Linux....For Windows?

Question

Can I use Linux on Windows Xp or my computer (An Emachine)?
If so, how and where can I download it? Does it cost anything?

(I use windows...So thats why this is confusing to me..Never used a Mac)


Thank you!!

I want to keep windows. Is there anyway I can start my computer, and select either windows or Linux to go on?

How to run/install Linux on the same hardrive?

Answer 1

Firstly, Linux is another operating system (os) like Windows. It's based on Unix which has been around for a lot longer than Windows.

You can run both os's on your computer by creating a 2nd partition, and installing Linux to dual-boot. When you turn on your computer, you'll be presented with a menu to load wither Windows XP or Linux.

Linux is free or you can buy it and get support. One of the easiest that I've seen is MEPIS. You can download it for free or order a CD for a few bucks at http://www.mepis.org/ . You can also search the forums on that site for advice on how to setup your computer to dual-boot with Windows XP and Linux. You can even run MEPIS from CD to try it out without installing it on your hard drive.

Macs use another derivative of Unix, not Linux.

Answer 2

The latest versions of Ubuntu Linux can be installed on a folder on a Windows NTFS volume and the system can then be dual booted into either Windows or Linux. I'm running such a system right now. You don't need to re-partition your hard drive or take any other "extreme geek" measures.

Performance in this configuration is a bit less than the best that Linux has to offer though few folks would notice any difference running on the latest hardware. You'll also need to load a special driver to access data on the rest of your Windows drive but that's a minor quibble.

Linux isn't for everyone, but this is an EXCELLENT way to give it a try and see if it offers what you need. And, since your system is dual-boot, you can switch back and forth between Linux and Windows pretty easily. Go here to get started: http://www.ubuntu.com/products/WhatIsUbuntu/desktopedition

If you REALLY want to go "whole hog", get a copy of VMWare Server for Windows and install it on your Windows box. You can then run Linux as a virtual machine while Windows is running. You'll need some pretty beefy hardware to get the best performance but any new mid-range or better desktop is easily up to the task. VMWare Server and VMWare Workstation are free downloads. Go here to download VMWare: http://www.vmware.com/download/server/ You'll need a serial number to install it, but it's free for the asking.

Answer 3

I'm confused. Are you asking if you can run linux under windows or are you asking if you can install linux on the same hard drive that windows has? Answer to both:

http://www.colinux.org/?section=screenshots (free)
http://www.vmware.com/ (costs money)

http://colinux.wikia.com/wiki/CoLinux_FAQ#Q3._I_have_a_dual_boot_system._Is_it_possible_to_run_coLinux_from_the_Linux_partition_when_I.27m_in_Windows.3F
^how to use CoLinux if you already have a linux partition installed.

Later on you have this in your question "I want to keep windows. Is there anyway I can start my computer, and select either windows or Linux to go on".

This is called Dual Booting and yes you can do it. To avoid complications, keep the windows partition in the beginning of the drive and make sure that only windows is the only primary partition. Most Linux operating systems can run as logical partitions. Most Linux Operating Systems prompt you to install GRUB or LILO. Grub or LILO rewrites the Master Boot Directory, which allows you to choose between operating systems on start up.

Answer 4

Your best solution is to download and burn the latest version of Ubuntu Linux. The CD can be run "live", so you don't have to install anything, just put the CD in the drive, reboot your computer, and it will run Linux from the CD without affecting any of the files on your hard disk. This will give you a chance to use a full version of Linux without any permanent changes.

Answer 5

Linux is an Operating System like Windows XP. You can't use it on Windows XP, you have to use it separately from XP.

Basically, you have to either create another partition on your hard drive (the best way is to reinstall your OS and then restarting from there, or use software like Partition Magic - not recommended).

Or you can just buy another hard drive and install Linux on that drive. And yes, Linux is free for most of the distros (versions) available unless you buy a CD from the developers which helps support their developments.

For example, I use Ubuntu on a separate hard drive from my XP drive. Though I haven't Ubuntu or any Linux OS for quite a while now.

Answer 6

Linux is a open-source Operating System. But I found out that it's not totally good in multimedia, but almost good at services. Linux can be dual-boot in Windows XP in only one PC. Windows and Mac can be very confusing, both of them has almost everything, but it doesn't mean that windows can do everything even though macs have game deficiency but can run Windows too.


http://www.ubuntu.com/

The link above is the latest version of linux.

Answer 7

A word to the wise: If you have a dial-up Internet access account that uses a winmodem, you may have difficulty getting on the Internet with various versions of GNU/Linux.

If you have high-speed Internet access through a DSL or cable ISP account, I believe that you'll find that most mainstream GNU/Linux distributions these days will generally recognize your Internet-connectivity hardware for you so that you won't have much trouble at all getting online with them.

You can download an ISO image from any of the various GNU/Linux Web sites and burn a bootable CD (or DVD, as the case may be) from that ISO. There are various ISO burners that can be had for free from download.com (in case you don't have ISO-burning software installed in Windows).

Or, you can go to Barnes & Noble and buy a magazine like Linux Format magazine or Linux Pro magazine, and that magazine will have a DVD with one or more distributions included in it (for about the cost of dinner and a movie).

You may want to try a "Live CD" version first, to see whether you like GNU/Linux before you commit to installing it on your computer's hard disk drive. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, PCLinuxOS, and bunches of other versions are offered on CDs or DVDs that can be used to boot your computer into a fully functional (albeit slower than running from the hard disk drive) environment. This allows you to try it out and "test the waters" (so to speak) before you jump into the world of GNU/Linux.

Answer 8

Linux is just another operating system like Windows XP. However it is open source.....meaning free. If you search for Linux downloads you can access sites where you can download it. If you want try searching for Knoppix CD and you can create a bootable CD to try it out. It is a version of Linux and from there you can choose which one you want after you play around with Knoppix. Either way the graphics are much better and takes up less Disk space and there are multiple web browsers.

http://www.knoppix.com/

Answer 9

Window Lickers.

Answer 10

Yes! I have a dual-boot with WinXP and Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is free at:
http://www.ubuntu.com/