Where can I get Linux?

Linux is simple to get a hold of. You have three choices:

Pay a little

For a few dinero you can purchase the installation CD(s), which include installation documentation on CD, and during installation.

For those in Europe, and especially the UK, Linux Emporium comes recommended. Payment can be made by credit card, cheque or postal order.

For everyone else, CheapBytes is a popular place to go.

Pay more

Pay more and receive a boxed set, with printed manuals and varying levels of technical support. These you can purchase from the above sites, the official site, or in shops. Often you have the choice of say a 'standard' version, and a 'professional' version.

Pay nothing

With a fast internet connection you can download Linux distributions for free, and burn them to CD. Two popular places to go, aside from the distribution's site (which may be busy), is the Ibiblio Linux Archive, and Linuxiso.org.

If you have a slow (dial-up) connection, little hard drive space, or favour a lightweight Linux distribution, then Vector Linux comes recommended.

Which Linux distribution?

There's no easy answer to this question. Many Linux distributions exist, coming in many different flavours, and at the end of the day, Linux is Linux. The best way to decide is to try a few and see which you like best. As time goes by, you can try others to see how they compare to your current distribution favourite.

If you're struggling for which to try first, here's a brief mention of the five most popular distributions, in order of popularity:

Linux-Mandrake is aimed at beginners, with a sort of chunky, cutesy look. Red Hat is the industry leader, recommended for business users. SuSE is popular in Europe and has been receiving increasing praise, including Product of the Year from the popular Linux Journal. Debian GNU/Linux is the rock-solid, non-cutting edge, Linux distribution renowned for most adhering to the ideology of GNU/Linux. And Slackware was the first ever Linux distribution, and favoured by many.

Next: What about documentation?

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