Linux

Details please people, I haven't had my coffee.

www.mandrakelinux.com - best...
www.redhat.com - ok...

d/l the iso and burn them to disk... when you start up computer go into bios and tell computer to boot from cd... then just install it from there...

Get yourself a cup of google

DW Here's the thing to do. If ya want to play with Linux and remain reletively safe and painfree.
First go Here
http://www.vmware.com/download/
VMWare Workstation Trial or go Here
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4A15008C-3E10-4C54-BCD5-ADC1E780715F&displaylang=en
Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 45 Day Trial

Now these allow you to make a reletively painless Virtual Pc to Work on.
If you have a decent machine, it will use your RAM and CPU and emulate all the rest of the Hardware you need. So you are assured of a stable Install, and usage.
Now for edumacational purposes go Here
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/004/software/virtual-machines/vm-1.html
ArsTechnica VmWare vs.VirtualPC Shootout (Very good Read and on the $$$)

Now there are many flavours of Linux so that is a toss up, alot of folks recommend Gentoo, Mandrake is painless, and RedHat are sellouts, the Actual OS part is up for grabs (I like Mandrake cause I know just enough about Linux to shoot myself in the foot.) But hey that's the cool thing about using Virtual Machines, you can make as many as you have Hard drive space for, and play with every flavour of Linux if you want too. You get tired of one..delete the Virtual Hard Disk and the MAchines is gone, make another.

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I agree about Mandrake, it's an easy install [20 minutes], just don't lose your root password [voice of experience]. If you want to give Linux a spin there are a couple distros that you run right form the CD, nothing written to disk, also you can pop it in any PC anywhere and boot up into Linux. I've used Knoppix and PHLAK [Professional Linux Hackers Resource Kit] and no need to run VM.
DistroWatch http://distrowatch.com/ has reviews of all major distros and links to DL sites where you can get the isos. Be prepared for some looong DL's though. Mandrake 10.0 fills 3 CDs. Or you can order the CDs for a couple bucks, or even buy it and have get full tech support.
Do you want to install it on a separate PC or set up a dual-boot? Mandrake installer has a built-in partition device if you don't have Partition Magic or something like it. Do make sure you back up your Windows partition first if you go dual-boot.
ReallyLinux and LinuxBeginner.org seem pretty newbie-friendly.
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Good article CygnuxXII. I've been a devout VMWare fan for several months now. I've tried them both, and have purchased VMWare as the revert function of it wins hands down over virtual pc.
That is a VERY valuable feature.
It is also the obvious choice if you are gonna play nice with Linux. I never could get SCO to run on it though...

http://linuxiso.org/
Has ISO images of almost all of the popular distros. By the way, the most safe one is Knoppix. You just burn it to a CD and then boot from the CD. You don't have to install it on your hard drive, so you won't be damaging your Windows drive. Of course, you can't save any configuration changes, since you will be running from a RAM disk.

For more information go to: http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
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YUP! I remember using Connectix VPC, before MS bought it, and also VMWare... I got away from it for a few years and Did things the Hard way...ie. Images and images on a Real, by God Box... Man was I ever Dumb! Now I am an evangelist for VPC of any sort and for all kinds or Resolutions. Got a software issue, load it on a clean VPC and test away. Got a Legacy App that just will not run on anything but win95B, then Bang VPC a win95B Machine and there ya go. Want to have a machine with just MS .Net Studio or any particular application VPC it.
I have been tinkering with having Outlook on a VPC to load my email, no Viri can breach the VPC, client/Host barrier ( so say the vendors anyways.) Burn em to DVD-+R and keep them offline, want to load your recovery cd from HP or Compaq or Toshiba or whomever and tinker it a bit VPC, there ya go booger out all that crap they load on an Install and fix your own Install and then Ghost it, and burn the *.gho to cd's and there ya go, Better recovery CD than from manufacturer.

Once I snapped to the Handiness of the application, all kinds of uses seem to appear to me.

do i need a special program to burn an iso image to a disc or just do it like i was saving data?

I use Nero to burn ISO images to CD. You can download a limited time trial.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/

This appears to be an informative site DW. I was looking into this myself a short while ago, I was also gonna go and play with the Mandrake route. One thing I noted was that on the Forums there seemed to be a little concern about how nicely Mandrake 10 played with XP when it came to the built-in partition device. If you have the facility and don't wanna risk it, I would advise Partition Magic or something similar, unless its on a 'throwaway' drive that doesn't matter. Also if you do go Mandrake they have a hardware compatibilty guide.

http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/hardware.php3

The only other things that come to mind are:-

Individual Linux user's favour their own distro, its really hard to come out feeling ones absolutely on top.

Don't use free discs from magazines to set your Linux OS up, they're said to be often incomplete and troublesome.

Don't assume security isn't an issue - you still need to set up a firewall etc. though the information and facilities are available.

I think I'm gonna burn knoppix to a cd and boot it to play around, then buy a pos 5 gig hd to run it off of permanently

And then toy with all the others to find out which one i like best

SuSE also has a live eval CD.....

I have found SuSE easier to deal with than mandrake and the others.....