Roland's GNU/Linux page

Once upon a time...

Location: homepage > linux

This page will not be updated a lot, since I've switched to FreeBSD.

This page contains a lot of links to other sites which have information about GNU/Linux®, or software, available.

GNU/Linux Links

If you want to know more about the GNU/Linux OS, check out these links.

Distributions

Linux itself is only a kernel, i.e. the "heart" of a UNIX-like operating system. It needs additional software that you can work with. Most notably among this other software are the Free Software Foundation's GNU compiler suite and utilities, commonly known as the GNU system. But there are tons of other programs available.

In most cases, Linux comes packaged in a "distribution". This is a collection of programs packaged with a Linux kernel and an installation program.

This list is far from complete. And new distributions still pop up. A more or less complete list can be found at the Linux Weekly News website, in the distributions section.

You can download any of these distributions from the Internet, but IMHO it's easier to buy a CD with the distribution you want on it. If money is tight, you can order CD's cheaply from CheapBytes if you have a creditcard. But I would recommend that you support the distribution of your choice by ordering CD's from the distribution's maker. You could also take a look in larger bookstores, which often also sell software.

Which one to choose?

Talking about distributions' merits and weaknesses can easily provoke flame wars among Linux enthusiasts. :-) So the following assessment of the several distributions I have tried is purely my own, and should be regarded as such. (flames go to /dev/null :-)

Slackware DYI distribution (a.k.a. hackware), easy to install (from floppies, if need be). You'll learn a lot from it (I sure did!). This is what I currently use. Easy to upgrade and install new software from source without the package manager driving you nuts.
Red Hat Good package management, nice admin tools, but a bit complicated if you want to go beyond them. I did not particularly like it.
Debian Superior package management & upgrade capabilities. Not the most easy to install, but getting better. Large volume of prepackaged software, but relatively infrequent releases.

For newbies I would recommend Slackware if you really want to learn the OS, and Red Hat if you just want to use it. Debian is recommended for experienced users who want the excellent package management.

However, if you

are an experienced Linux user
like to install your own software
like to patch and install your own kernel
like simple BSD-style init scripts
generally like to tinker with your system

then Slackware is definitely the way to go. It gives you a stable base system that you can customize to your hearts content without the package manager screaming at you. That's why it's sometimes nicknamed Hackware. :-)

Software

This is a list of sites where you can find software that runs on Linux. Most Linux software is free. That is, the source code is available. In most cases, you can download it from the internet for free.

Check out the pages of the Free Software Foundation and opensource.org for a more detailed description about "free" or "open source" software.

Freshmeat Linux software
ibiblio Linux archive. (AKA Metalab, AKA Sunsite)
former www.linuxresources.com

Some stuff I use and would recommend:

E-zines

Fun

Magazines

In the late 90's there were a couple of Linux dedicated magazine that I was aware of:

In the meantime, Linux magazines have popped up in droves, so I am unable to maintain an exhaustive list.

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