Here is a summary of the main characteristics to look for in a Linux distribution:
A Comprehensive and Easy-To-Use Installation Routine
Make sure your Linux distro has an installation routine that you can easily follow - step-by-step - to put the Linux OS, GNU commands and other Linux software programs on the hard disk(s) of a system.
One or More Linux Desktops - For A Point-And-Click GUI Environment
Try out the main Linux desktops (GNOME or KDE) and possibly try out others to see which one you like the "look and feel" of the best.
You may want to get free (by download)
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Free Linux Technical Support - Such As From Linux Online Documentation And Forums
Technical support for Linux is available free of charge on the Internet from various sources, such as with free Linux documentation and free Linux "support" forums.
There are many technical documents and user groups that can provide useful assistance - or maybe not. Depending on what you need to
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Although there is plenty of free (and not usually very good) documentation available for Linux on the Internet, a Linux distribution must also
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Free Linux Software Documentation (Online) - For Linux Distros
You can go to lots of Linux web sites and get free bits and pieces of Linux information on Linux commands and Linux concepts - and then try and put these pieces together to learn Linux.
However, this Linux info is often very poorly written, highly complex - and written by and for people who already know how to use Linux. It's often out-of-date, and sometimes just plain wrong!
Free Linux documentation is usually written by well-meaning individuals that have
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Other Hardware Drivers - Provide Communication Between Linux and Hardware
By default, the Linux OS - and therefore Linux distributions - support thousands of different computer hardware components by including hardware drivers with the Linux distro.
In addition to the “basic” hardware drivers, such as those required to access a commonly-used graphics card, other hardware drivers are also required.
These drivers provide “support” (access) for a variety of
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Linux Application Software Programs - Open Office Suite And "Others"
An operating system cannot be successful without plenty of high quality, commonly-used application software programs, such as
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One or More Linux Desktops - For A Point-And-Click GUI Environment
All "major" (popular and common) Linux distros include at least one Linux desktop - and some include two or more!
A Linux desktop provides a mouse-driven “point-and-click”, environment. It gives you a graphical interface that looks like you're working on a desktop.
You use this “point-and-click” GUI interface to easily do common tasks like
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Linux Distributions - What They Are And Who Creates Them
A Linux distribution is a "version" of Linux. It is a collection of Linux software components, such as the Linux OS, GNU commands and other
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Here are some of the key characteristics that you should look for - and what you will typically find - in a
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The Linux OS components were developed by Linus Torvalds, and the Linux software developers that work with him, and hundreds of other software developers - creating the Linux software components found in the over 130 different Linux distributions.
These Linux software components are combined to provide everything that is required for
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