January 26th, 2005
Free Agent: Getting Started With Linux
Editorial Applications Devel. Mgr. Matthew Newton
Every month when my column posts, I get a bevy of e-mail. And every
month, there is a contingent of readers who have one question for me:
How do I get started with Linux?
It's a simple question, and I wish there were one simple answer for
the folks who've decided they've had enough with Microsoft Windows,
and that it's time to make a switch. I've been trying to answer this
question in various ways for years now. Back in 1999, I contributed to
one attempt at an answer, and the result was a lengthy, sometimes
confusing set of instructions that really don't apply anymore, for a
simple reason: You don't need to be a geek to install Linux these
days.
Curious? Here's that old article:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968696/0/
So this month, I'm taking another shot at the topic. Here, dear
readers, is my advice for you if you're done with the spyware and the
adware that keeps creeping in from new directions. Here's the plan if
you want to leave your virus scanner behind and grab most (perhaps
all) of the software you'll ever need off the Internet. This is the
road to a new relationship with your computer, brought about by
software that is built by a community, not a monopoly. It is a road
less traveled, and it makes all the difference.
Option 1: Buy a Cardboard Box, Get Software and a Book
I'm recommending two different courses of action, depending on what
sort of user you are. The first option is for folks who want to engage
in some hassle-free computing today, as in right now.
If you're not a tinkerer or a self-described power user, and if you
use your machine mainly for a few key tasks (Web, e-mail, office apps,
music, photos), then what I want you to do is shell out some cold,
hard cash for a copy of Xandros Desktop OS Deluxe Edition 3.0:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968697/0/
This is about as friendly as Linux gets: The box, which is covered
mainly with an impressive list of features, should have a "Zero Linux
Experience Required" sticker on it. Inside, along with the
installation discs, is an extremely well-laid-out, 350-page user
manual with a 24-page index. It's likely to be all the hand-holding
you'll need.
I've written about Xandros 2.0 and 2.5, offering praise but also
wincing a bit:
"In Search of Linux for Grandma"
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/755700/0/
"Two Linuxes for Newcomers"
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/806994/0/
Xandros is based on the KDE desktop, which I think makes a lot of
mistakes in the usability arena. But Xandros 3.0's KDE desktop has a
unique, clean look to it; and it caters to folks who've learned the
Windows way of doing things.
As always, the proprietary Xandros File Manager functions as a Windows
Explorer clone that beats Windows Explorer at its own game, providing
easy access to both local and network files, along with integrated CD
(and now DVD) burning. Xandros's ability, fresh out of the box, to
interact with file and print servers on a Windows network remains
unparalleled among Linux distributions.
There are other niceties, too. A "First Run Wizard" will come up the
first time you log in, helping you to set up a printer and do a few
other post-installation bits of configuration. A "switch user" button
on the taskbar functions just as it should, unlike similar attempts
I've seen on other Linux desktops. (You don't lose any functionality
by using the feature, either, as you do with the Windows equivalent,
Fast User Switching.)
New to Xandros 3.0 are encrypted home folders: All your personal
documents and settings can live in an encrypted folder that is
decrypted on the fly when you (and only you) log in. Converting my
user account to an encrypted home folder took about 10 minutes, but
then I couldn't log in to that account; the password was rejected each
time. So I logged in as root and reset the user's password. My
encrypted home folder has been working just fine ever since. This
feature is very nifty, if a bit rough around the edges with respect to
setup.
Minor Gripes
There is a smidge of an "if it ain't broke, don't improve it" feel to
Xandros 3.0. Web and e-mail are handled by Mozilla 1.7.3, rather than
the newer Firefox and Thunderbird apps, which are faster and slicker.
I hope to see that change in the next Xandros release.
Then there's the Xandros edition of the OpenOffice.org productivity
suite. Most distributions these days take great pains to produce
customized OpenOffice binaries so that the suite's applications fit in
with the rest of the system's look and feel. I've dinged Xandros
before for not taking this step, and I ding it again here. The
OpenOffice apps (version 1.1) included with Xandros 3.0 simply don't
look right. Perhaps the Xandros folks assume that most of their users
will use the included CrossOver Office package to run Microsoft
Office.
At any rate, there's nothing difficult about using a Xandros system,
and there's nothing difficult about installing the OS, either: Unless
you deliberately invoke some advanced options, the installer will not
ask you a single question that will make you blink. It will
automatically shrink your Windows partition and set things up for dual
booting. It will install all the packages you need. And after less
than a dozen clicks, it will ask you to reboot into your new world.
If you're ready for Linux and are willing to fork over some dough to
keep the geeky setup work at bay, you cannot do better than Xandros
Desktop 3.0 Deluxe. The package retails for $90 and is appearing in
stores, though you may find it easier to order online. There's also a
less expensive Standard Edition that retails for $50; it does not
include CrossOver Office or the printed manual.
Option 2: It's All About Headware
The second option is for folks who don't mind getting their hands
dirty, and who want to explore everything that Linux has to offer
while taking advantage of its Free nature. This path won't cost you a
dime, save the cost of some blank discs. If this sounds like the angle
for you, then head on over to the Fedora Project and start downloading
some installation CDs:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968698/0/
There are many benefits to running Fedora.
First, it's more bleeding-edge than most distributions. The current
version, Fedora Core 3, sports version 2.8 of the Gnome desktop
environment; most other distributions are still stuck on Gnome 2.6, or
even 2.4.
Second, the system scripts that handle various tasks (like connecting
to a wireless network, or mounting a USB drive) strike me as rock
solid. This may not sound like a big deal; a week ago, I was convinced
that all distributions basically did the same stuff in more or less
the same way behind the scenes. But after spending some time with
Mandrake 10.1 and then Fedora Core 3 on the same machine, I came to
realize just how bad some of Mandrake's plumbing is, and how great
Fedora's is.
For example, when I plug my digital camera (or my MP3 player, or a
thumb drive) into the USB port with Mandrake running, I get an icon on
my Gnome desktop labeled "removable"--sometimes. Other times, I get
nothing, and I have to dive into a command line session to figure out
what's gone wrong and how to set it straight. With Fedora Core 3, I
get an icon with a unique name for whatever device is plugged in,
every single time.
Another example: My laptop, which is still running Mandrake, has a
terrible time with wireless connections, leading to my desire to run
NetworkManager, which I talked about last month:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968699/0/
Fedora Core 3 comes with NetworkManager packages all ready to rock.
Third, Fedora is a wonderful Linux distribution to run because just
about every Free Software project on the planet has precompiled binary
packages available for it. This means you just download the package
and enter one command to install a given chunk of software; removal is
also one-command simple. It's very rare to find something that you
have to compile from scratch, because someone, somewhere, has already
packaged That Thing You Need for Fedora.
Fedora Caveats
There are some downsides to Fedora, too, the first being that there
will be many Things You Need. Out of the box (not that there's
actually a box in this case, but I see you're still with me), the
system doesn't know a thing about MP3 files: It can't rip 'em, can't
burn 'em, can't even play 'em. So you'll need to hit up a third-party
package repository to install MP3 support. Ditto for a few other
system libraries that are otherwise encumbered by licensing issues.
There's more on this over at The Unofficial Fedora FAQ:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968700/0/
It's a handy place to visit during your first few days with Fedora,
during which you'll need to invest some time getting everything
working. If you get stuck, there are lots of genuinely friendly people
at FedoraForum.org who can likely help you out:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968701/0/
A tip: With previous Fedora releases, it was easiest to pull down
third-party packages from the Fedora Extras and Livna repositories.
With Fedora Core 3, these repositories have fallen out of favor and in
fact aren't keeping up with the pace of Fedora development. I've had
much, much better luck when procuring packages from the Dag Wieers,
ATrpms, NewRPMS, and Freshrpms.net repositories. Red Hat should be
paying these people for the amazing services they're providing to the
Fedora and Red Hat communities.
ATrpms:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968702/0/
Dag Wieers:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968703/0/
Freshrpms.net:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968704/0/
NewRPMS:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968705/0/
Five minutes with a text editor and your /etc/yum.conf file, and
everything becomes automatic. Once the repositories are known to your
system, there are no worries. For example, let's say you know you want
The GIMP but don't know which repository to get it from. You open a
terminal, type yum install gimp, and watch as Fedora figures out every
last package The GIMP needs to survive, fetches and installs them,
then fetches and installs The GIMP. Or you can go do something fun
while the bits are busy arriving.
With Fedora Core 3, there are a bevy of options for your base
interface, KDE and Gnome chief amongst them. If you're new to Linux, I
suggest trying each and deciding for yourself which one seems
friendlier and more tailored to your needs. You can install both
interfaces during Fedora's initial setup; you then select which
interface you want to work with when you log in. Also give the XFCE
environment a spin, especially if you're running an older, slower
machine:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968706/0/
One other wrinkle to note: Fedora's installation program doesn't know
how to resize Windows partitions. Before you get started, you'll need
to repartition with a third-party utility. If you feel like spending
money, take a look at Partition Magic or Partition Commander--either
one will do the job.
Partition Commander:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968707/0/
Partition Magic:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968708/0/
Or you can go the Free route and try the version of QTParted included
on the SystemRescueCD:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/968709/0/
I've had mixed luck with that program, and I've always been glad that
I'd backed up my data before mucking around with partitions. No matter
what tool you choose, you should always take this precaution, just in
case the unthinkable happens.
I hope I've provided a push in the right direction for some of the
folks who write in each month. Best of luck to those making the
switch. Drop me a line and tell me how it's going!
* Linux Tip *
The other night, while typing a Web address into the location bar of
my Web browser of choice, Galeon, I realized something was wrong. The
W's (in www and elsewhere) were missing. I tried again. Every key I
pressed put a letter on the screen--except for the W key.
I opened another application and typed in a W. No problem. I switched
back to Galeon to enter a W. No dice.
It took me a good long while before I figured out what had happened.
Gnome apps, see, have a nifty feature (turned on by default in some
distros, including mine; turned off in others) that lets you reassign
keyboard shortcuts for menu items in the simplest manner imaginable:
Hover the mouse pointer over the menu item, and press the desired
keyboard shortcut.
Somehow, while the Edit menu was exposed and my pointer was hovering
over the Cut command, I managed to type a W and not notice that I'd
just reassigned Cut to W from its usual Control-X. So now, every time
I pressed W, a Cut command was issued.
I realized this was going on because the new shortcut was listed in
the Galeon Edit menu. So I hovered over the mistake, tapped Control-X,
and my W key came back to life. I think the shortcut reassignment
routine should be restricted to key combos--that would deflect
inadvertent reassignments like mine--but until the Gnome hackers agree
with me, you might want to be aware of this gotcha in case one of your
keys goes dead in a Gnome application.
Have a question or comment? Write to Matthew Newton:
freeagent*pcworld.com
Read Matthew Newton's regularly published "Free Agent" columns:
http://pcwnl.pcworld.com/t/355345/15377829/239109/0/
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"Kunal Trow, anyone?" -- Me, from his favorite video game
