hey guys, apologies if this is in the wrong place! When it comes to OS knowledge I'm a bit lame, so I was wondering, whether it is possible to download linux, or is it a package that needs to be installed fresh on a system, like through the initial factory settings? I am currently using Vista, and I think i'm one of the few who loves it, but the more i look at Linux, the tastier it becomes!

thanks guys, any help appreciated it, and hope i can help some of u lot with any queries!

Chris

Download Ubuntu | Ubuntu

^ The above link is to download Linux Ubuntu for free
You can also request a free CD too.

You will need to create a separate partition on your hard drive when installing Ubuntu. - If you are unsure on how to do this, when installing it, it will guide you through what you have to do.

Any problems, then just ask

JAM

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Thanks pal! just been researching it online tonight, and i came across that CD section, I'm just sceptical about it at the moment as i don't know too much about it so I'm trying to pool my resources lol.

Putting that on hold for the moment though as I work frequently with design programmes from Autodesk and Graphisoft meaning they won't be compatible with Linux : ( or maybe there's a loophole?!

Guess i'll do a trial run with the PC first

Well, with Ubuntu, you can run the CD in 'Live Mode' where it will not install anything on to your computer, it will just run straight of from the CD. - Its great if you are just wanting to try it out.

And there is a program for Linux called WINE.
This allows you to run a lot of Windows applications on Linux. I haven't really played around with that much though..

JAM

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i put Ubuntu on one of my machines about a month ago. It's a fairly simple follow the directions, but if you are not familiar with interacting with the OS via command lines, it can be intimidating at first. One of the things I learned was that the install from Ubuntu only gives you a little bit of a lot of things. It is useful to update the software right after installing and looking through all the packages available and loading things you want.

I've found ubuntu useful in telling how to get software that is not already installed. It's been a pretty good experience so far.

-vealdog