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Linux for Home Users

have Linux installed on Fat32 partitions also.

Linux is very

difficult and based on text command

Linux has come a

long way from being the system of brilliant computer users. It has extremely

advanced X Windows systems that have a complete graphical user interface-you

know, like Windows. It also has a large number of window manager that let you

work with different levels of customization of your desktop.

Linux has a

robust character-cell interface where commands need to be typed in. x Windows is

a free program that runs with Linux to provide a GUI where the mouse and

keyboard can be used extensively. But the X system itself is quite primitive and

needs a window manager, or a desktop environment- like GNOME or KDE- to be

really usable. Window managers are programs that let you interact with the

underlying X system and Linux OS by relaying commands. The popular window

managers are Sawfish, Enlightenment, Black box, after step and Window maker.

As for desktop

managers, they have their own window manager and other tools that make you feel

that you are working in Window! GNOME and KDE are the most popular of these.

GNOME stands for GNU Network Model Environment and KDE for K desktop

Environment. They have tools that allow drag and drop, have panels and taskbar-

almost like clones of windows.

Hardware

compatibility problem and few applications that run on Linux

Well, most new

distributions will detect and configure your hardware in a jiffy, unless you

have some really old or exotic piece of hardware. All hardware are properly

detected and their drivers installed. Only Win modems (internal modems driven by

Window drivers) face problems.

As for software,

there’s plenty. And most of it comes free-free for you to use, modify and

configure according to your needs. Almost all excellent software for Linux is

free and you don’t lose anything by giving it a try. You get free support on the

Net quickly on any query you may have. And you don’t even have to wipe out your

Windows. Just get Linux on a different hard disk partition and free to switch

between them as you please.

Other packages

are commercial and you have to buy the software-but this is mostly for the

software and training you need, and not for the software itself. Sometimes, if

you have the Windows version (as a doom) you can download a small program that