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"Gentoo is a popular, powerful, well-crafted distribution that
panders to your geek side to the nth degree. You want control? Gentoo
hands you the reins and wishes you good luck." ------------------------------- Linux is something I was introduced to in Nevada during graduate school. I had heard of Linux from my FHU room-mates (Justin and Joey) who were computer science majors but had never used it myself until graduate school. When I first encountered the beast I was quite naive of it greatness but now understand the benefits of the open-source world... Like most people I was introduced to the computer through the Windows Operating System (OS). Like most people this was all I really knew - Windows 3.1, 98, NT, etc. It was rather easy to use, sometimes difficult to configure (NT) but was generally user friendly. I often found myself restarting the computer to due lock-ups and the like, but considered it the norm when it came to working on computers. Then I met Linux. Linux is an OS derived from the UNIX system. UNIX has been around for quite some time but is not "user friendly" like Windows. People do not want to learn a bunch of technical commands and computer jargon to check their e-mail, they merely want a "point and click" environment in which to live. This was the drawback of UNIX - it was terminal based (text based) and was quite difficult to use (unless you were a computer guru). Linux was born out of the UNIX system and carries with it much of the same programs - including a Graphical User Interface (GUI) called an "X-Server." This X-Server is the GUI that the Windows world users need to get along - and it works swimmingly. One might be asking, "If I have Windows, and can use Windows, why should I ever venture into the realm of Linux?" And that is a fair question. I will try and forge an answer... First of all, Linux is FREE! The OS and various programs can be downloaded and installed without paying the hundreds of dollars Windows users fork out. These programs are an example of how Linux programs parallel the ones used in Windows - GIMP (Adobe Photoshop), Openoffice (Microsoft Office), Kmail (Microsoft Outlook), Firefox or Konqueror (Internet Explorer), Blender (3D-Max), Bluefish (Microsoft Frontpage), Scribus (Microsoft Publisher), XMMS (Winamp), etc. And again, these are all free... Secondly, Linux is customizable. If a person installs Windows everyone gets about the same thing - same programs, same setup, etc., even if an individual's needs are different, ie. they use different programs and need different configurations. In Linux, you install only the programs you need and want. For example, how often do you use Microsoft Messenger? I NEVER use it, but it is installed by default in Windows XP Pro. True, you can go back and uninstall it...but in Linux, you would not have to install it in the first place. Mmmmmm. Better. Installing programs you never use wastes disk space and burns other resources you need - Example: Microsoft Messenger starts at boot, therefore, it takes RAM you could be using for other programs. Grrrr. Incorporated with the customization of Linux, a person is able to build their system from the ground up (if they want) or begin with a preconfigured system (to same time and effort). My systems run Gentoo Linux - a "flavor" of Linux that allows ultimate customization. Now before I talk about the customization I need to talk about the "flavors" of Linux. The term "flavors" denotes the "company" that provides the Linux version. There are several: Red Hat, Mandrake, Suse, Ubuntu, Gentoo (my choice), etc. Each "flavor" is different and has its advantages. In the end, you need to research want type of Linux system you want and then try it out. I have tried numerous "flavors" and finally settled on Gentoo Linux for reasons I will now discuss. Gentoo Linux allows a person to configure their system from the most basic elements. Without going into the gory details, you start with your compiler (gcc, fcc, f77, etc.) and then build the system from the ground up. Not only that, but you can include CFLAGS that optimize the program code by taking advantage of hardware ability allowed by the compiler so that it runs faster. Algorithms have been created (acovea) to generate the best string of CFLAGS for your own system and can then be utilized to make the fastest code possible - how sweet is that! From here you install only the programs you want which keeps your Linux install small and lightning fast. So, would you like a system tailored to your machine, one that is small and fast, or would you like a system you cannot configure, one that is bloated and slow? Not to mention, would you like one that is free or hundreds of dollars? Hmmmmm. - Jim (Aug. 9, 2005) |
