Note: Currently still in development. I'm looking at the old discussion page to see what to add. If you think anything critcal needs to be added please make a new Linux FAQ addition thread. I'd like to keep this one to just the FAQ.
The TechGuy Linux FAQ
Compiled by Whiteskin, Tsunam and the rest of the linux forum members help.
This is a little FAQ compiled from the combined experience of many members of the forums. It designed to help someone understand what Linux is, what its strengths are, and what it's weaknesses are.
Q1. What is Linux?
A1. To quote the linux source README:
Quote:
WHAT IS LINUX?
Linux is a Unix clone written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX compliance. It has all the features you would expect in a modern fully-fledged Unix, including true multitasking, virtual memory, shared libraries, demand loading, shared copy-on-write executables, proper memory management and TCP/IP networking. It is distributed under the GNU General Public License - see the accompanying COPYING file for more details.
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Now for those of us who don't understand the above, let me go through it. In essence Linux is a Unix type Operating system. (The operating system is that which runs your computer. It is the "Bottom" program which allows standardized access to hardware, resources etc.). It shares a common feel and programming structure (which, most likely is irrelevant to you).
Linux is written in a distributed manner, meaning that many people have contributed to building this operating system from all over the world. Linus, the creator of the Linux OS, used to live in Finland. Many developers live in the US, others in Europe, etc.
Linux is published under a free license, which allows distribution by anyone, as long as certain requirements are met. It is freely downloadable in the form of many distributions (see Q4.).
Q2. Why should I bother to look at using Linux?
A2. Because Linux is becoming a revolution. It is on the leading forefront of the IT world. A good percentage of websites you visit are in fact run on linux servers. So in essence you’ve already used linux in some capacity. The chances rise every day that one day you may have to use linux in your job. Without realizing it you might have already used linux on a something such as: PDA's, robots, parking meters, cooperate systems etc.)
Linux can also help resurrect old hardware, abandoned by more popular OS makers who have since moved on to the newest and best systems. The minimum requirements are only a 486 (Though, as with windows, it will not be a rocket).
Linux has become known and recognized for its Stability, performance and freedom. Though, for absolute rock stability its recommend to use a BSD system like FreeBSD. Because of the culture that surrounds Linux, much of the software written for it is free. For more on the linux culture, find a copy of "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S. Raymond.
Linux's speed and reliability rival and or beat most other operating systems, including commercial ones.
Q3. What is Linux Not?
A3. Linux is Not many things. One of the most important things to realize it is not a Windows clone. As such, you will not be able to run your Windows programs without some extreme measures (See the winehq.com FAQ if you wish to see what you have to do to run some of the programs).
Linux is not an operating system to just hop into and use such as Windows or Mac’s OSX. With the invention of modern installers and Desktop environments, Linux can seem to be as easy to use as windows. Eventually you will have to get under the hood, and this is where the true learning begins.
Q4. What is a distribution?
A4. As "Linux" per-say is only the kernel of the operating system, the very abstract part that access's hardware, more utilities and programs must be provided. Early into Linux's evolution, various Distributions appeared. These Distributions were custom made kits of software, and the linux kernel that came together to form a complete Operating system. Now, there are literally hundreds of distributions (also called flavor's sometimes), some being commercial (Xandros, Suse, Redhat) and some are strictly volunteer based, non-profit (Debian, Gentoo, Slackware).
Most Commercial linux vendors offer a free download of their distribution (As linux's distribution license prevents them from doing otherwise.) All their money is made in support and other "Non-free" programs. Suse's YAST, until recently, was one of these programs. The open-source distributions have always been free. This means that getting linux is as simple as choosing a distribution, and burning it.
Because there are so many distributions, each has chosen its own path. I will separate them into three categories. Easy, Medium, and Advanced. And easy distribution is simple to install, with little or no choices needing to be made by the user, very similar to Window’s installations. An advanced distribution is the opposite: The user is given complete control into what goes into the system, and how it is set up.
RedHat Linux (RH9, Fedora core 1 and 2): Easy/Medium
Redhat is one of the first distribution’s created. It has since become one of the most popular. When one purchases a book about linux, chances are that it is a Redhat linux book. Recently, Redhat has stopped support for non commercial RH9 and below. That has been replaced with the community project, the Fedora Core. Redhat can be classified as either an easy or a medium distribution. Its install is quite simple, however, it does not necessarily have all the "amenities" of an easier distribution.
Mandrake Linux: Easy
Mandrakesoft is a company based out of France. They put out a popular distribution called Mandrake Linux. Mandrake linux is defiantly an "easy" distribution. Mandrake has one of the best (user friendly) installers in the business.
Debian Gnu/Linux. Medium / hard
Debian is a community run Linux distribution. It was one of the first to be developed in this manner. Before Debian almost all distributions were being created by companies or by single individuals. In 1994, when Debian was created, its founder Ian Murdock put out what is now called the "Debian Manifesto". To get an idea of what Debian is about, I will now quote part of that Manifesto.
Quote:
Quote:
What is Debian Linux?
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Debian Linux is a brand-new kind of Linux distribution. Rather than
being developed by one isolated individual or group, as other
distributions of Linux have been developed in the past, Debian is being
developed openly in the spirit of Linux and GNU. The primary purpose
of the Debian project is to finally create a distribution that lives up
to the Linux name. Debian is being carefully and conscientiously put
together and will be maintained and supported with similar care.
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It was as a result of this manifesto that debian's Social Contract was written, a document defining what Debian GNU/Linux is all about. Read the Social contract here.
Debian's installer can be daunting, however it gives a lot of power.
Gentoo: Medium/hard
Gentoo is a source distribution. This means the user compiles most everything from source. This is both good and bad. Good because it improves performance, especially on older machines. The bad is because this takes time and on a older machine, a lot of time.
LFS (Linux from scratch) : Hard.
Quote:
Linux From Scratch (LFS) is a project that provides you with the steps necessary to build your own custom Linux system.
"Why would I want an LFS system?"
There are a lot of reasons why somebody would want to install an LFS system. The question most people raise is "why go through all the hassle of manually installing a Linux system from scratch when you can just download an existing distribution?". That is a valid question which I hope to answer for you.
The most important reason for LFS's existence is teaching people how a Linux system works internally. Building an LFS system teaches you about all that makes Linux tick, how things work together, and depend on each other. And most importantly, how to customize it to your own taste and needs...
This document and all replies are published under the GNU Free Documentation License
Q5. What is a desktop environment?
A5. A desktop environment is an integrated collection of X windows programs that usually include a window manager, a file manager and other GUI utilities. Examples are KDE, CDE, XFCE, and Gnome. Gnome and KDE are by far the most popular X windows environments.
Q6. I use X program in Windows, can I use it in Linux or is there a Compatible program for Linux?
A6. The answer to the first half of the question is maybe. Check out
http://www.winehq.com/site/supported_applications to see if you can run the program thru Linux directly using wine. If not, or you don't want to bother with wine at all, here is a site that will let you know of equivalent programs.
http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-l...en/table.shtml Q7. Does Linux suffer from spyware and virus's as much as Windows?
A7. The short answer is no. As far as virus's there are some for Linux however they need to be installed by the user. So with some safety precautions you will be perfectly safe. What are these precautions? Well for one, have a general everyday user account that’s separate from root. It’s generally a very bad idea to be logged in as root.
Spyware is the easy one to answer. Since a lot of spyware are viruses or software installed on your system without your knowledge, they do not affect the Linux system. You still do get the tracking cookies but simply clearing out your cache will remove those.
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For futher information concerning linux, or if you are interested in helping out. Please visit any of the following for further information:
www.tldp.org www.google.com/linux www.sf.net www.ibiblio.org www.kernel.org www.linuxsecurity.org 
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