Getting started with Linux...........

[AlchemyAcres]

It's fairly painless to get started with Linux using Puppy or Damn Small...they're both minimalist distros that run fast, even on older hardware..I can do 99% of what I need to do with either...both have forums or IRC with plenty of folks willing to help if you get 'stuck'....

Here's some 'get started' info..................

Puppy.........

http://www.puppylinux.org

http://puppylinux.org/wikka/PuppyLinuxMainPage

http://rhinoweb.us/ (video tutorials)

Damn Small..........

http://damnsmalllinux.org/

http://damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

"The Official Damn Small Linux Book: The Tiny Adaptable Linux That Runs on Anything."

http://www.amazon.com/Official-Damn-Small-Linux-Book/dp/0132338696

Totally new to Linux?

"After several months of writing and revising, I have made available the “Easiest Linux Guide You’ll Ever Read”. It is a 160-page book geared towards people who are competent with using Windows, who have never attempted to use Linux but are interested in giving it a try." Free PDF!

http://www.suseblog.com/?p=141

~Martin :)

[chrisser]

Thanks Martin.

I used to be a Unix Admin - mostly AIX, once was RHCE certified in RedHat. Also dabbled with SUSE and some of the older Sun stuff.

But, keeping the house of cards that is Windows up and running in a production environment pays the bills and has for about 8 years, so I've let my Unix certs expire and am starting to forget more than I ever knew.

These small Unix distros might be fun to play with on some older equipment that's always lying around.

[AlchemyAcres]

Yeah, it's a shame so much old equipment is tossed out when it could do someone some good.

They're both great for reviving old stuff.

My biggest interest is in setting up fast fanless/diskless minimalist 'workstations' and servers for off-grid computing and extending battery life when going mobile......again, both distros are great for that.

http://www.lesswatts.org/

~Martin :)

[sheen_estevez]

I'm running Ubunutu on my laptop my desktop is duel boot, right now I'm downloading Linux Mint, (runs off the Ubunutu distro) There isn't anything I can't do in Linux with the exception of my companies new VPN, if I can't find a Linux solution I guess I won't be able to log in when on the road as I won't put Winblows on my laptop.

The duel boot is for the wife and kids, they have some games that run on windows only.

[MadTripper]

There is a Solaris 10 x86 version for free download if you wanted to keep up your unix skills. I ran it for a while until I bought a Sun Ultra 10.

http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/get.jsp#download

Tripper

[AlchemyAcres]

Good news!!!

Dingo Puppy 4 is now available in Beta 1. :D

http://puppylinux.org/wikka/Puppy4

Release Notes:

http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/puppylinux/test/puppy-4.00beta/release-4.00b.htm

~Martin 8)

[otterbob]

I have been using Ubuntu for a few years now and love it !

I still keep a copy of windows on my laptop and office computer only because my GPS needs it and as a Real Estate Agent my Contract site has just this year changed something and now you MUST use IE on Windows.

Otter Bob

[marnee]

We've been running Ubuntu linux since it was first released, and ran Mandriva (formerly Mandrake) before that. My hubby is a big open source fan, which is great since that's how he makes our living. The new version of Ubuntu that was just released Thursday is amazing; everything runs so fast and clean.

We've been able to let me keep using my old vaio desktop that was build during the Windows ME era by using linux over windows.

Chrisser, there is plenty of money to be made through using unix software and open source software. Depending on how you work, it can actually be a better security since you aren't depending on "fixing something that is broke" to pay your bills.