Originally Posted By: Sierra048
This topic has me really intrigued. I would absolutely love to try this to eliminate windows permanantly. I've made it known I'm as far from a techie as one could be. Would this be possible for someone like me to achieve without much headache? If I'm understanding this correctly it would be a good way to capitalize on an older computer and get better performance. Am I misunderstanding?
And to show my ignorance even more, could someone please explain all the different programs ie. Linux, Mint, Ubuntu (and all the others I can't remember). My head gets scrambled trying to keep up. Which one should a novice like me use for simple web surfing, banking, email etc... Appreciate any help you can provide.
Linux is a kernel or core of an OS. Think of it as an engine; one that you can use for free and use freely (so "free" means *both* "no-cost" and "freedom"). Anyone, therefore, can take this kernel and couple it with applications (as you might couple all manners of difference components and hardware with an engine to manufacture a functioning vehicle around your engine). Google, Android and ChromeOS use the Linux kernel as well as dozens and dozens of Linux-based OS's called "distributions". Each distribution has a purpose (Some are servers, some are lightweight desktops, others full-fledged desktops; some are meant to be stable while other are crafted to use cutting-edge versions of software.) and each distribution has its own community of developers. Some of these communities are large, some have commercial backing, others are loosely-based global networks on nerds.
The most popular distribution for home desktop use is Ubuntu. There are many, many distributions who then base their OS off of Ubuntu (which is encouraged). One of these projects is Linux Mint. Both of these vett and include mountains of software in their OS and test and release new versions for you through one central software management application; so no having to go all over the internet getting and installing software and subsequent updates.
You also have many, many choices about which "Desktops" to use with any given distribution. Some are flashy and pretty while others are fast and bare-bones. A Desktop is constituted of the taskbars and menus and window management as well as the system's settings, etc.
So you can be running Linux Mint with the KDE Desktop or Ubuntu with the Gnome Desktop or Fedora with a XFCE desktop or... Well, you get the picture. The options are almost limitless; and of course you have the freedom to mix, match and even write your own additions to this anarchic chaos. To get a sense of how many distributions there are out there, check out
www.distrowatch.com
Almost all of this software is developed by volunteers and/ or non-profits for *your* benefit. These individuals and organizations ask nothing in return (and certainly don't harvest data about you like Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.!); but also offer no responsibility to give a darn what you think about what they're doing. The code used to make this software is open for all to see and free for all to use. These projects all share their code with each other so that if a vulnerability is found and one community fixes it, they will share that fix with everyone else. The same goes for general improvements. Much of the software that runs the internet and that we use often is "open-source": Firefox, VLC, LibreOffice and OpenOffice as well as the Apache web server, PHP scripting language and MySQL database upon which BITOG runs.
