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Chapter 4: Preparing to install Linux4.1 Different types of Distribution and installing software with them. 4.2 What sort of computer will I need for Linux? 4.3 Compatible CPU types 4.4 How much memory do I need? 4.5 How much hard drive space do I need? 4.6 What sort of graphics card is best? 4.7 Will my sound card work with Linux? 4.8 Will my network/wireless/modem work with Linux?
As described in the previous chapter, there are lots of different types of Linux distributions floating around, and yes, this generally means that they all have different Installers to put them onto your PC, Mac or Alpha based computer. This chapter focuses on installing a Debian based distribution, but gives a short insight to other distributions as well. Debian is one of the oldest distributions out there. Slackware and Red Hat are pretty much the only other two that come close in age, Debian has stuck the test of time, and does not look like it's going anywhere soon. It's a free distribution (which will not change, because of it's license) and it has thousands of developers world wide.  The Debian Logo A major difference between Debian-based distributions (such as Ubuntu and Linspire) is the fact that they use the DEB package management system to install software. Installing software via binary packages, or if you need the source code, via source packages, is very convenient for most Linux users, because it means that you don't have to compile the source code of an application to get it working. In most cases, you can simply click on a package to install one via a tool in a GUI, and the software will be installed. Here we will discuss two major package systems, however, there are others, such as Slackware's .tar.gz based system, and BSD's ports system. When the .DEB package format is combined with software such as APT or Synaptic, the .DEB system works very well at resolving things called dependencies (software that needs other software, in other to work).  The RPM Logo Red Hat based distributions such as Fedora Core, SuSE and others use the RPM Package Manager, previously known as the Red Hat Package Manager. Packages have a .RPM extension (for example gimp-2.05.i386.rpm) are packaged binary applications (sometimes they package source code as well). For software that is not bundled with your Distribution, you can usually obtain more titles from places like www.rpmfind.net and www.freshmeat.net. Distributions like Fedora Core seem to provide less packages for their distributions than the DEB based ones. This is mainly due to soemthing called the Debian Universe which is a large repository of software which is available to the 'wild'. RPM based users often have to visit third party websites to download packages, as well as any dependent packages (dependencies). Both the use of the Universe, and third-party websites can have issues, because they contain software that is not guaranteed to work with your distribution, and may cause unexpected results - so be careful if you download software from other sources!
Both RPM and DEB packages are very widely used in the Linux arena, most of which can be installed simply by using software, like the 'Add Applications' menu in Ubuntu. 4.2 What sort of computer will I need for Linux?  Only Kidding! This question has a lot of answers. The bottom line is: Depending upon what you want to do with Linux, the system requirements can range from an old Intel 386 to a state of the art Pentium 4. This section of the chapter will go through all the major parts of hardware attached to a typical PC and detail what is expected to run a typical modern Linux desktop, starting first, with the CPU. 
CPU (Central Processor Unit) Many types of CPU have been adapted to work with Linux, here are just a few:
Linux was originally devised on an Intel 386, this however does not necessarily mean that Linux works better on a PC than a Mac. Today's Linux desktop is most popular on Intel, Mac (G3-G5) and AMD64 processors, therefore, most of the common software is actively developed for these platforms. If you have another platform such as a Sparc, Amiga, Atari or ARM based processor, Linux will no doubt be different in that many software titles may not exist for that given platform, or software is older than that of the most popular platforms. 
RAM (Memory) Most Modern day Linux distributions will require a minimum of around 64-128MB to use it to a reasonable degree, but if you wish to use Linux for non-graphical based uses, such as running a web server, or firewall, you can run a basic installation of Linux from just 4 MB RAM. If you're going to be serious about Linux, and want optimal performance, then as with any software, the more RAM you point towards it, the better it runs. Ideally, if you reckon you're going to be a home user, at least 256MB RAM would be a good figure to live with. If you want to do demanding stuff like perform intricate artwork in the Gimp or edit lots of audio, then we're probably talking about 512MB+. If you have the RAM, Linux will use it, and it will be used well, thanks to the superb memory and process management within the Linux kernel! 
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) As with all things Linux, it's possible to do it in the smallest of setups. Using distributions such as ZipSlack, you can achieve a fully working Linux setup in around 100MB. However, if you want to install a standard workstation installation of any up-to date distribution, you will probably want at least a 1GB hard disk drive, but in all honesty, a usable desktop system will take around 6GB of space as a typical user will store lots of stuff: Apps, MP3s, Movies, Documents, emails etc and over time, it uses up quite a lot of drive space. Modern Linux distributions easily support new drive technologies such as software RAID and SATA, so you will have no worries about your latest technology drives. As you are just starting out, you may find it easiest to purchase a new hard drive to install Linux on, (or why not recycle an old 6 or 8 GB drive, it should be enough to begin with). The reason for using a seperate drive is because you are likely to be using another Operating System such as Microsoft Windows or Mac OS. If you wish to use both Linux and Windows/Mac OS (so you can see if Linux is for you), then by far the easiest way to set it all up, is if you have another drive to put Linux onto, so the two don't get mixed up: Typically, Windows/Mac OS will allocate 100% of a hard drive to it's own use, meaning there is no space left for Linux. If you don't want to buy a new hard drive for Linux, then you will somehow have to re-allocate some of the unused (free) space on your Windows/Mac OS drive for Linux.
...About the ads on this site...  Video Card (Graphics Adaptor) Any bog standard graphics adaptor will do for linux. Optimally you will want to have an SVGA adaptor in your PC that has enough RAM to support resolutions of at least 1024x768. Graphics Accellerator cards of many types are supported by today's modern distributions for even faster graphics. If you're looking for really good graphics performance under Linux, the NVidia Geforce range are an excellent choice, because they are well supported under Linux by Nvidia, as are the Matrox G range. ATI cards are also popular, however their driver support for Linux does not appear to be as good as NVidia's at current (October 2005). If you don't know what card you have in your machine, visit your device manager in Windows, or System Preferences in Mac OS  Sound Card Most sound cards will work fine under Linux, however it appears that some work better than others. Most notably, some USB based external sound systems, and some older style ISA sound cards. Most standard PCI based sound cards work best, the Creative Sound Blaster range are popular and produce good results.  Using Network Cards, Wireless Cards and Modems with Linux Almost every network card available should be quite happy with Linux. Note that older ISA based cards require a bit of tweaking to get working. Modern PCI based cards such as the 3com and realtek range will automatically plug and play. Wireless card support in Linux is generally very good, however, some vendors have made soft-pci, mini-pci or 'wintel' based cards, which do not work well or at all under Linux, because the vendors do not wish to provide drivers or any information for Linux developers to work with. Cards known to work include the Orinoco chipset, Intersil Prism/Prism II and Cisco based cards. For more information on Wireless compatability under Linux, see Jean Tourrilhes Wireless LAN resources for Linux page. 56K, ISDN, DSL and Cable modems in Linux are also well supported. Notable exceptions are with software based modems, specifically Windows-only based mini-pci 56K modems (rockwell etc). If you want guaranteed compatability with a dialup modem, go for an external Serial (RS-232) modem. The 3Com, Zoom and Diamond Supra series are all good, the same applies to ISDN modems. ADSL modems (in the UK) are usually Alcatel based USB modems if it was supplied by an ISP. These are somewhat supported by Linux, but not by the vendor and they are sometimes buggy. If you are having troubles, try searching google for Linux support on your hardware. If you want guaranteed compatability, again, go for an Ethernet based external router. Good examples are Belkin, Netgear, Linksys, 3Com and Zoom external ethernet routers. These can be Wireless or Wired. Cable modems (in the UK) are generally versions of the Motorola 'Surfboard'. If you have a Surfboard, then you are in luck, as it is very well supported, it appears to work best via the Ethernet port, but can also work via USB. Now, armed with all the information you can get about the hardware in your computer, it's time to get Linux installed! Click here to visit Chapter 5... |
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