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Ready for some serious fun

Your Linux adventure is about to begin. To really get going, though, you need to deal with two major things. First and foremost, you need to get a copy of Linux. You may have chosen to try things out using the bootable

Knoppix CD, but at some point (perhaps even now), you may want to do a proper hard-disk install.

The second thing we will need to take care of is important only if you have Windows on your system and there is data you need to preserve and migrate. Let's start with the first step.

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Moving to Linux: Kiss the Blue Screen of Death Goodbye!

Getting Linux

This one is actually the easy part.One way to get Linux is to buy a copy. Head down to your local computer software

store and ask for your favorite distribution. Alternatively, visit your favorite vendor’s Web site, whether it be Mandrake, SuSE, Red Hat, or any of the many different distributions listed on the DistroWatch (http://www.dis trowatch.com ) Web site and order one online. Incidentally, DistroWatch also lists the top 10 major distributions at any given time.

Which distribution should you get? Well, every Linux vendor does things a little differently. If you think of this in terms of cars, it starts to make sense. Every single car out there is basically an engine on wheels with seats and some kind of steering mechanism so that drivers can get to where they want to go. What kind of car you buy depends on what else you expect from a car, whether that is comfort, style, the vendor’s reputation, or any great number of other choices.

Recommendation You really want me to suggestsomething? Let me start by saying that I think it is a wonderful thing that so many Linux distributions exist. Aside from creating a rich OS landscape, it furthers creativity and fosters innovation in software design. This can only be a good thing. However, if you push me for a suggestion and you are just getting started with Linux, I would probably suggest Mandrake first. It's an excellent, well-engineered, and beginner-friendly Linux.

You might be asking the question, If I can get a free copy of Linux, why would I want to pay for one? As it turns out, there is more than one answer to that question. The first is that buying a boxed set usually gets you some amount of technical support from the vendor. If you are feeling nervous about your first Linux installation, this might be a good reason. Second, the boxed set usually contains some kind of manual or manuals specific to that version of Linux. That will inevitably lead to another question as to what makes this Linux different from that one. Finally, in purchasing a boxed set, you are supporting the company that put leather on the seats or tinted the windows. It’s a way of saying, “Thanks for all the hard work.”

Because it is possible to get a free copy of Linux, you don’t have to shell out the dollars if you don’t want to. At most, you’ll need a fast Internet connection, a CD burner, and some blank CDs—or a helpful friend who has these.

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Chapter 2 Ready…Set…Linux!

Getting a Free Copy of Linux

The idea of free software—a free operating system in particular—takes some getting used to, but it happens fast. When you are working with other operating systems, getting and trying new releases involves some kind of cash outlay. In the case of Linux, the most you need is a spare machine on which to play. Consequently, you can load one version of Linux, take it for a spin, then load another and see whether that feels any better to you.

If you have a high-speed Internet connection (and a CD burner), you can visit any of the vendors’sites listed at the end of this chapter and download their latest and greatest. Remember, though, that although you may download their latest Linux free of charge, technical support may still be an extra cost.

If you don’t like the idea of visiting each and every one of those sites, a visit to LinuxIso.org (http://www.linuxiso.org/) may be in order. This site provides you with a one-stop shop for the more popular Linux distributions with ISOs (CD-ROM images) available for download.

Package Managers and Updates

Package managers often have a great deal to do with what people end up choosing in terms of a distribution. In this book, I’ll be talking about installing software using RPM, and every distribution I mentioned above uses RPM as the package manager, so the information you take with you will work with any of these releases. I have also developed a great respect for the power and simplicity of Debian’s apt-get program. In fact, you now get apt-get for RPM-based systems.

The method of update is also worthy of consideration. Many vendors now provide an option for updating and patching your system online. As long as you have a fast Internet connection, you are all set. Finally, here’s the great disclaimer of the decade: Linux, like all dynamic, living things, is evolving and changing. It is a moving target and, consequently, the details of a specific distribution will change over time. In the next chapter, I’ll cover three major distributions and their installation procedures to give you an idea of what you can expect to see. For now, let’s talk about what you are going to need in preparation for getting Linux on your system.

Dual BootingAs much as I would like to think that each and every one of you is more than ready to say goodbye forever to your old operating system and hello to Linux, I know that for many this is a very big jump. If you are still feeling a little insecure

about simply breaking free and running Linux, I’m here to tell you that you can get the best of both worlds. It is called dual booting.

Dual booting refers to the technique of making a home for both operating systems on your machine. When you start your computer, a small program called a boot loader offers you a menu of choices from which you can decide to boot Linux or whatever other operating system you have installed. That boot loader, for the most part, is called Grand Unified Bootloader (GRUB). A second and still very common boot loader is called LILO, the Linux Loader.

When you load Linux on a system that already has Windows installed, your new system is smart enough to recognize the existence of this other operating system. You’ll find that an entry for both your operating systems will magically appear in your boot loader menu.

Preserving Your Data

When you’ve been using a computer for a long time, you amass a lot of data. Forget software—the data is the most important thing on your system, and you need to get it backed up. Whether you dual boot or not, I want to stress that you are going to be doing some major changes to your hard disk. Please don’t take any chances with your data. Make a backup.

Because Windows backup programs aren’t necessarily going to be helpful in getting your data onto a Linux system, you should copy the various word processing documents, spreadsheets, graphics (all those pictures you took with your digital camera), music files, and anything else that you will want later onto some kind of media, whether it is a ZIP drive, diskettes, or a CD.

If you have large amounts of data, it might make sense to keep a Windows partition around long enough to copy from one to the other. Most of the major Linux distributions will not only notice the existence of your Windows partition, they will also provide you with an icon on your desktop so that you can easily access that data. Although this may seem like a great way to avoid backing up your data, please don’t ignore this step. In fact, if you haven’t been backing up your system, your system has been living on borrowed time. If in doubt, back up.

A Linux-Only System

This is by far the easiest alternative because you don’t have to worry about keeping an intact copy of something else on the system. This represents quite the leap because there is no going back (without reinstalling from scratch). If

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you go down this road, you have access to all your disk space, and Linux uses disk space more efficiently. You can also kiss those proprietary licensing issues goodbye (not to mention the Blue Screen of Death).

When you are ready to install, simply choose the option that will overwrite the entire system. The installation process will take care of the rest for you. It’s that simple.

Windows on Linux

Under Linux, it is possible to run a number of Windows applications without having Windows installed at all. This is done with Wine. I’m not talking about the fermented beverage some of us are quite fond of, but a package that runs on Linux. Allow me to paraphrase from the Wine Web site . . . Wine Is Not an Emulator. Wine is a compatibility layer, a set of APIs that enable some Windows applications to operate on a Linux system running the X window system (the Linux graphical environment).

Wine will not run every Windows application, but the number of applications it is capable of running is increasing all the time. Some commercial vendors have ported certain Windows applications to Linux by making some of the code run in Wine. This has sped up the normal production cycle and made it possible for them to get their programs to Linux users faster.

Wine Tip When it comes to Wine (the software), younger is most definitely better. A well-aged Wine (the software) will not be as good at running your Windows software as a brand new Wine. As for wine (the beverage), aging is certainly a good thing, but there are limits. As a rule, reds can age longer than whites, but it all depends on the variety. Consult your local wine vendor or pick up a good book on the subject.

Many Linux distributions include a version of Wine on the CDs, and some let you select Windows compatibility applications as part of the installation procedure. Keep in mind that the newer your Wine, the better. For the latest and greatest on Wine development, visit the Wine Web site (http://www.winehq.com/). A great deal of Wine development is being done at CodeWeavers (http://www.codeweavers.com/). Its version provides an installation wizard to guide you through the installation and configuration process for Wine. It makes the whole process extremely simple.

VMwareThe Wine project has done some impressive work, but it will not run all Windows applications. Sometimes you just need to run the whole shebang, and that means a full copy of Windows. Because you don’t want to boot back and forth between Linux and Windows, it would be great if you could run Windows entirely on your Linux machine. This is the philosophy behind VMware—and it doesn’t stop there.

VMware enables you to create virtual machines on your computer. Complete with boot-up BIOS and memory checks, VMware virtualizes your entire hardware configuration, making the PC inside the PC as real as the one you are running. Furthermore, VMware enables you to run (not emulate) Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, FreeBSD, or other Linuxes. For the developer or support person who needs to work (or write code) on different platforms, this is an incredible package. Yes, you can even run another Linux on your Linux, making it possible to test (or play with) different releases without reinstalling on a separate machine. VMware knows enough to share your printers, network cards, and so on. You can even network between the “real” machine and the virtual machine as though they were two separate systems.

All this capability comes at a price, however. Aside from the dollars that you spend on this package (and it can be well worth it), there is a considerable price in performance. VMware is a hungry beast. The more processor power and memory you have, the better. A Pentium III with 96 or more megabytes should be your starting point. Unlike Wine, you do need a licensed copy of Windows (or whatever OS you are installing) to run.

VMware comes in a variety of packages and price points. Visit the VMware Web site (http://www.vmware.com/) for details.

Win4LinAnother alternative still requires a licensed copy of Windows. Netraverse (http://www.netraverse.com) sells a package called Win4Lin. This is a package designed to let you run Windows on your system but unlike VMware, only Windows (95, 98, and ME at this writing). It is, however, somewhat less expensive than VMware. Once again, remember that because you aren’t emulating Windows but actually running a copy, you still need that licensed copy of Windows.

Win4Lin’s magic is performed at the kernel level. Consequently, this re -quires that you download a patched kernel equivalent to what you are cur rently running or that you patch and rebuild your own. If you have compiled

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custom drivers into your kernel, you are going to have to go through the process again to get Win4Lin going.

What I have found interesting is that Windows installs and loads much faster under Linux than in native mode. Win4Lin works very well indeed and requires surprisingly little in terms of resources. I have run it on a Pentium 233 notebook with 64MB of RAM and found that it was reasonably peppy. You do take a performance hit, but it feels minor and should not distract you under most circumstances.

Breaking Free!

You may not need to go through any of these hoops to preserve your old operating system. As you go through this book, you may find that all of your needs are met just running Linux. There are plenty of applications as slick and as capable as anything in the Windows world.

Why go back and forth when you can just go forward? On that note, let’s turn the page to Chapter 3 and get Linux installed on your system.

Resources

CodeWeavershttp://www.codeweavers.com

Debianhttp://www.debian.org

DistroWatch (for a great distribution roundup)http://www.distrowatch.com

Linux.orghttp://www.linux.org

Mandrakehttp://www.mandrakelinux.com

Red Hat Softwarehttp://www.redhat.com

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Moving to Linux: Kiss the Blue Screen of Death Goodbye!

Slackware Linux http://www.slackware.org SuSE Linux

http://www.suse.com

VMwarehttp://www.vmware.com

Win4Lin Web Site http://www.netraverse.com

WINE Project http://www.winehq.com