How to Get Linux
Live CD distributions
Boot and run Linux without installing to your hard drive, so you can try Linux without losing any data from your existing OS.
Distributions most mentioned in Linux Journal
- Debian GNU/Linux
- Fedora Project, sponsored by Red Hat
- Gentoo Linux
- Mandriva Linux
- MEPIS Linux
- PCLinuxOS
- Red Hat Enterprise
- Rock Linux
- Slackware Linux
- SUSE Linux
- Turbolinux
- Ubuntu and other flavors including Kubuntu which is based on the K Desktop Environment, Edubuntu aimed at classroom use, and Xubuntu which is lighter on system requirements and runs on the Xfce Desktop Environment
Can't decide which distribution is right for you? See LJ's How to Pick a Distribution for some help. There you'll learn about important factors to consider in order to avoid incompatibilities, high maintenance and lack of support.
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Recently Popular
From the Magazine
December 2008, #176
The Oxford English Dictionary says the word "gadget" is a placeholder name for a technical item whose precise name one can't remember. Like that book-reader thingy from Amazon...what's it called? Spindle, Gindle...Kindle, that's it. Check it out in this month's gadget issue.
Other gadgets covered include the Nokia tablets, the BlackBerry, the Neo FreeRunner, the Dash Express, the Roku Netflix Player, the Kangaroo TV, The TomTom GO 930 and the MooBella Ice Cream System. On the larger hardware front, read the reviews of the Acer Aspire One and the YDL PowerStation. On the software front, check out the articles and columns on memcached, Samba security, Mutt, desktop gadgets, bash and Puppet. To wrap it all up, read Doc's thoughts on Google and the browser platform.
