On our "How To's" page, we will explore some of the subjects to help get you started in putting Linux onto your computer, as well as maintaining your packages through Package Managers. Please feel free to make further suggestions for topics through our LinuxSpot Forum.
There are three basic ways to obtain Linux distributions:
* You must either purchase them (directly from the distribution website, or from a reliable outlet), or
* Download the .iso files and burn them to CDs or DVDs.
* Install your Linux distribution directly over the internet through a FTP connection to the distribution manufacturer's site.
Purchasing the distribution CDs /DVDs ready to use is easy. Either go directly to the Linux distribution manufacturer's website or to a commercially available website like THIS.
The disk are usually low in price and it saves you the hassle of spending your valuable time waiting for the on-line downloads to complete. This method is particularly good for those who use dial-up connections through a regular dial-up modem
Downloading .ISO files is easy to do, although it takes time to complete. FTP connections are good, but usually each .ISO file is over 600MB in size. If the distribution has 4 or more .ISO CD files, this could take quite a while. If you have cable or DSL internet access, this is a much more viable option.
A very good place to check out distributions, reviews, and get immediate access to the .ISO files of the Linux distribution of your choice is:
* To find out what an .ISO image is, as well as a written tutorial, click HERE!
* To get instructions on how to burn an .ISO image using Nero, click HERE!
* To get instructions on how to burn an .ISO image using Easy CD Creator, click HERE!
Gentoo Portage
The Portage package management system is a central feature of the Gentoo Linux distribution. Portage, which takes after the Ports system used with *BSD distributions, is a pioneer in the distributed package management paradigm for GNU/Linux distributions.
Portage uses the rsync protocol to update its tree. Updating all of the software in the entire distribution is as simple as entering the command:
emerge --sync
This command updates the local Portage tree with the current Portage tree for Gentoo. To update all of the packages on your system, run emerge -u world.
What about installing new software? To search for a specific package, simply run emerge --search packagename .
Portage can also handle dependencies automatically. To install a package, run:
emerge packagename This emerge command tells Portage to download the source code of a specified application, as well as all other applications or libraries needed to satisfy its dependencies. Once downloaded, everything is compiled from source. You can optimize the compilation settings through the CFLAGS environment variable, based on the specifications of the individual computer, and on the individual user's need for speed.
One drawback of Portage is that it relies on the Gentoo Portage tree. If a package is not available in the tree, then a user cannot use Portage to install the package, and must resort to compilation by source.
Portage is one of the innovations that has enabled Gentoo to gain a large user-base very quickly, and it solves several of the problems found with traditional package managers.
Finally, one of the newest and most popular of Package Managers today is Synaptic, a front-end GUI (Graphical User Interface) for APT.
Synaptic is the name of a GUI front-end to the apt toolset. It allows users of Debian-based distributions to manage their installed software. Synaptic also works with Redhat distributions such as Fedora. For a cookbook on how to download, install, and use Synaptic, see Fedora, Synaptic Package Manager, finding Repositories, listing RPMs, previously installed, Gnobian Synaptic.
One of the great aspects of Linux distributions is that many come in "Live CD" form. This means that when you obtain the Live CD, you can run it completely off of the CD-ROM drive and leave your hard drive untouched. This gives you the opportunity to try different "flavors" of Linux by trying the Live CD version, and when you are done, remove the CD and reboot to whatever operating system is on your hard drive!
The only thing that you'll need to do is to make sure that your CD-ROM (or CD-RW, DVD-ROM or DVD-RW) is first in the boot-up order in your BIOS or CMOS set-up.
A comprehensive list of Linux Live CD versions can be found HERE!
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