Lee Van

Entering the World of LinuxWhat is Linux?

The Linux kernel is the base of the various Linux operating systems. It is the common piece of source code that is shared between different distributions of Linux. The Linux operating system is one of three major operating systems along with Windows by Microsoft and Macintosh by Apple. Unlike the other two, Linux is open-source, meaning that the source code of the kernel is available to the public.

Why should I install a Linux distribution?The Linux operating system offers many benefits to it users.

Many of its distributions are free. Free alternatives to software such as LibreOffice as opposed to Microsoft

Word. Generally considered more secure than Windows and Macintosh. Updates are done in the background and the machine can still be used. Provides an environment that is helpful to programmers.

Why should I use dual-boot?While many versions of Linux can provide you with options of Windows or Macintosh, that does not mean you should switch right away. Some applications only provide options to be run on certain platforms. The Linux operating system has an application called Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator), can let Linux run some of these applications that are designed to be only available to Windows. However, Wine is an emulator of the Windows operating system and applications that are run using Wine tend to run slower than if run on the Windows machine.

Screenshot of ArchLinux interface taken by Lee Van

Screenshot of Ubuntu 16.01 LTS Desktop taken by Lee Van

Screenshot of Windows 10 Desktop taken by Lee Van

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What is the right version for me?While not all distributions of Linux are free, many of them are.

Ubuntu:Pros:

Is one of the most popular distributions of Linux Has the largest amount of user support for newer users

ArchLinux:Pros:

Allows the user to choose all the applications installed Will provide the user with more experience once installed

Cons: Requires existing knowledge of the Linux operating system. Does not have any programs pre-installed with the operating system besides the

package manager. Does not come with a native graphical interface.

How can I install a Linux operation system?Required Materials:

USB flash drive (required size depends on desired operating system)Before you get started:

There is a chance that something could go wrong while preforming these steps. It is strongly recommended that you back up your information in the case that something does go wrong while installing your Linux operating system.

Obtaining your Linux operating system:i) Download the .iso file of the operating system from the official website of the desired

operating system.ii) The Linux distribution shown below can be found at https://www.ubuntu.com/iii) Burn the .iso file onto the USB flash drive.

(1) This simply means the USB flash drive can load the operating system from the flash drive.

(2) This can be done by using a program such as Rufus. (https://rufus.akeo.ie/) Partition your Hard Drive:

iv) Partition your machine’s hard drive.(1) Open disk management.(2) Select a partition.(3) Shrink the chosen partition.

v) Reboot your computer.vi) Load from the USB flash drive that has the burnt .iso file.

(1) Each machine may have different ways of entering the BIOS setting during startup. This can be achieved on most Windows machines by pressing and hold the F2 key during startup.

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Install your Linux operating system:vii)Complete the operating system setup.

(1) Each distribution of Linux has a unique set of steps for its setup but many of the steps are the same. The following steps are for installing the Ubuntu distribution of Linux:Choose your language and decide if you are going to install Ubuntu.

Choose whether you want to install updates and third party software while installing Ubuntu.

Choose if you are going to erase Windows or install Ubuntu as a dual-boot option. If you are going to install as a dual boot option, select the “Something else” option.

Select the partition you created in step iii

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Select where you are located.

Select your keyboard layout.

Enter your username, the name you want your computer to have, and your password.

Wait for Ubuntu to install and restart the machine.If your installation did not have a boot manager pre-installed, refer to step vii

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Congratulations, you have installed the Ubuntu Distribution of Linux!*Screenshots take by Lee Van

viii) Install a boot manager to allow for booting to Windows and Linux*(1) Reboot from the USB flash drive that has Linux.(2) Choose the option to “Try Ubuntu”.(3) Open the terminal.(4) Enter the command “sudo grub-install” followed by the boot partition.

(a) If you do not know what your boot partition is, you can open the terminal and enter the command “fdisk -l” to get the name of your Linux Filesystem.

*Some distributions of Linux will come with the boot manager Grub2 and will already be installed with the operating system.*Grub2 is a boot manager. Boot managers are used to choose which operating system the user wishes to use at startup.

Who is the Author?My name is Lee Van and I am perusing a Bachelors degree of Computer Science at Longwood University. I have used versions of Windows since I was a child and stated to use Linux three years ago, I have used three distributions of Linux and personally installed two on my own machines, including Ubuntu.

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