1. LJC Warning

First of all, LJC and the author of this guide is not responsible for any misuse, abuse, damage, or loss of data cased by following this guide. You should always backup your information before trying to make any major changes to you computer. Again, back up your data and remember that you are doing this at your own risk.

2. Guide Description

So you ask what is the whole purpose of this "Porting from Windows to Linux" guide? This guide will help you setup a Linux Distribution of your choice on a stand alone computer or to co-exist with an M$ Windowz partition.

So you're interested? Great, if you already know what Linux is and just want to start installing it, skip over to the "Installing Linux" section. If you not sure what this is all about and feel confused please read on and you will get your answers, hopefully :)

3. Linux Introduction

I will try to make this as brief and easy on everybody as I can. Well, Linux is an Operating System (OS) similar to Windows 98, XP, or MacOS10, but at the same time much different in many ways. One of the great things about it is that Linux will run on almost any kind of computer system in the world, but for home use it works best on an Intel, Athlon, or PowerPC based system. The thing that makes Linux so special is the Linux kernel. The kernel is the core of the operating system which allows all your hardware and software to co-exist together. It can be configured (or in Linux terms "compiled") to suit your own needs and the ones of your computer. Sometimes you will need to recompile the kernel in order to get certain or new devices to work correctly. That can be difficult for first time users but often becomes second hand nature with time. Linux can be a very stable OS for either home or business use if correctly configured. It is based on the UNIX architecture and its look and feel is very similar so if you learn how to use UNIX you will know how to use Linux. It is a very powerful tool that has no boundaries and therefore it's growing bigger and bigger everyday in today's Homes and business market. Linux and most of its components are part of the General Public License (GPL) which gives you the freedom to get it for free as long as you share it with others, and that includes any modifications that you personally made to the kernel. Usually the kernel comes with a lot of different software packages like media players, games, and office applications. Many companies package the kernel with their own software, print some manuals, and sell it to the public for a fair price. Few of those companies are Red Hat, Mandrake, and SuSE to mention a few; they are referred to as Linux distributions. Most distributors also offer their versions for free via the net. If you have a high speed connection or patience and a 56k modem, you can download it from the many sites that host the CD images. Another option you have is to perform a complete installs over FTP, but I'd make that my last choice because of the potential things that might go wrong. Linux has advanced very much in the past few years. If features multiple powerful graphical desktops known as X Window, can run most M$ Windows and Playstation2 games, and then if required you can turn your Linux box in to a completely rock solid server or development client of your choice. It is not that hard get Linux working and the only real way to experience and see the power of Linux is simply to give it a try. The price you going to pay is knowledge and that will only prosper you in the long run.
Well, that was a quick description of the Linux Operating System. There is actually much more to it, but unfortunately it's beyond the scope of this guide.

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