Web Watch - Winter 2008

Almost all Home PCs come with a version of Microsoft Windows operating system by default. There are alternatives to this. In this edition of Web Watch, I want to look at one of those alternatives, Linux (www.linux.org), as suggested by a reader, Jon Grant.

Linux is an open source operating system that can be used as a viable alternative, Microsoft Windows. The huge advantage that Linux has over Microsoft is that because the source code is open, then software developers can write applications unfettered by Microsoft licence conditions. As such, there is a very large community that supports this endeavour. Previous releases of Linux have required intimate knowledge of the PC's hardware to install and, for many years, remained largely in the domain of the 'geek' fraternity but the current generation of Linux Distributions are much more user friendly to install and use. They also come with easy access to a huge archive of 'free' applications.

One of the most popular distributions of Linux is called Ubuntu (from the Zulu word for 'humanity'). In many respects, Ubuntu is leaner and less sluggish than Microsoft Windows. This means that it will generally run on low-end spec PCs. Because Ubuntu is part of the Open source community, it is also free. It can be downloaded at www.ubuntu.com, but the file size is large (700Mb+) and depending upon your broadband speed, may take a few hours. An alternative is to use one of the cover mounted discs available from an array of Linux periodicals, or you can have a disc sent to you through the post. If the thought of replacing your operating system with an alternative fills you with horror then don't despair. There is a risk free, try-before-you-buy version, known as Live-CD (available from www.ubuntu.com), which will operate directly from a CD that gives you most of the functionality of the installed version. A final option is a USB version that will operate directly from a USB drive without overwriting your existing operating system.

In the next edition, I'll look at some 'free' open source alternatives to paid-for software applications such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.
Until then, have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.
The Weaver.