Where can I get Linux?

4 Oct 2002 | Me

[Live free or die]

I'm trying to find a website where I can download Linux without some kind of wierd commitment and a deluge of junk-mail. I've heard its free but I'm really no seeing it...There's a website for this sort of thing right?

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[ShorelineMike]

Download Mandrake Linux from here:

http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/ftp.php3

[Moose4]

Try www.linux.com or www.linuxnewbie.org. Basically, though, you will be better off either downloading a distribution from a manufacturer's website (like www.redhat.com, for example) and burning it onto an install CD, or going to the store and dropping a few shekels on a Linux CD. I bought Red Hat 7.1 last year for $39...got 4 CDs (two CDs of source code, one of documentation, and the binaries themselves) and some very well-written books that made installing it easy.

I now run RH 7.1 on my "backup" machine, an old 300 MHz Celeron. It's great. Just be prepared for a lot less hand-holding than with Windows, but if you're willing to do some work it's a great way to learn more about your computer.

Good luck!

}:-)4

[John Jorsett]

Linux is the generic term. What you want is a distribution ('distro') which is the OS packaged with a bunch of other things like utilities, GUIs, etc. to make a useful product. Two very popular distros are Redhat and Mandrake. Distros are enormous (hundreds of MB) so don't even think about downloading it unless you have high speed access like cable modem or DSL. Mandrake is said to be the more 'newbie-friendly' of the distros. You can download it from this site: http://www.mandrakelinux.com.

You might want to download what's called the "ISO images" of the distro. You burn these to CDs, and then install from the CDs like you would any software product. It's the easiest way, in my opinion.

I'd also advise buying a book on Linux from a bookstore (Linxus For Dummies perhaps) to supplement the distro documentation.

[Mitchell]

You want to download a particular distribution, not just "Linux". Check out SuSE here, or Red Hat here, or look up one of the many other distributions.

You would probably find it easier to get a CD (again, of one of the distributions) and install from that. But FTP installs can certainly work just fine (I've done them both). I'm told that the latest Mandrake distribution is particularly easy to install, but I never had any problems with any of the other distributions I've tried.

[dennisw]

http://www.csociety.org/ftp.html

[Pearls Before Swine]

Try ibiblio.org, which has links or ftp copies of a large number of distributions. In particular, it has Red Hat, and you're more likely to actually be able to download than if you go to the corporate Red Hat site. I use SuSE myself, but I started out with a free distro.

Another free distribution is Free BSD, but I think you need to know a bit more about Linux to get things going. Red Hat (and I hear Mandrake) have user friendly installer programs.

[Voltage]

http://www.linuxiso.org

[Drango]

How much do you know about Linux? The free stuff can be a real bear and a pain. In short it's for experts or people into pain. The stuff you buy, has instructions and are a lot easier to use/install. While it's an over simplification; in many cases, the more you pay the easier the install.

[Norman Conquest]

If you don't want to spend hours downloading and burning install CDs, you can get cheap discs for many of the popular distros from http://cart.cheapbytes.com/cgi-bin/cart ... I especially like their version of Linux-Mandrake. Easy install, full featured.

The only advantage of the "official" box versions are the manuals. I'd rather save $30.

[Mute]

CheapBytes is definitely the way to go. Downloading is a pain in the ass. I got Red Hat 7.3 from them for $10.99, including shipping.

[B Knotts]

Debian GNU/Linux

Floppy/Network install - Network Install from a minimal CD

Not for beginners, but it is non-commercial and all volunteer.

[dark_lord]

Go here for instructions: Red Hat Download How To
Go here to download: Download Red Hat Linux

I suggest, however, that you just go down to your nearest bookstore (B&N, or Borders, perhaps) and pick up any of the nice Linux books that have the CD-ROMS in back. That will cost you about $25 - $50, but you don't have to deal with the download, you can load onto multiple machines from the CD-ROM, and the book provides a ton of useful advice.

[B Knotts]

I agree with the others, if you are on a slowish connection, and want one of the commercial distributions (like Red Hat or Mandrake), CheapBytes is a good way to go.

[Abcdefg]

I downloaded Redhat 7.3 and it was easier to install than Winblows 98 and about as easy as Windows 2000.

Redhat is also easy to use as it is, but it's more difficult to add stuff. Version 8 is now available and is probably even easier to use.

I have tried downloading version 8 and it is to slow to bear, so I'll wait a bit or buy from the store.

[Vincent J.]

*switching to temporary delurk mode*
Mandrake definately has my vote. I'm a total Linux newbie, and I had no problem whatsoever with installing and using it. Version 9.0 just came out, and it's the best desktop distro to date (IMHO).
*back to lurking mode*

[eno_]

If you have broadband, download Debian from www.debian.org (or the mirrors listed there). If you have a modem, run down to a CompUSA and buy Red Hat Linux. There are other choices, most of them fine. And you can always choose differntly later. Buy some Linux books. Learn. Have fun!

[jmax]

Just read all the posts'. Think I have it figured out. First you .org a linuxnewbie, then you buy a Red Hat with some binaries (or strwberries). After wiring that to an old 300 MHz Celeron, and insuring the "ISO images" are distro and free of BSD's you have to talk to a guy named Mandrake in order to get the SuSE to co-hab with RH 7.1 and the GUI's.

The only part I'm having trouble with is burning the CD. Poured gasoline over it, tossed on a match and all it did was get black and kinda curl up around the edges. WHY DIDN'T IT BURN????

:)

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

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