Does Linux suit you? (i) _unix Linux

    The first part: Linux you ask me to answer
    can i install Linux on my computer?
    of course! But to make it work, you need to make some preparation--or even replace some hardware. One long-standing problem surrounding Linux is the hardware support issue. You may not be able to install Linux on every computer and expect it to work properly. For example, you may experience problems with graphics cards that do not work properly on Linux, because some vendors do not provide drivers for the Linux graphical Interface (XFREE86), and this is a big improvement: The latest release of XFREE86 provides a Nvida Support for all graphics accelerator cards produced throughout the pipeline-including GeForce 256--plus new graphics adapters from S3, ATI, 3dfx, and other vendors. The
Modem is another source of trouble, but the general external modem and most of the built-in modems can work properly under Linux. A device called the Windows Modem (the soft "cat" we usually refer to) can cause us considerable trouble. They are not very different from the ordinary modem, but they have to rely on the CPU to complete the process of the ordinary modem's own work. This makes them cheap but leads to a clash with Linux, which works well under Windows. Because Modem manufacturers are unwilling to disclose their secrets, they refuse to provide sufficient technical information to open source developers to help them create Third-party winmodems drivers. So these widely distributed devices are currently not available under Linux.
Previously, Linux support for embedded printers was limited. Most Linux applications (and most Unix applications) are currently output in PostScript format, with a very small number of printer support. A tool called Ghostscript allows these applications to talk to non-PostScript printers, but Ghostscript does not support all printers. Over the next year, the printer's condition is likely to change a lot because Corel has already disclosed the printer program it has developed for Office components, and HP has announced that it is developing a dedicated Linux printer.

How can I know my current hardware support Linux?
First look at the various Linux version of the developer's Web site, most of them provide a large number of hardware Compatibility List. The best online resource for "cat" is Rob Clarks's database page (soft "cat" is not "cat"-www.02.net/~gromitkc/winmodem.html); Check to see if your cat is supported by Linux.

Can Linux coexist with Windows?
Yes, of course you can. If you want to install Linux, but do not want to get Windows out of the system, you can install Linux on a separate partition (most versions require about 500 megabytes). Windows uses only one hard disk partition, while Linux requires at least two partitions. Before installing Linux you need to use Partition Magic this tool to transform the hard disk partition, but after installing Linux when the system starts, a small program called LILO will ask you to start which operating system.
If you want to enjoy both Linux stability and rich Windows software, VMware's VMware 2.0 can help you achieve this dream: it allows you to run Windows 9x, NT, and 2000 in Linux, or in Windows 9x, 200 Linux is running in 0 and NT. It is done by building a virtual PC in the main operating system, and then you can install a second operating system on the virtual computer (which is essentially different from the two operating systems). Although the technology is not yet mature, you can run most Windows applications in Linux.

    I heard that Linux and Windows are not the same, it does not have a standard graphical interface, is this true?
    Yes. The look and feel of a window system is determined by the operating system itself: Windows can define the appearance of elements such as menu bars, scroll bars, dialog boxes, and so on. Linux does not provide any definition of this, with the Linux Ribbon graphical user interface system is XFREE86. The
currently competitive two main desktop environments are GNOME and KDE. In addition to some differences in software systems, they both provide a taskbar (an application console similar to the Windows Start menu) and a variety of applet (Notepad, counter, CD Player, and so on). The Corellinux operating system and the Caldera OpenLinux operating system bring their own KDE desktop environment. Red Hats Linux and Linux mandrake also bring both desktop environments, but the default setting for the former is GNOME, which is KDE.
Both provide a neat, simple user interface, so many Windows users can easily reach the floor even if they have not previously contacted Linux. Both GNOME and KDE environments are exposed to the source code.

    How many Linux applications are available?
    is more than you might expect, but it may be less than you would like. Now the world's most popular business application suite-Microsoft Office for Windows does not yet have a Linux version, and Microsoft is not planning to migrate Office 2000 to Linux. Instead, Corel spent more than 1 years porting its Office suite WordPerfect Office to Linux. The biggest goal of Corel company to develop this Linux office software is to gain the same competitive edge as Microsoft office.
Although many software does not yet have a Linux version, there is still a lot of software available to choose from to open source code. So even though Adobe is not going to develop a Linux version of Photoshop, there are still a lot of free software to choose from, such as Gimp (www.gimp.org), which is functionally comparable to Photoshop, and even the features that Photoshop does not. Similarly, your digital camera may not have a Linux version of the photo viewing software, don't worry, go to the www.gphoto.org website to download a free gphoto to try, he can also be used to view photos.
There are actually hundreds of Linux applications, but most of them are for special purposes (such as three-dimensional object modeling programs) and server-oriented (such as robust Database). In addition to the current Linux version of the Navigator, there are many alternative e-mail client programs, news reading programs, etc. ... These applications run more stably than their Windows version.

: If I have Linux installed, how can I learn?
: It all depends on what you do with it. The process of installing Linux is one of the hardest parts of becoming a Linux user. Once you have overcome this obstacle, you have a very stable, very powerful operating system ready for the Internet. With two Linux-led desktop environments such as GNOME and KDE, you will have an easy-to-use, elegant interface that is enough to make friends with Windows jealous. On the other hand, there is no drive letter in Linux, and instead a single, all-inclusive directory structure.
If you use a computer just to handle a small amount of core tasks-such as word processing, email, Web page browsing, and so on-you will soon get used to Linux.
If you start working on some difficult tasks, you'll need to increase your learning efforts. For example, changing the hardware configuration will give you a pretty headache. If you like to modify your system for better performance and personalized interfaces, don't put your hopes on your Windows knowledge, you need to start learning new skills and knowledge.

: Which version of Linux should I choose?
: It still depends on what you do with it. If you just want to see what Linux looks like, Corel Linux may be your best bet. Corel makes Linux easier to install and use.

: Linux sounds like a real game. Do I need to try?
: Ask yourself this question: Can your computer do what you need to do? If the answer is "yes", Linux won't make much sense to you in the near future. If the answer is "no"-because you want to build a simple Internet server, or you really hate the blue screen crash problem that often happens in Windows-then Linux is worth a try. Linux is still a "kid", so it's not what everyone needs.