An actual install

Most reputable PC resellers will hand you a stack of manuals when you buy your machine. But let's imagine that you got a hand-me-down PC from your big brother or sister or you picked up your PC at a garage sale or you got the PC from some other source that we really don't want to know about. You may be luckier than you thought. Linux will actually install more easily on older PCs than on some newer ones. Then again, it depends on how old it is. Don't try to install Linux on one of those old PCs with a monochrome monitor where everything comes out a yucky green color. That's TOO old!

Do you want a 'Dual-boot' system?

OK, with or without manuals, now it's time to install Linux. You've got your version of Linux and you just can't wait to use it. But there are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself.

1. Do you have another operating system installed?
2. Do you want to continue to use it?

If you want to keep an existing operating system, and install Linux as well, you will have what is known as a "dual-boot" system. That means that you have a PC that can use two different operating systems. I think that I should pause here and say that everything that you can do with your garden variety operating system, you can do with Linux. That means word processing, databases, spreadsheets, Internet browsers, e-mail, photo touch-ups, MP3, CD Players, cameras and then there are a lot of things that Linux has to offer on top of all that that other operating systems don't. The important thing is that you have the option to have both. Now, back to the install.

Downloading Linux

One of the most misunderstood concepts of Linux is that it is widely spoken of not so much as a "free" operating system but as a "freebie" operating system. 'What's the difference?' you may ask. The "free" ideally refers to the source code of Linux. Microsoft won't give you the source code to their products so you can make improvements (and we all know how much they need them), but the majority of Linux distributions come with the source code - or at least for the programs that aren't proprietary.

The "free" that most people think of is the free of "freebie" or "handout". This is somewhat fictitious. The truth is that there is nothing in this world that comes at zero cost. If you happen to have a fast Internet connection and a CD burner, you may download ISO images of the Linux distribution you have chosen (and that lets you have them free of charge), but it has cost you money for the CDs and your time (the costliest thing of all). Linux really should never be touted as a zero cost option, but better as an operating system that can be obtained and maintained at a very low cost.

If you don't happen to have a fast connection and a CD burner, you can still get Linux, though, at very little cost. You can pick up a nice boxed set from the makers of commercial distributions. Personal PC users can pick up a nice operating system for home use for around 30-50 US dollars. These usually come with 90 days of tech support, via email, in most cases. You can also get Linux from PC magazines that will often provide CDs of the major Linux distributions and some basic installation instructions for just the cost of the magazine.

Our pick for an example walk-through installation and setup with be Debian GNU/Linux.

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