Am I going to be OK with Linux?


Peter van der Linden, June 6 2005


This is an extract from PvdL's Guide to Linux.

The book for Windows users who want to try Linux.

Maybe you're thinking back to the last time you tried something new, and got less than happy results. Maybe you've been burned by technology before, like Dell's troubled "Movie Studio Plus" bundle from 2002, or the original Pentium from Intel with the faulty multiplier.

Whether your concerns arise from past experience, or from misgivings over an unknown future, it's a reasonable question: am I going to be OK with Linux?

Being OK with Linux has three components to it:

  1. will Linux run on my PC without problems?
  2. can I learn to use Linux easily?
  3. will Linux install on my PC without problems?
1. Linux runs just fine on all IBM PC-compatible computers, and on a great many more computer architectures too. Linux is a mainstream technology in the business world, and that's a place that quickly drops tools that aren't cost-effective. As long as you have a PC that runs at 800 MHz or more, with at least 256 MB memory, Linux will run on it just fine.

2. So how easy is it to learn Linux? That depends partly on you. How much interest do you have in learning a new skill? How much time can you put into it? Since you're reading this, the answers must at least be "some" and "a bit". I don't want to trivialize the effort to master a new operating system, but it's really not that big a deal. The Linux installed base overtook the Macintosh installed base in 2004, and there are a very large number of people who taught themselves to be Mac-savvy.

All current window systems do pretty much the same things in the same ways. If you can find the "start" button in Linux (bottom left of the screen, same as in Windows, labelled "Launch"), you can find all the applications. If you can find the applications you can learn by doing. With the help of this book, the Linux customer support forums, and online documentation, you don't need to have any worries about getting stuck. You can learn Linux at your own pace and with a safety net.

3. "Ah!" I hear you ask, "What about installing Linux?" Here, I acknowledge, lies an area that can cause frustration to the unguided newcomer. The installation itself is a breeze - people have races to see how quickly they can install Linspire Linux, and the current record holder is 4 minutes, 30 seconds.

The issue is that after installation you may find that some peripherals on your PC are supported only under Windows. You may find that your modem or wifi card works on Windows and not immediately on Linux. There are several remedies for this situation, which we'll get into in due course, but set your expectations now for the possibility.

The easiest way to make all Linux installation issues disappear entirely is to acquire Linux the same way you acquired Windows - preinstalled on a PC by the vendor. That way, all devices just work right out of the box. There are a number of mainstream vendors who will sell you a Linux PC, including Walmart, Best Buy, Compusa, Staples, and MicrotelPC. Because you don't have to pay the "Microsoft tax", they are typically cheaper than a comparable Windows PC. Whether you buy a preinstalled Linux system, or re-use an existing PC, installation is a manageable problem, with the answers in the text mentioned at the top.

Here's the bottom line: I know a lot of people who have successfully engaged with Linux. I don't know anyone who has tried to learn Linux, and failed. I know people older than 80 years and people as young as 15 years who have successfully learned Linux. Yes, you are going to be OK with Linux, too.