Linux

Linux Bible

Linux Bible 2005 Edition cover

I’ve just begun reading this book, Linux Bible 2005 Edition by Christopher Negus (Wiley, 2005). It claims to help me:

Understand what Linux is and where it comes from
Sort through the various incarnations of Linux to choose one (or more) that is right for me
Try out Linux as a desktop computer, server computer, or programmer’s workstation
Become connected to the open-source software movement

Sounds like a good start. For quite a while I’ve wanted to get into Linux (I already own the t-shirt!). Maybe this book will give me the chance to understand what it’s all about, how it compares with Windows, and what I need to do to get started. One of my immediate concerns is regarding dual-booting, that is installing more than one operating system on the same system, in my case Linux with Windows (either 98se or XP, depending on which machine I install it on here). This book, I am certain, will guide me through that process step by step: it does claim to be the Bible after all!

I expect to return from Cellardyke on Friday a fully-trained Linux guru.

I’m posting this from Firefox running under the Ubuntu Live Linux installation. Here’s a screenshot, which I’ll tidy up later.

… and I’ve just reduced the file size using The GIMP 2, also in Linux. (You can also see the fullsize 1024 x 768 pixel screenshot.)

I saw a Linux ISO

Ubuntu Linux logo

I’m currently downloading the latest Ubuntu Linux ISO (v.5.04) for my good friend James.

This must be the largest single download I’ve ever attempted: 600.9 MB. I remember, only a couple of years ago, in Inverness spending four days trying to download the 24.6 MB PsiWin 2.3.3 setup file. Four days it took me before I got it downloaded without dropping a connection. It was driving me mad. I’ve now got that file on my own website … how things change.

I’d rather like to play around with Linux at some point. We’ve got another PC upstairs which isn’t used as often, and a spare 40GB hard drive that I’m sure is eager to be repartitioned and filled up with some wholesome Linux-y goodness.

I’d like to get a Linux server up and running, running Apache, PHP5 and the latest version of MySQL. But what flavour … ? James is checking out Ubuntu, I’ve got an ISO of Mandrake 10.1 to hand, I know some ISPs run Red Hat … much to decide.

That’s the easy bit: downloading the ISO and installing it. The hard bit is finding time to do it.