[ILUG] Advice on setting up Linux please

[Gavin McCullagh]

Hi John,

Warning.  This got a bit long sorry.

On Fri, 08 Feb 2002, John Flanagan wrote:

> I'm hoping that this is the right place to ask the following questions.
> Appropriate web links would suffice where appropriate.

I think you're in the right place.

> I have a basic PC, with a Duron 750, 40gb HDD, 256MB Ram, a CD-ROM and CD-RW
> (separate drives), 10/100 Ethernet card.

Well, that's a lot better than basic compared to many of the machines
around on this list (my own included), the nearest other thread refers to
a 486!

> Currently the machine is running Windows 98SE.
> My main use for the PC at the moment is dial-up internet access using ICQ,
> Internet Explorer, Outlook Express. I also use it for some spreadsheets,
> developing a small personal website and an occasional bit of programming
> using VB.
> What I want to do is install a version of Linux.
> My questions are:
> For the above uses, what is the best version of linux to install?

To be honest, I think they're all as good as each other from an applications 
point of view.  You can get, for example,

Browsers:	Mozilla
		Netscape
		Galeon
		Opera
		Konqueror
		Lynx/w3m/links (to name a few)

Email Clients:	Mutt
		Pine
		Evolution
		elm
		Netscape Mail
		Mozilla Mail
		Kmail	(to name but a few)
	
packaged up and ready for practically any linux distribution you want.
The thing is that if you don't get a binary set specially for say Suse,
you can always compile one for yourself as the source is available (Opera
is an exception to this).

What I think you do want though is a linux that will set up easily and get you
going.  When you're a bit more used to linux details you can look at
which one suits *you* best (or make up your own).

The concensus around seems to be that

	Mandrake
	Redhat
	Suse

are the simplest installed and require least knowledge from the word go.  I
use Debian, others use Slackware and literally hundreds more.

ICQ:
	LICQ http://www.licq.org/
	GAIM (Gnu AOL Instant Messenger)

For spreadsheets:

	gnumeric
	openoffice or staroffice
	kspread (off the top of my head)

There is VB, but you'd have to ask someone else!


> Where in Dublin can I get disks for this install? 

There are guys on the list who'll burn you CDs.  Email

freecds at antefacto.com	(is that right Kate?)

> (Linux is too big to download on 56K dial-up)

Well, technically linux is just the kernel, which compiled can be as small
as a few hundred kilobytes, but yeah getting a full system over a dialup
is a problem which many people here no about.

> What books should I be looking at for basic user?

I liked O'Reilly "Running Linux".  There's hundreds though, I'm sure
others will differ with me.  The net is a fantastic resource though.  This
mailing list and many others, Internet Relay Chat rooms, the Linux 
Documentation Project

http://www.linuxdoc.org (Irish Mirror site: http://www.netsoc.ucd.ie/LDP )

> What books should I be looking at for more advanced user?

Probably different ones for each task.  Again though the net is your
friend here.

> Anything else I should be considering?

Do you want to run linux & windows at the same time?  There are a number of
HOWTOs on doing this including one on www.linux.ie

You need to be a little bit patient at the start, things are a little
different, but it's worth it down the line.

Gavin