Linux is an operating system, like Windows, or Mac OSX. It's the whole environment on the computer for all software and applications. Linux is completely unlike Windows and Mac OSX, though, because it is open-source and created by a worldwide community, for free, instead of being the commercial product of a single company. In many ways it looks quite similar to Mac or Windows, but has different software, much of it free and open source. There are versions of the Linux operating system for PC's, for Mac hardware, for mainframes, supercomputers, cellphones, set-top TV boxes, embedded microcontrollers, the iPod, game consoles like the XBox and DreamCast, the in-flight entertainment systems on airplanes; the list goes on and on. There's an entire community dedicated to the project of putting linux on different kinds of computer devices.

Hardware

For Ygdrasil, you'll need a PC (a computer with an Intel or AMD chip, as opposed to the Mac PowerPC) - what you would normally run Windows on. It should be theoretically possible to do this on an Intel Mac, too, but we haven't tried it yet. PC's are cheap - you should be able to put together a perfectly suitable low-end box for around $500. Machines as old as Pentium III's will work, which I've been able to pick up used for under $50. You will need an nVidia graphics card; we suggest a GeForce 4 or higher. You don't need to spend $500 on the graphics card, again something in the $30-$50 range will do the trick. If you still want to be able to use Windows on your PC, Desktop machines are easiest because you can just put in a second hard drive for Linux. You can also partition a single hard drive, splitting it into half for Windows and half for Linux, which is what you'd do if using a laptop.

Linux Versions

There are literally hundreds of different versions, or 'flavors' of linux, called 'distributions.' While all are, at the core, the same operating system, may have slight variations and specializations - some have lots of software that come with them, others are very lightweight, some are optimized for less powerful machines, some are designed to be very easy to use, or are optimized for audio production. Some of our favorites include Suse, Red Hat, Fedora, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Gentoo. Most distros are free downloads - you download the installer discs, burn them to CD or DVD, and go from there. Bigger ones, like Suse, also have box sets that you can buy, which include manuals and support. You can also order installer CD's for lots of distributions off the web for about the price of the CD itself + shipping. Here are some links to get you started:

• LinuxQuestions.org : community site for linux, great for beginners
• DistroWatch : lists and reviews of linux distributions
• Suse Linux : from Novell, a big distro with tons of software
• Fedora : 100% Open Source / Community Built, sponsored by RedHat
• Ubuntu : "Linux for Human Beings" - one of the most popular distros worldwide
• Gentoo : lightweight and powerful, Gentoo pioneered the "live CD" - a test CD with the whole OS that you can try out without touching your hard drive at all.

Getting

All distros will have download and installation instructions on their websites. Some, like Ubuntu and Gentoo, can fit on 1 CD - others, like Suse, take up 5 CD's or 1 DVD. In any case you'll want a fast internet connection. The CD's get downloaded as disc images, so you just need to burn them to actual CD's to make installer discs. Or, just go to the store and buy a box set. Consider the money a donation to the cause.

Installing - Just Linux

If you are just going to run linux on your computer, the installer will wipe your drive and install linux on it. Back up anything you want to keep first, the whole drive will get overwritten. Then just reboot, pop the installer disc in, and go.

Installing - Linux on a Second Hard Drive

If you want to keep your Windows OS, you can just add a second hard drive for linux. Install the drive, boot the installer disc, and just make sure to point it at the right drive when it starts. It will set up a dual-boot option screen for you so you can pick which OS you want each time you restart the computer.

Installing - Linux and Windows on the Same Drive

This is what you'll need to do if you have a laptop, or don't want to buy a second hard drive. First, back up anything really important - there shouldn't be any problems, but better safe than sorry. Then, in Windows, clean up and defragment your drive - this will move all the Windows stuff together so there's a block of free space for linux. You'll probably want to give about half your drive to linux, so make sure you have enough free space first (though 10GB or sometimes even 5 will be enough in a pinch). Boot the installer, tell it to shrink your Windows partition and create a Linux partition.