Linux installation made easy

Therefore, there is a lag behind Windows support since hardware companies often work directly with Microsoft to ensure compatibility and tend to let Linux volunteers figure out the Linux hardware support on their own. Laptops are notorious for their non-standard hardware; it can be a challenge to map special keys in Linux. The good news here is that vendor support for Linux hardware, like software, is changing for the better as more and more companies see their future in Linux.

Everything in between the hardware and the software in a Linux machine is the kernel. This kernel is what connects the hardware to the software and an updated kernel is made available via Internet every few weeks; the most current is 2.6.14. If you have hardware that isn't currently supported, there is a chance that a newer kernel could help you out. Installing this kernel yourself isn't always easy, however; that's where Package Managers come into play.

4. Package Managers - Program installation made easy(er)
There are many ways to install programs in Linux, but the easiest is with your distribution's PM. The PM makes sure that any missing files (called dependencies) are also installed so the program runs correctly. Choosing a distribution often comes down to which type of PM you like, but any Linux software can be installed on different distributions if you can find the corresponding Package.

These PM's usually have an online repository for their programs. Installing an application is as easy as searching through the program repository and clicking Install. Can't find IceWM or MPlayer in your Package Manager's list? There is always a way to add a new online repository that will have what you are looking for. Some examples of Package Managers include Synaptic (based on dpkg and Apt) for Debian (and derivatives), Yum for RedHat (and derivatives), YaST2 for SuSE (and derivatives) and Emerge for Gentoo.

5. Permissions
Linux is designed to have multiple users and these users fall into groups. Every user has permissions to read, write, or execute (R/W/X) their own files and permission to change those permissions. Because Linux is designed for multiple users, each user has their own password and may restrict access to their files. These are called User Permissions.

Each user belongs to one or more groups and a user can set their file/folder permissions so that others in the group can read but not write the files or any other combination of R/W/X. These are Group permissions. For example, Joe and Susan are both in Accounting. They can allow the Accounting group access to each other's files, but they can restrict that access from those in the Sales group.

The Others permissions can allow or deny access to these files for anyone outside the Group. These permissions are for the safety of the overall system, as well as for each user's data. Most home users are fine to leave the default permissions alone on their files.

The Root user (not to be confused with the / Root of a file system), as the Administrator, has rights to all files and is the only user who can alter system-wide settings. The Root user has their own password, which is used for system maintenance. This distinction prevents a regular user from installing harmful spyware on the system or deleting important files.

6. Home directory
Windows has My Documents, but where do you put files that aren't documents? Usually on the Windows Desktop… Linux can clutter the desktop too, but each of our users also has a Home directory, usually located at /home/user. Within that Home directory you often have Documents (/home/user/documents), program links, music (/home/user/Music) or whatever we want. We can create files and folders here and organise or disorganise them as much as we want, just like it was our own personal Home. Depending on how our permissions are set, we can allow or prevent any other user access to these files (except the Root user).

7. Default installation differences
There are a few differences between Linux distributions, such as where some files are kept or what some of the default programs are named. Just knowing that the file system might be a bit different between RedHat and SuSE is a great start. Most users don't need to know what those differences are, but they should be aware that the internal file...

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