A short time ago I wrote an article discussing resources for Red Hat 8.0. Widely touted as a more “user-friendly” version of Linux, I gave it a whirl and intended to share my views with you. Instead, I will respond to some of the many, many questions readers sent in. Thank you all for your feedback! You’ve raised some very good issues.
Will Red Hat mess up what I have on my Windows computer?
The answer here is yes, absolutely. It’s a different operating system, so your hard disk will be wiped clean. It’s possible to set up your hard drive to boot into either Linux or Windows, but this is not something to try on your first attempt (and if you do, back up everything first!).
I recommend installing Red Hat first on a spare computer you might have gathering dust in a corner somewhere. One of the great qualities of any version of Linux (Red Hat 8.0 included) is that you don’t have to scrap your computer and buy a whole new system every two years. Linux runs better and faster on a better and faster machine, but it runs just fine on lesser systems. If you fall in love with Red Hat, move it to a better machine and you’ll like it even more. If not, then you haven’t lost anything.
Will I have to buy all new software if I use Linux?
No, but you will have to replace your Windows software. Fortunately you can download almost anything you ever wanted for your computer for free from the Internet – games, office software, networking software, programming software – and it’s completely legal. Developers of Linux software are almost always eager to help with any problems. It’s a big switch from the Windows paradigm – with Linux, you can often contact the programmer directly.
A program called Wine will let you use some of your Windows applications in a Linux environment, but Wine is not 100% free of bugs. It might crash while you’re working on a vitally important PowerPoint presentation, and some of the features of Excel, for example, might not work under Wine. A company called CodeWeavers allows you to run more programs more reliably than Wine under Linux with their plug-in, CrossOver. CrossOver isn’t free but it’s very inexpensive at $24.95.
Many programs developed specifically for Linux have the look and feel of other programs you’ve used; they won’t be identical. Expect a learning curve when you begin using Linux applications. However, they are usually free (no licensing surprises) and developers are often remarkably responsive to end user requests.
Is Red Hat hard to install?
Red Hat 8.0 is actually very simple to install. It’s come a long way from the command line interface and multiple boot disks from years past. While older versions required you to make many, many decisions before you could get to the actual installation, Red Hat 8.0 provides lots of default settings. You can point and click your way through the defaults without understanding the finer points of disk partitioning and mount points.
Things can go wrong, of course. Personally, I hit a snag during disk partitioning. I was overwriting a Windows XP installation, and XP had incorrectly partitioned the disk. The information Red Hat got from the disk setup was incorrect, so I had to delete the XP partition before I could go on. This is not hard to do, but it doesn’t hurt to have a friend nearby who can help you. If you don’t have any geeky friends who will help you, consider purchasing Red Hat 8.0 – you’ll get a month of free phone support. That’s free hired geeks for thirty days!
Most people don’t care which operating system they use. Why should I even consider this?
This is a thorny issue. It’s true: most people don’t care about their operating systems (Windows and Linux fanatics aside). Most people do care about how much money they spend, however. Microsoft is making it increasingly more difficult and more expensive to stay legal and stay patched. Updates and patches are hard to keep track of, and the new licensing system is very complicated. While Microsoft has made some attempts at fixing this rift between themselves and their customers According to one survey, 38% of companies worldwide are seeking alternatives to Microsoft products. One of those possible solutions is Linux – and Red Hat 8.0 is Windows-like enough to possibly compete.
Also, Microsoft has revealed recently that Windows was never designed to be secure. This jaw-dropping revelation was recently followed by another equally disturbing shocker – since Microsoft customers appear to be interested in security, Microsoft will now pursue secure solutions for those willing to pay for them. In essence, secure systems will only be available to people who pay more. Didn’t you purchase your Windows system expecting that some amount of security was possible? I sure did!
While Linux is not 100% secure, it is designed with security in mind. Security is possible. Linux has long been the server OS of choice, and Red Hat 8.0 takes this fundamentally sound OS and makes it possible to put it on your desktop.
Doesn’t Windows get an unfairly bad rap when it comes to bugs, security holes, and other malicious code? Linux has problems, too.
Linux is not entirely bug free, but Windows is much more susceptible to exploits and viruses. If you run the Microsoft Triple Threat (that’s my pet name for Windows, Internet Explorer, and Outlook), you should look for patches every week. If you don’t, you’re exposing yourself to potential danger whenever you go online. Home PCs with 24/7 Internet connections are regularly used by hackers as “zombies” in large scale attacks on individuals and company networks.
You can buy a firewall and subscribe to antivirus software. That’s what I did for my home computer, and what most companies do to defend their systems. Linux firewalls are free, and email viruses do not affect Linux. That’s right – you can read Klez-infected mail on a Linux system and nothing will happen to your computer, and you won’t become an unwitting vector in its spread. It’s possible new viruses and attacks focused on Linux would arise if Linux became dominant, but the way the operating system is built makes it difficult for anything to happen on your system without your permission. Windows does make computing easier for the user, but many of these niceties also make it easier for virus writers and malicious hackers.
What you have to patch, though, does come down to what you choose to install, and statistics are hard to come by for an accurate comparison. One common complaint about Open Source software is that there is no accountability when things go wrong. Yet Microsoft is not accountable for anything that goes wrong with your computer, even if it is their fault (read your EULA).
What are the basic commands for Linux?
This is a rather complicated question, along the lines of asking what the basic commands for Windows are. If you decide to use Red Hat 8.0, forget all the cryptic command line entries that were once required. Red Hat 8.0 uses point and click for most day-to-day activities. Though when you feel more confident, you can drop to the command line to tweak things further. For a list of commands, I suggest perusing the Red Hat “Getting Started Guide.” Many more manuals for specific tasks are also available for free at Red Hat’s site.
How do I know my hardware will work with Red Hat?
Check the hardware compatibility guide at Red Hat’s site . You can also search for drivers and workarounds at ZDNet’s site. If your hardware is modern (but not bleeding edge), Red Hat 8.0 will more than likely detect all of your hardware automatically without a hitch.
Where can I get software for Linux?
I’m glad you asked that question! There are so many sources of software it’s impossible to list them all here. I will suggest a few links to get you started:
http://linux.tucows.com/ – a Linux Tucows affiliate
http://download.com.com/2001-2002-0.html – CNET’s Linux site
http://sourceforge.net/ – free software of every stripe
http://freshmeat.net/ – more free software
http://www.gnu.org/ – still more free software
In Conclusion
Linux is not going to work for everyone in every situation, not even Red Hat 8.0. And there are other fine commercial operating systems out there – Mac, Lindows, etc. that will free you from Windows as well. The point of Linux in general is to get off the commercial software treadmill, and the point of Red Hat 8.0 is to open this option to less geeky desktop users. Whether the Open Source model is feasible can be debated endlessly, yet it remains an option to anyone who thinks free, legal software sounds like a good idea.
Special thanks to murdok’s own Linux expert Jay Fougere (MCSE), who provided links and offered many helpful suggestions for this article
Jackie Rosenberger is an editor with murdok
