My computer is getting kind of old and with the future Windows version of Vista coming I'm sure I'll end up buying a new computer.
So in the meantime, I wouldn't mind playing around with this computer to see if I can get some sort of version of Linux on here. Are all versions of Linux free and if so which is a free version to use?
Also, If I chose a particular version how can I find the drivers for it so that all my hardware will work properly? Thanks for the advice.
2006-07-02 08:16:00 · 4 answers · asked by Matt 4 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
not all versions of Linux are free, but most are. I recommend using Fedora Core.
As far as drivers go, any driver that works on one version of linux will work on any other that uses the same kernel version, most current kernels are 2.6.x. Just make sure you find any drivers you will need for internet connection before you kill your current system.
A good place to look for help with any specific hardware is linuxquestions.org.
2006-07-02 08:23:45 · answer #1 · answered by John J 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of free Linux distro's out there,but most are free for downloading.Ubuntu is really polished and easy on the eyes.Almost all versions of Linux are fool proof when installing.Just follow the screen and that is all.It auto detects your hardware much like a Windows product.To download go to www.distrowatch.com and try any version you want.Good luck dude.P.S. Mandrake is pretty good too.I use ubuntu. Cya
2006-07-02 15:27:39 · answer #2 · answered by Bubsy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have a care.Linux is a difficult install.It has to be done just right or you start over with the install.All the devices are automatically detected except for the video card.It's hit and miss here.I could not get any Linux programs that I downloaded to work.I think that they use a rpm file instead of an exe file as their application file.The Linux approach is entirely different than Microsoft.The files have different names and so on.The download could be three CD's and they are in the ISO format.You need Nero to put them on a CD.Good luck--I did it!
2006-07-02 18:25:50 · answer #3 · answered by Balthor 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might try one of the "live" versions first. These you download, burn to CD, then boot directly off of this CD and it takes you into Linux so that you can play with it a bit.
Ubuntu: http://mirrors.cat.pdx.edu/ubuntu-iso/6.06/ubuntu-6.06-desktop-i386.iso
Knoppix: http://www.kernel.org/pub/dist/knoppix/KNOPPIX_V3.6-2004-08-16-EN.iso
or a full installation of Fedora Core: http://fedora.redhat.com
or a full version of Suse Linux: http://www.suse.com
2006-07-02 15:35:17 · answer #4 · answered by bogus_dude 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋