Linux - Introduction and Installation

The Windows operating system has dominated the computer market so much that most of us buy it without thinking anything. They fail to realize that the market has other operating systems that are cheaper and perform equally well (if not better). Linux is the best when it comes to open source operating systems. Open source softwares are actually free softwares that are available for use by anybody. This is the main advantage of Linux over Windows. But if you have been using Windows for a long time and thinking of migrating to Linux then it becomes a little bit difficult. This is so because it is very different from Windows.
In this article, you will be learning how to install Linux in a step-by-step way. Linux, as I said before, is an open source software. So it is available for free over the internet. It will be available as Linux ISO file which you will have to download and write on a CD/DVD. But this file is too large. So download it only if you have a high speed broadband connection. Otherwise you go to eBay where some people sell Linux CDs and DVDs at a very cheap rate. I would recommend you to purchase a DVD as it contains more programs than a CD. Ok, so now you have got the CD/DVD of Linux and its time for its installation in your PC. The following steps will guide you through its installation:

1. First of all you should specify the system settings like number of partitions and their sizes, the software programs that you want installed and other network settings.
2. Now you have to insert Linux CD/DVD in the CD/DVD drive and boot your computer. Follow all the steps of its installation, which are very easy to follow, and install the all the settings that you specified in step 1.
3. If you have Linux OS available in more than one CD/DVD then in that case you have to first insert the first CD/DVD to begin the installation and go on sequentially.
4. During the course of installation you will be prompted to “define” users. You can create a “root user” and regular users for your computer. A “root” user has the authority over system administration and he is the one who defines other users.
5. After you have specified the users and other installation settings, the Linux will copy all the important files and folders from the CD/DVD to your hard disk.
6. Now you can reboot your computer and log in to your Linux desktop. Try logging in as a regular user and not as a root user until and unless you feel the need to make some changes in the system.

Now you can have fun using your new operating system. If you want to insert more peppy stuffs then you can surf the web to download many softwares that are made for Linux. Linux is the best open source OS that is efficient and reliable. You will surely enjoy it.