question

[Frost]

On Wed, Dec 01, 2010 at 04:36:44PM -0600, Adrián Mena wrote:
> Hi my name is Adrian, I am writing from Costa Rica.
> My question is that I use Windows but I am very interested in changing
> to Linux. However, I do not know how and where to start.

	Well, Linux is a very powerful operating system, which unlike 
Windows, which controls everything for you, you can control everything 
of what Linux does.  That control takes knowledge and experience.  I 
would recommend downloading what is called a "Live! CD," which is a 
special CD designed to run in computer memory, leaving your hard disks 
alone.  You simply start up the computer with the disk in the drive, 
type a few special commands, and the CD will load into memory and begin 
talking.  Many distributions or "distros" have accessible Live! CDs 
which you can download and burn.  Arch, Debian, GRML, and Ubuntu are 
currently the most popular, listed in alphabetical order.  Try them all 
or try just one.  Linux is essentially Linux, but each distro provides 
their own initial configurations and software management.  
Configurations and software management is where a distro will either 
shine or not.  Debian and Ubuntu, for instance, use the dpkg package 
management system, and it's a powerful one.  With dpkg, you can easily 
update and upgrade your entire computer software library and make it 
current and as bug-free as it can be with two simple commands.  You can 
write the two commands in a script and call them with one simple 
command.  In Linux, it's all up to you..

	Imagine Windows as a McDonald's drive-thru.  You go up to the 
window, order what's available from the menu, and get what you order.  
Linux is more like a fully equipped kitchen with a recipe book, and all 
the cookware you need to make anything you desire, plus many 
pre-packaged meals that have already been prepared, such as Linux's 
version of Open Office and the Firefox web browser.

	The GUI has already been prepared and populated with the most 
popular software, and you may need to do nothing more than install the 
operating system.  There are many installation HOWTOs available on the 
net which you can read.  Just Google something like, "Debian 
installation guide" or "how to install Ubuntu."  Here on the list, Mike 
has even created an audio mp3 howto on installing GRML, though his 
English accent is as thick as peanutbutter. <ducks> (Just teasing.)  
Anyway, instructions for starting up the Linux installation program is 
usually found right on the disk in the doc or documentation directory, 
sometimes along with the installation manual itself.  Commonly, tools 
like the lynx web browser and the irssi IRC program will be available to 
access the internet if you get into trouble during the installation, and 
you can access either the distro's website, or go to irc.freenode.net 
and chat with the experts.

	As you gain experience in linux, you may find yourself 
reinstalling, reconfiguring and repartitioning everything many times 
over, until you're sure you have everything set up just the way you 
like, or you may just say "to hell with all this" and just hit "Enter" 
at every prompt and let the gurus who wrote the installation program, 
set you up with a basic setup and leave it at that.  If you get into the 
command line and away from the GUI, Slackware's "Slackbook" is a good 
manual to read, to familiarize yourself with the most useful of the 
command line programs.  Myself, I use the command line.  Mutt for mail, 
irssi for IRC, edbrowse and links2 for the web, and mpg123 for playing 
my mp3's.  I use my PDA for reading my 3000-plus ebook library, as I 
have yet to find a command line program that will read a text file to me 
without user feedback for every page/screen.

	Anyway, download and burn one of the many available CD images 
and give linux a look-over, or jump on one of the IRC chat sites like 
irc.freenode.net and talk with the experts.  Myself, I chose Debian, 
because I believe it has the most powerful software management 
capabilities, and the #Debian chat channels are the most quietest ones 
out there, with fewer people asking "How do I do such-and-such."  In my 
experiences, most of it has already been done in Debian, so there's no 
real need to ask. <winks> HTH,

				Michael