Basic Linux

Copyright (c) 1995 John M. Fisk fiskjm@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu
For information regarding copying and distribution of this material see the COPYING document.

So... you've heard about Linux from your friends (who are raving about it :-), or maybe you've seen ads for "This CD ROM set lets you run UN*X on your home PC for the ultra-low price of$ 69.95 and if you act now...", or maybe you've used it at school, or you've stumbled into one of the numerous Linux Usenet groups...

In any case, you're asking yourself...

So what is LINUX ?

Linux is a freely distributable "copylefted" UN*X for 386/486/Pentium PC's. Yup, that's right, it's free! It is a robust and dynamic true 32-bit, multiuser, multitasking OS that supports gigabytes of applications including EMACS, TCPIP, X Window, serial communications such as PPP, SLIP, and CSLIP, TeX, LaTeX, GCC, Open Look, NFS, and much more. The internet has been the primary vehicle for its development and continues to be a primary means of obtaining Linux, although a growing number of vendors are offering it on CD for $10 to $60 for a full installation.

Curious? Interested? Keep reading...

• 386, 486, or Pentium processor.
• 4 MB RAM, at least 8 MB to run X Window.
• 20 to 200+ MB of harddrive space.
• a graphics card and VGA or (preferably) SVGA monitor.
• Linux also supports a variety of pointing devices, network cards, modems, CDROM's, tape drives, and sound cards.

Linux began life as a project of Linus Torvalds of Finland who had set out to write "a better Minix than Minix." Since its inception in the early 1990's Linux has gained tremendous support and momentum from around the world. While the basic kernel development continues to be coordinated by Linus, a lot of software from various sources has been added including GNU, XFree86, the Free Software Foundation, and many others.

For this reason, most people install Linux from one of a number of distributions which package the OS kernel with a varying amount of software. These range from small distributions with a modest amount of software to enormous packages such as Slackware which can take over 200 MB of space if it is installed in its entirety. Cool, eh? That's a boatload of software...

Now let's go places...

• Slackware.
• MCC Interim.
• Debian.
• Bogus.
• TAMU.

Can't get onto Sunsite? (Yeah, they're busier than the Garden State Parkway on the the 4th of July...) Check out one of it's many mirrors. They're generally a LOT less crowded and much faster.

If you've got a CDROM drive then getting one of the growing number of Linux CD distributions may be the best way to go. Why you ask?

• Cost. Most are priced from a meager $9 for an unadorned Slackware distribution (which is still a LOT of software) to about $50 for GIGABYTES of stuff!
• Time. You not only save a huge amount of time downloading files, but setting up a large Linux distribution from floppies can take 3 to 4 hours compared to about an hour for the usual CD installation.
• Value added stuff. Yup, there are a growing number of vendors who are providing a good deal of value added software. Everything from better installation scripts to administrative programs that make configuration a lot easier. Don't underestimate how much easier things can be with a bit of help :-)
• Space. Several of these CD distributions will let you run almost the entire software package from your CDROM drive, which can save you a lot of harddrive space! Some of these are admittedly still in the Plug-and-Pray camp, but they're getting better :-)

• InfoMagic
• Walnut Creek CDROM
• Pacific HiTech
• The Caldera Network Desktop
• Universal CD-ROM
• S.u.S.E. Linux

• Trans-Ameritech Systems order@trans-am.com phone: (408) 727-3883
• Yggdrasil Plug-and-Play Linux info@yggdrasil.com phone: (800) 261-6630
• Linux from Nascent CDROM nascent@netcom.com phone: (408)737-9500
• Red Hat Software Linux info@redhat.com phone: (919) 309-9560
• InfoMagic Orders@InfoMagic.com phone: (800) 800-6613
• Lasermoon Ltd. (UK) info@lasermoon.co.uk
• Morse Telecommunications Linux@morse.net phone: (800) 60-MORSE
• Linux Systems Labs info@lsl.com phone: (800) 432-0556
• Spheric Microsystems info@spheric.com phone: (800) 869-8649
• Spire Technologies info@spiretech.com phone: (503) 222-3086

You've gotten Linux but are having problems with installation, your sound card, or getting the CDROM configured? A great place to get some answers are the numerous HOWTO documents collected and organized by Matt Welsh.

Finally, want to cruise LinuxSpace and see what's out there... Here's a couple excellent places:

Linux Documentation Project (LDP)

The definitive site, the Linux Documentation Project (LDP) Home Page is maintained by Matt Walsh, Coordinator of the LDP. It is a treasure trove of information on all aspects of Linux including: HOWTO's, FAQ's, LDP documents, vendors and products, ftp'ing Linux software, User-Groups, the Linux Journal, books and publications, and a slew of links around the globe.

Linux Organization

The Linux Organization Home Page. Another great site for the support and maintenance of a Linux system. LOTS-o-linkz to a variety of spots around the 'Web.

Harvest Broker

Looking for a certain program... can't find a certain type of editor... use the Harvest broker to search the Linux Software Map (LSM): a database of over 1,200 programs written for, ported to, or supported by Linux. This search engine is a powerful means of finding specific pieces of software or those in a given category.

• Ftp a copy of xhtml for yourself.
• Check out NCSA's Beginner's Guide to HTML at UIUC.
• There's advice for Composing Good HTML.
• Dan Connolly, one of the developers of HTML, offers his own reference in the HTML Design Notebook.
• For a comprehensive listing of HTML codes check out The HTML Quick Reference Guide.
• Want to go crazy and do fill-out forms! Then get a little help from the folks at NCSA on how to do fill-out forms.

Got any great ideas for improvements! Send your comments, criticisms, suggestions, and ideas.

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