writing to the CD. You shouldn't need to alter any of the options.
 
Linux itself is just the kernel (not the whole thing) which everything else runs on top, Ubuntu/OpenSuse etc is the operating system.

I'm surprised nobody else told him this, but when I first heard of Linux I didn't grasp this concept myself.
 
Yes, don't try to burn it as a data CD, you'll just end up with a CD with the file on it. Don't try to extract it then burn it as the booting mechanism can get borked. Burn it as an image and all will be hunky dory.

It becomes second nature after you do it once or twice. :
 
My preferred CD Writer program is DeepBurner, It free and they do a protable version that exectutes without being installed so can be put on a flash drive and used where ever you have access to a USB port. I works just fine off the hard disk too.

Yeah, and make sure you select the burn image file option as BillytheImpaler says. Just be careful that with deepburner the windows don't size properly so some options are hidden off the bottom of the screen until you resize it.

Another option for you is too run VMware or virtual box and install Linux on top of Windows so it runs like a program. Just be aware that you won't have any 3D stuff so Compiz and AWN are no no. Although I wouldn't recommend AWN until you are more used to Linux anyway, but compiz is a cool and simple to use under a Native install. If you do go down the Virtual route though just be aware of the system requirements, your 1GB ram and single core CPU should be OK if you are running XP, Vista even the basic version chugs a bit on dual core setup with more RAM.




If you have a spare Hard Drive lying around, put that in and install your new OS on that drive. This keeps you windows files safe and also means that you can change the boot order in the bios as you see fit.

With my set up my Ubuntu drive boots first and offers either Ubuntu or Windows, but when my Dad stayed at my house when I went away I switched too the Windows drive which boots into windows without a prompt, so not to confuse my old Dad when he used my PC.
 
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