How To Go Linux

A lot of people have problems switching to linux, here's a guide to see if linux is right for you and how to work it if you like it.

First things first, burning the disc.

When you download a linux OS it's going to be a file called an ISO image (.iso). The question is, what the hell do you do with it? To burn an .iso on Windows XP you need a special disc burning software so you can burn the .iso file as an image onto the disc. I used CDBurnerXP to burn my .iso, it's free and it works. Now I'm assuming that you figured out by now that you're going to need a blank CD and a computer that can burn CDs (pretty much any CD burner made past the second half of the last decade should). Now once you have the disc popped in and the file downloaded open CDBurnerXP (or whatever program you're using) then go to burn iso image. It's the simple!

Booting a Live CD.

Assuming your Linux has a Live CD in it (Ubuntu does, openSUSE too if I'm not mistaken) I'm going to want you to boot to it first. To boot to your live CD just restart your computer with your Disc that you burnt in it. Most computers will boot to the CD automatically but if it doesn't then press F12 (or whatever function key it says before "boot" when your computer starts) and select "Boot from CD-Drive/USB". From there you'll get the screen below if you used Ubuntu.



Press enter when the "try w/o changing anything" is highlighted and from there you'll boot from the Disc. From here you can test the system and see if you like it or not, there's going to be an adjustment period though b/c you're changing your whole Operating System. I suggest any beginners to do a Dual-Boot and to look for linux alternatives to any programs that don't offer a linux version (Personally all I use are Firefox Thunderbird Pidgin Skye and Frostwire) and steadily creep over to the Open-Source side.

Setting Up Flash/Java.

Just copy+paste these into the Terminal

If you need any support for other file types (.WMV .WMA ect...) then you can follow these instructions for the Medibuntu Respiratory.

Now you're done! If this seems a little half-assed to you, I installed Ubuntu not having a clue what the hell I was doing and googling all this info myself. Consider this a condensed version of five pages of crap. If you need any help with absolutely anything after you install Ubuntu I'm sure the Ubuntu forums can help you.