Linux - inns and outs

A lot of people are constantly hung-up, not sure whether to even give Linux a shot. I assure you, unless you're the type that doesn't like to learn anything or have fun with their computer, you will love Linux in all its forms.

Linux is, in essence, your personal operating system. While it can't run a lot of applications that are on more popular operating systems (Windows and Mac), you can virtualize some Windows programs with WINE, and even so, there are many open-source alternatives. In fact, Linux itself is open-source, which allows for ultimate customization on your part and for developers.

When you first get started with Linux, you may be a bit hung-up because you cannot figure out what to do or how to get things to work. This is normal if you've been using another operating system your entire life - But that doesn't mean to give up! Keep trying, nothing new is easy, and your hard work will pay off when you have a completely customized operating system that fits your needs.

If you are just starting out, though, I recommend you try out the Ubuntu distribution (http://www.ubuntu.com/). Ubuntu is a very user-friendly distribution and will give you a nice and easy push in the right direction, and get you started off with the journey.

As soon as you're finished with Ubuntu, there are plenty of other great distributions that will provide a more experience-based habitat to help you further your understanding of the operating system even more.

Not to mention that they're constantly being upgraded to fit the calls of users and to improve over and over what's already a fantastic operating system.

If you ever need help with anything Linux, there are forums everywhere. All over the internet, people are waiting at their computers to help you with your issues.

Lots of people get confused where customization comes in. You can do a quick search and find the coolest looking desktops you've ever seen with Linux, but people don't know how to do it. I won't get into it, but it depends on your desktop environment. The two most popular desktop environments are

KDE

GNOME

There are different techniques and softwares for each, but it's about the same level of difficulty with both, once you get the hang of it. And trust me, as soon as you get the hang of it, you'll be customizing on a constant basis, always making your computer just that much more personal and just that much more attractive. Believe me, with an open-source operating system, the sky is the limit.