what is linux?

[Dr222]

what is linux?
how is it useful?
what can it be used for?

[alexxxxx]

1. an operating system like windows or os x
2. it can run programmes etc
3. anything, it's an operating system and you can do anything to it.

[Independent]

;4409452']1. an operating system like windows or os x
2. it can run programmes etc
3. anything, it's an operating system and you can do anything to it.
Bestly used for webservers,

CentOS - as it is free, and runs perfectly with cPanel/whm etc (A)

[Dr222]

is it an operating system like windows xp?

[Robbie!]

Its an operating system, in terms of what its like its not like xp, but it is an OS

[Dr222]

would i overwrite any thing on my computer if i installed it and would i be able to uninstall it easily if i didnt like it?

[Jamesy]

would i overwrite any thing on my computer if i installed it and would i be able to uninstall it easily if i didnt like it?

you can use a liveCD to boot from, this does nothing to your HDD at all. You can dual boot, install both windows and linux or you overwrite windows. Uninstalling is basically installing windows back over it and reformating.

If you aren't very computer literate you will probably struggle with some tasks on linux as it isn't all double click and go.

[Dr222]

well im gonna do some research on it then i might install it.

[theJOSH]

I hated it tbh,
A lot of stuff, which you use on Windows, doesn't with Linux,
then I couldn't get it off my PC, i needed to replace my HDD,

[Jamesy]

I hated it tbh,
A lot of stuff, which you use on Windows, doesn't with Linux,
then I couldn't get it off my PC, i needed to replace my HDD,

How can you not get if off your HDD. It's a matter of wiping it and putting windows in. Not hard...

and for a start:

LINUX ISN'T WINDOWS, SO WHY WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO DO THINGS YOU CAN ON WINDOWS?

you can do stuff in linux you can on windows, WINE will open most exe's and msi's, and everything else has an equivalent.

[Mentor]

Quite franky on my linux ive never been able to use wine, its installed perfectly fine, but theres been no software which runs on windows ive needed. Linux has everything ive needed, much of it pre installed, the rest easly and freely obtainable. Hell automatix will even install most stuff for you o.0
Plus, i have to say the Compiz graphic effects really make vistas areo look a bit *****, i mean even on a crapy intergrated graphics card i can outdo vistas capabilty without a fraction of the slowdown o.o
Only downfall really is it took a bit of hacking to sort it all out originaly, configureing ndswrappers and reendabling the gfx (mine was blacklisted as it has problems with a few effects). The loads of resorces to help you figure the stuff out though :)

[Splinter]

Whats Linux?? Well officially its just the Kernel. But no doubt your asking about entire Linux-based operating systems. Think of them as just like like Windows XP, Windows Vista or Mac OS X. For a beginer your best to try either Ubuntu, openSUSE or Mandriva. Why use Linux over Windows? Well its much faster or moderate hardware, much more secure with no viruses, much more stable you will find yourself never having to re boot and there is also package management which makes software installation and updating easy as pie.
Good luck.

[tdi]

could someone pots a screenshot of a linux desktop?

[Splinter]

Ubuntu: http://www.thecodingstudio.com/opensource/linux/screenshots/index.php?linux_distribution_sm=Ubuntu%207.10
Mandriva:
http://www.thecodingstudio.com/opensource/linux/screenshots/index.php?linux_distribution_sm=Mandriva%202008
openSUSE:
http://www.thecodingstudio.com/opensource/linux/screenshots/index.php?linux_distribution_sm=openSUSE%2010.3%20 Beta%202

There are loads of screenshots of some of the bigger os's.

[Tawmu]

You could download Ubuntu Live CD from the Ubuntu site (www.ubuntu.com ?) burn it and run it. It doesn't do anything to your PC, you just put the disk in and turn the PC on :)

[DaveTaylor]

http://habboxforum.com/showthread.php?t=347761

[Mentor]

could someone pots a screenshot of a linux desktop?

The desktops are fully customizable, but heres a link to a pic of my current one:
http://img216.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshotkm2.png (Ubuntu)

[Ad-ham.]

The desktops are fully customizable, but heres a link to a pic of my current one:
http://img216.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshotkm2.png (Ubuntu)
looks good, how do I install it?

[Jamesy]

The desktops are fully customizable, but heres a link to a pic of my current one:
http://img216.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenshotkm2.png (Ubuntu)

I counter your Ubuntu with my Sabayon (with a lil help from Compiz fusion <3)

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4441/screenshotet9.png
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8780/screenshot2qh1.png
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7306/screenshot3au0.png

[Mentor]

I counter your Ubuntu with my Sabayon (with a lil help from Compiz fusion <3)

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4441/screenshotet9.png
http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/8780/screenshot2qh1.png
http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/7306/screenshot3au0.png

Gotta love compiz, was struggle to get it working (my laptops gfx card was blacklisted) but now it works fine, bar dieing if i even concider enabling the water effect :P

looks nice

[Jamesy]

Gotta love compiz, was struggle to get it working (my laptops gfx card was blacklisted) but now it works fine, bar dieing if i even concider enabling the water effect :P

looks nice

My ubuntu install was wierd and Beryl/emerald install wasn't done properly. Spent hours in google :(

[JustHost-Glenn]

Linux is easy to install as a local GUI based OS, the method I have used in the past was to partition your drive into 2, one for Windows XP/Vista and one for Linux (Ubuntu is my favourite).

If all else fails you can use the bootable CD ROM.

The best part is it is completely free, you have nothing to lose unless you don't completely understand hard drive partitioning and mess it all up.

[00chips]

If all else fails you can use the bootable CD ROM.


Get a copy of the live disc onto a pendrive and boot on live persitant mode (Will save changes but take up less space than installing onto pendrive).

So much better than live disc