Linux is a posix compliant, 32-bit operating system developed by Linus Travolds. It is licensed under Gnu General Public Licensing, which means that the source code is free and open to the public. The operating system implements true multitasking, TCP/IP networking, and virtual memory. The point is that Linux is not a sloppy, haphazard operating system. Rather, it is an inexpensive and viable alternative to any operating system on the market for your pc or server.

Your basic Linux kernel requires at least a x386 processor with 4mb of RAM (bare minimum). I recommend that you have at least a x486 with 16mb of RAM, and if you plan on using the GUI, then a x586 with at least 32mb of RAM. My system runs comfortably on a AMD K6-2 400mhz with 64mb of RAM. You'll need anywhere from 300mb to a gigabyte of hard drive space... depending on installation options you prefer.

Linux is, without a doubt, a command prompt user's dream. For those of you who are scared of that blinking thing without a mouse, just be patient, I will discuss the GUI for Linux shortly. Linux is based on UNIX, and therefore includes many of its system commands that will be immediatly familiar to UNIX users. At first, these command appear cryptic and meaningless. However, once you read a few documents about the system, the commands will begin to make sense to you.

The main advantage to a command line interface is that it is easy on the resources (which many be in critical use such as with a server). The prompts do the exact same thing as the graphical commands, but they are just a little more complicated to use.

The window system most widely used by Linux is XFree86. Xfree86 isn't actually the GUI, it is the infrastructure for the graphical program. This means that the GUI is detached from the OS... like a client/server relationship. Like in Linux itself, the GUI has been designed for full internet/network implementation. The way the GUI looks is completely up to you. There are many different desktop environments that run with XFree86 such as:
KDE
Gnome
Window Maker
Enlightenment

If you find one you like, but don't like the appearance or something else about it, just change it. That's just one more beauty to open source.

Imagine working with a program, and you see something you don't like... That is commonplace. But now imagine going to an editor and opening the source code and changing it! To quote O'Reilly, "That is open source in a nutshell". Now imagine if your whole operating system could be completely changed at any time... that is what you can do with Linux. Its ALL open source. The vast majority of the programs that are for Linux are also open source. Since the source code is open... that generally means that the programs are free. Free upgrades, free documentation... all free. Sometimes you will find open source programs for sell, but they are usually very inexpensive.

For those of you who aren't ready to build your own custom Linux system, have no fear. Their are lots of alternatives. The most popular alternative is what I like to call a distro. A distro is a prepackaged Linux system that is fully equipped out of the box. Almost any program you would ever need is bundled with the system. It contains setup and installation tools that make installing easy and fast. Today's marketplace features plenty of distros to choose from, but I recommend these:
Mandrake
Debian
S.U.S.E.

A separate article of some depth. Click the head above to view the article.

An introduction to 19 useful commands: cat, cp, date, df, du, free, ftp, gzip, gunzip, ls, man, mkdir, more, mv, ps, rm, rmdir, su, telnet. Click the head above to view the article.

Visit here again for more information about Linux. These pages will be updated almost daily. I plan to continue writing about Linux and anything else that so moves me. These articles are as much of a learning experience for me as I hope they are for the reader. If you have any questions or suggestions email me at:
Chad@corndancer.com