Workalone UK Sometimes, when you work alone, you need a little help

Downloads

Always check the md5sum of the downloaded file - no cd/dvd coasters please.

Distributions

• Links to them all
• and one they missed - Xandros Desktop
• Fedora Core 3 - Fedora Core 3

Kernels

• kernel.org and its mirrors

Linux User Groups (LUGs)

• uk LUG list

Useful Sites

• http://www.linux101.org
• http://www.linuxpackages.net/howto.php
• http://www.linuxgeek.net/beginners/
• http://www.linuxhelp.net/newbies/
• http://www.happypenguin.org/ (Linux Games!)

Linux based media

• LUGRadio- currently unresolving domain but it does exist and sparkes is a presenter ;-)
• SLUGRadio is the ScotLUG radio program
• The Linux Link Tech Show US radio show

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Which Linux?

Brief reviews by wiki users:

Xandros Desktop

for windows users looking for a quick and easy alternative that installs without fuss and comes preconfigured with usable software - OpenOffice and lots of useful apps.

Aimed fairly and squarely at windows users - set your granny up with a Linux desktop!
TonyCrockford 3 Sep 2004

Slackware 10

very powerful distro with oodles of packages and drivers. Rated as not for newbies, but I managed to install it without much hassle as Linux newbie myself. Installation is via a curses interface and very clean. You will need to understand basic technology concepts such as drivers and hard drive partitions however.

This site is pretty much all you need to get through the install without sweating : http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?postid=311808
Caz Thomson 8 September 2004

Fedora Core 3

Red-Hat-sponsored and community-supported open source Linux distro. Good support for different hardware (including laptops), ships with Open Office, The Gimp, Gnome, KDE and much more. Quite usable and configurable if you install the latest copy of Eclipse (for development), Firefox (for web browsing) and Thunderbird (for E-Mail). Very stable. Straightforward to install for newbies, but also suitable for more seasoned Linux advocates.
http://fedora.redhat.com/
Richard Lowe 12 December 2004

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Why Linux? Indeed

It's geekazoid. Films make fun of it; and create awful parodies ("It's a Unix System" - Jurassic Park). The hints of destruction for meddling in it are many ;:

Wargames. (the first; may we say the best; and may me also say the, "Wouldn't ever be allowed in current climate" ?)
The Net (Bleauggh, puke, sorry)
The Matrix (cool, and okay. Version I)
... (Terminator III. Never stated, but obviously started.)
Millennium. (Don't tell me that was a Windows (TM) system! )
Buffy. ('Kay it was all Apple, but OS X...)

Me; I''ve grown up with Windows (TM) technology. My Windows system was 3.1. My first non-DOS programming language was VB 3. I learned to programme Pascal, Assembler, Lisp within the same timeframe, but I went on from there to make MS my own.....financially. And you can't beat that as a young programmer.

Sooo, why *nix?

For one. I needed a reliable server to connect my local LAN to the internet.
For two. I needed a secure server to connect my local LAN to the internet.
For three. I Like it. I like it a lot.
For Four. It F**ks off as a server. I can't say it in any polite way. I love my *nix server. It is beautiful!!

That works for me.