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There are numerous ways to use Linux with a computer. The most common method is to allocate part of your hard disk to Linux and put all the software you need on it. It's also possible to use Linux without touching your hard disk at all, either by getting the software from another computer on a network or by using a cd or dvd. When people talk of installing Linux though, they invariably mean using the hard disk to store all their required software.

To install Linux on your hard disk, you first need to be able to allocate a section of the hard disk to Linux. Thankfully all sorts of computer systems understand the methods of dividing hard disks so two or more operating systems (e.g. versions of Linux and /or Windows) can reside on just one hard disk. More details on dividing the hard disks are given in the next section.

Once that is done, you need to get a startup/install disk. Just as you would use a startup disk to access windows in case of a crash, a Linux startup/install disk will boot your computer in the Linux OS, albeit a limited version of it. The startup disk also contains info on accessing the hardware it needs to complete the installation and the complete install system itself. Most Linux installations are done from either CD-ROM or DVD-ROM install disks.

If your computer is built from common hardware which is well supported by Linux, it is unlikely that you will have to do any configuration to make the hardware work in your computer. It is not uncommon however to find that your computer has some hardware which does not work (well or at all) with Linux, the most common problem being with Modems which are an eternal source of frustration for new Linux users. You can use the internet site at www.linmodems.org to try and determine if your modem should work with Linux, or if there are any special steps required to make it work. Generally most other problems experienced with hardware when installing Linux are related to very new models or new types of hardware which are not yet supported in the distributions. Most distributions will have notes on known hardware problems often with solutions or workarounds. You should check these notes on-line, as opposed to from the installation media as problems may have been found after it was released, before trying to install as it could save you much frustration later.

If you want to test out your computer with Linux before trying to install, many different Linux distributors now have "LiveCD" versions which allow you to try the system without installing. The way these work is by ignoring your hard disk and simply treating your computer like a PlayStation, running everything from the CD. These systems cannot run as fast or be as flexible as a Linux system installed onto a hard disk, but they do give you a chance to test your computer and the system for compatibility and to try out the software to see how it suits your needs.

USERS COMMENTS

Posted By Ken Guest 10:23, 12 October 2004

Cool to see this being updated!