Installing and using Linux?

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu would be my first choice - because that's what I'm familiar with, but I heard that Fedora 11 is very good (though I think you need to understand about using LVM partitioning).

Download a CD image, and try booting the CD - you'll get a basic desktop (from a 700MB CD, not like about 15GB vista install...)

If it's working, and you have networking, fire up firefox and see how it goes.

Next step is to reboot to Vista and shrink it down and have a separate partition for documents - I think it's important to have good backup options with Vista. Try to leave a nice space free on your disk for Ubuntu - then install from the CD.

Definitely go for ext4 filesystem, if you can work it out, give yourself maybe 8GB or more for ROOT partition, then everything you have left for /home. Your windows partition will show up mounted after installation and booting - that's going to be /media/Vista (if you name it Vista).

After you boot from your hard disk, you should get your graphics driver installed (right click on desktop and select 'change desktop background' - the easiest way to bring up the 'Appearance Preferences'. Shouldn't need to adjust font rendering, it's good in Ubuntu 9.04 - so click 'visual effects' and try to enable advanced to trigger the driver wizard. Get 'Compiz Config Setting Manager' installed, and get your animations and desktop effects set up nicely (expose, scale windows, minimise animations, stuff like that).

Good luck. Keep a dual-boot option, but remember - Ubuntu is totally safe with internet, so even if you don't like it, it's a cool browser.

To install stuff (like gnome-do) you can learn about using Synaptic, easy to use - and adding repositories and stuff.

You can use Synaptic, or an 'add/remove' programs (not quite so excellent, but still good), or even just fire up a terminal and install from there.

Email me (this profile) if you need any pointers after installing - I did too much in one year to give you much of a clue here right now.

Ok, just one more - I think Ubuntu Tweak is the fastest startup tool you'll find. Download the .deb installer and install it, that's your first lesson. Enjoy.

Don't expect it to be easier than Windows for you. It is easier for me now, I really don't like using Windows now, but it took me a year to get this far - and at times that was a very frustrating year.

Still - there's no better feeling than to say 'F. U. Gates, I don't NEED you to make my computer work, and F. U. Apple, I don't NEED to pay to get my work done'.

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Linux are free of charge, not free, are free as freedown, u dont pay license only developer work, but if u donload from net, are complety free!

The best linux are debian, but its hard to use, u must try xandros, are the best close to XP/98, so are out of date, but when u learn to use xandros try massenkoh, or try massenkoh directly

Donload are easy, use these for quick view: http://venenux.blogspot.com/2009/05/venenux-08-lib...

and direct download : http://74.86.158.5/~op0014t/mckayemu/massenkoh/ind...

Ubuntu linux and mandriva are not best, only are easy, but the easy linux can t5urn lowest like vista, in fact ubuntu are same as vista, mandriva are same as XP.

all of linuxes, even ubuntu and mandriva required programing skills in some level, from user, many issues in linux are not gui friendly, in fact video issues like webcam and video GPU are configured on console ok! so get prepared for the console.

The more close and exact ruindows like linux are XANDROS, i take to u in a rapid shared vision of linux:

ubuntu=vista with few skins (u must update and eventulay runs slower)

redhat=win2000server, mandriva=vista (slowly, slowly)

debian its faster but its complicated

u muist try :

kanotix : if u have good memory amount and fast cpu

massenkoh : if u plan play games and emlators without problem

xandros: if u wan ruindows98/XP look but with linux power

well, this was fast, but aditionaly:

masenkoh have great skins like winXP included and all gamming issues, its specialy HARD OPTIMIZED but its only for x86/pentium/PIII/P4/Coreduo/Semprom/AMD etc etc

xandros are hard to close to ruindows, including filemanager, internet explore like and also !!antivirus!!!!! included!!!, but its out of date for now! the recent version are only for EEPC

i recomend u satrt with xandros, its quite easy to install all graphicaly, and then where u use well, swicht to end finaly massenkoh that have all up to data and great gammin and multimedia software!

more info:

http://qgqlochekone.blogspot.com/

http://www.xandros.com/

NOTE: u must dowload xandros from amule or like

You can install Ubuntu 9.04 within windows using Wubi installer

http://wubi-installer.org/

You keep Windows as it is, Wubi only adds an extra option to boot into Ubuntu. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.

Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.

Installing Ubuntu From A Windows System With Wubi

http://www.howtoforge.com/wubi_ubuntu_on_windows

UBUNTU USER GUIDE

Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) User Guide

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Jaunty

LUg.

Well in your case ubuntu might be the answer.You can get it from http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download and it is free of cost, you can just download the live cd or dvd then install it.But a word of advice from me Dual boot ubuntu with windows vista, because if you encounter any problems with ubuntu you can just switch to vista.

Ubuntu would be one of the best variations of Linux, you may download the desktop version free of charge from http://www.ubuntu.com/products/WhatIsUbuntu/deskto...