Beginners under gnu/linux? There are five errors to be avoided.

To give the desire for testing linux so that it is one day your operating

system, is one of the objectives of this site. The new users of GNU/Linux

often make the same errors when they test Linux for the first time. The

reasons of these errors are numerous: because Linux is a different OS;

because Windows gives bad habits; because the user chooses the bad

distribution and much of other possibilities. Here some solutions with five

current problems under Linux.

To choose its distribution

There is much opinion on the Linux distribution with which you will

have to start, and the majority are not relevant.

After having to seek, to study, read the opinions of users, with the wire

of time, on many distributions, two points arise:

the first: Linux Bureau is a question of taste,

the second : not a distribution does not join together the whole of the

best options. For start with Linux, it is to advise to choose among the

following distributions, without order:

Professional SUSE and, in the future, openSUSE
Linspire Xandros
Fedora Core
Mandriva (in the past Mandrake)
Ubuntu

Is Linux free?

Some claim that all that is related to Linux is free.A good software

deserves that one pays for him it is obvious, but the price must be

reasonable the majority of the commercial distributions Linux for the

office costs less than 100$ and is really very rich. The term distribution

meaning that a great number of software are gathered they also contain

thousands of applications for the office. The commercial distributions

Linux include word processing softwares, P2P, spreadsheet,

presentation on transparency, edition file sharing of video, binary

compatibility with Windows, virtual machine, reading of DVD, Web server,

Web navigator, and much of others.

The partitions

With Windows, you are accustomed to only one partition on your hard disk.

It contains the operating system, the applications, the data, and a great

space for your file of Windows exchange (the software uses space on the

hard disk when the read-write memory is not enough any more). Linux

functions differently. In order to obtain the best performances of the

system, the file of exchange is on a separate partition. If you have 512 Mo

or 1Go of read-write memory the size the partition of exchange (swap)

should not be lower than 512 Mo, and not lower than 1Go if you have less

than 512 Mo of read-write memory.
It is useless to make a larger partition if you use your machine only for

office automation applications. With this solution you can safeguard the

remainder of your personal and software data on a second partition. It is a

good solution if you never change hard disk or operating system. But if you

wish to preserve your data and the preferences of the applications which

you use, it is to better do two other partitions for the operating system,

the other for your data and your adjustments. that thus gives 1 partition

root “/”, 2 partition “/home”. 3 swap the size depends on the number of

software which you install, but 20 Go are more than sufficient for the

partition root "/“root, the largest part of your disc must be to hold has”

/home ", because it is there that you will store images, films, and

other large files. It is wise to give 75% of the total disk space to the

repertory /home, the majority of the Linux distributions can make the

partitions for you, but they have all various ideas on the number of

partitions to create and their size. you must decide if you want to change

the default values. You can preserve your Windows partition and thanks to

the dual-boot to choose to start your computer either under Windows or

under Linux. You must install Windows in first to make only one

partition but not too large not to obstruct the installation of Linux

after. And if you want to exchange files between the Windows partition and

the Linux partition, use the filing system FAT32 to format your Windows

partition (Window does not read the partition linux and linux does not read

partitions NTFS whereas it can read and write easily on a system FAT32).

The Permissions

With Windows, you are in general either an administrator, or a user with

the rights of administrator. With Linux, you are in general connect as

a user to restricted access, and you pass as a root (i.e. administrator

under Windows) when you must change important parameters of the system or

regulate the hardware configuration or add or remove a program. This

organization based on the permissions makes your system protected and one

is accustomed quickly, although that is strange at the beginning.

To give up with the first problems.

inux is not Windows thus you enter a new world with new rules. To

learn has to evolve/move in this new world will take time, it is normal. It

will be necessary to learn from new software, a new interface, with a new

manner of making. but once passed this stage hardest is made. The community

the forums are sources of support as well as the site of your distribution

if you chose a distribution commercial. To learn an operating system is a

challenge. Essayer Linux is not in fact so hard and a thing is sure in any

case: more you are frustrated with Windows and its problems, more the

transition to Linux will be easy. Good luck!