As an operating system, the newer versions of Linux are almost as easy to use as MS Windows. They have ‘Windows’ and ‘Taskbar’ and all the stuff but the real beauty of Linux is in the command line - the Linux Shells.

You can install Linux and make it co-exist with your existing windows Operating System without having to reinstall Windows. And this can be done without causing any loss of your data.

Requirements

. A hard disk with at least 1GB of free space which, after installation of Linux will become unusable for Windows till you uninstall Linux if ever. Please leave at least 50 MB free for the Windows System

Minimum Hard Disk Space: 1 GB 50 MBs

Recommended Hard Disk Space : 2.5 GB (This will leave at least 1 GB Free after installation)

. RAM requirements:

Minimum : 16 MB RAM

Recommended : 32 MB RAM

. A Linux Installation CD and a CD ROM drive.

Minimum : Any distribution

Recommended : Caldera Linux eDesktop 2.4 ( Latest as of Feb 2001)

Or

Recommended : Suse Linux 6.3 (Chip CD April 2000) or Suse 7.0 .

If you can’t get the above Chip CD, you can download any Linux distribution, without its Commercial Packages from the distributor’s site if you have broadband and then burn it on a CD if you have a CD Writer. WWW.SUSE.COM , WWW.CALDERA.COM, WWW.REDHAT.COM

Or

Find the Linux User Group (LUG) in your city from www.linux-india.org or www.LinuxIndia.org. Each LUG has a mailing list and a request here will find you at least one person willing to lend you a CD. After installation you can get the CD copied commercially for about 100 bucks and it is perfectly legal.

. Your hardware specifications

This can be mostly found in the books accompanying your computer. Find the names of your Graphic Accelerator Card (if any), Sound Card. Find out the vertical and horizontal refresh rate ranges of your monitor. If the monitor came with a book, you will find it there. Also find its maximum resolution and frequency. Most people don’t have any SCSI drives, but if you know you have one, find the name.

. A partitioning software