Re: free linux

[Kent West <westk@acu.edu>]

Tomas Faquini wrote:
> 
>     I want free linux, how can i get it????
>            Tomás Faquini
> 
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You can download it from the web, or borrow a friend's CD, or
purchase a book that includes a "free" CD, etc.

There are several "flavors" of Linux (actually one Linux, the
kernel, but several flavors of distributions). The different
distros are based on the Linux kernel, but have different
"features" thrown in on top, although they're all so similar that
once you're comfortable with one you shouldn't have too much
trouble with the others. They're all free, but some are sold as
packages which provide you with a book or commercial support or a
shiny CD, etc.

This list deals with the Debian GNU/Linux distro. Debian is
probably the easiest to maintain and the most stable, but it's
not as "up-to-date" as some of the other distros (because
stability is more important than having the newest gee-whiz
feature), and doesn't have as much mind-share as a few (such as
Redhat). But (I believe) it does have the most packages available
(different applications, tools, etc, such as a game or a text
editor, etc). It also probably best adheres to the free software
philosophy.

If you're just interested in learning about Linux in general, you
can do a web search for "linux" and you'll find more info than
you can deal with. That same type of search can eventually lead
you to a site where you can download distributions.

However, if you're interested in Debian specifically, go to
www.debian.org and read about it there. The "Installation
Instructions" link on the left of the page would be particularly
good reading. And in order to reduce traffic on this list, you
might want to search the "Mailing List Archives" (link just a
little lower than the "Installation Instructions" link) before
posting questions to this list (that doesn't mean you can't post
q's to this list; please feel free to; but check the archives
first to see if it's been asked and answered before).

Hope this helps to answer your question.