Are You Ready for Linux?

All of this is free: Linux, the GUI, and the windows manager. Most have been bundled together in a single package. Often dubbed "distros" (for "distributions"), these packages usually include an automated installation program, the Linux kernel, a GUI such as KDE, and several windows managers. Distros built for the average computer user include Red Hat Linux 6.1, Caldera's OpenLinux 2.3, and Debian GNU/Linux.

Coordinates: Linus Torvalds's home page, www.cs.helsinki.fi/~torvalds; Linux Online, www.linux.org; KDE, www.kde.org; GNOME, www.gnome.org

3. What do I get when I download Linux?

You can download a perfectly serviceable, free-of-charge version of Linux from the Web, along with the associated installation libraries. Even most of the commercial versions -- those from Caldera and Red Hat, for example -- are available free of charge on the Web. But unless you're a supergeek, I would not recommend taking the download path. First, the free Web version doesn't come with free technical support. Second, downloading and installing the software can be a serious challenge. (Even Torvalds reportedly uses a commercial version of Linux.)

A smarter, hassle-free approach is to shell out the money for a commercial distribution of Linux. I tried several versions -- ranging from $20 to $50 -- and they all worked fairly well. The commercial packages all have added an easy-to-use front end, which means you don't have to enter arcane code words to get the operating system up and running.

4. Which Linux package is right for me?

Computer users who want to run Windows on the same system will find that Caldera's OpenLinux 2.3, which costs $50, is the easiest of the Linux packages to install. OpenLinux uses the KDE graphical interface and includes all of the major applications you will need, including Sun Microsystems's StarOffice 5.1, Corel's WordPerfect 8, and Netscape Communicator 4.6.

Installation of Red Hat Linux 6.1 wasn't quite as easy as Caldera's, but it still managed to find nearly all of my computer's internal components. In other words, I didn't have to tell it what kind of hard drive I have. Better yet, for $80, the Red Hat Linux 6.1 Deluxe package gives you a choice of using either the KDE or GNOME interface. And it features a dial-up network connection that makes accessing the Internet as easy as it is from Windows. But what I most appreciated was Red Hat's free month of technical phone support. Caldera charges you for technical-support calls.

The much-ballyhooed release of Debian GNU/Linux -- with its affordable $20 price tag -- is supported by Silicon Graphics, O'Reilly & Associates, and VA Linux Systems Inc. But Debian GNU/Linux is a noncommercial version of the operating system -- and in some ways, a step backward. Although it uses the GNOME interface, Debian's installation is much more awkward than Red Hat's or Caldera's. If you don't feel comfortable telling Debian what kind of hard drive you have, Debian isn't for you. And getting it to work alongside Windows on the same machine requires a lot of futzing around.

Coordinates: Caldera Systems Inc., www.caldera.com; Red Hat Inc., www.redhat.com; Debian, www.debian.org

5. We use several different systems in our office. Does Linux really work on any kind of computer?

Just about. According to the specs, the minimum PC requirements for Linux are an Intel 386 computer with about 4 MB of ram. But to run the graphical interface and to have enough speed and space for your work, you should have at least a 486 (or a Pentium) machine with 64 MB of ram and a 600-mb hard drive. Linux will also run on PCs with processors from Advanced Micro Devices Inc. and Cyrix Corp.

If you've got a variety of computers in your office, you'll appreciate Linux's ability to run on a variety of non-Windows machines. For now, Linux supports Compaq Computer's (formerly Digital Equipment) Alpha-based systems, Sun Microsystems's Sparc stations, and even some of Apple's Macintosh systems. But not all versions of Linux support all of these machines. A case in point: Red Hat's latest release only supports Intel, Alpha, and Sparc systems. So make sure you check with the software vendor before you make a purchasing decision.

6. Will Linux work with all of the peripherals running on my computer?

Linux will run on a variety of computers, but it may support all of the features on a computer. Sometimes, internal components, such as built-in sound chips, will fail to work. And many peripherals, such as video cameras, aren't supported at all. As of this writing, the most prominent of Linux's drawbacks is this: It does not support USB (universal serial bus) peripherals.