What to do?

[fsufootball42]

I run an online bussiness. For security reasons I would like to do all bussiness on Linux. I have 1 new computer and I am ordering a laptop in the comming weeks. I thought I would put Linux as well as XP on my new laptop. Does this work easily? A friend recomended winlinux. He says you boot up in XP and then open the WinLinux application and the computer reboots itself in Linux. Is it really that simple? Linux runs on a different file system I know. Does it partition itself some space for programs and such? If WinLinux is not a good choice can someone recomend one for me that is easy to install(and can be installed along with XP) and is very basic. I only will be using it for the internet(maybe excel).

Another option I was thinking of is getting an external HD. Installing Linux on there would allow me to use it on my computer and laptop. Is this easy or practical?

Thank you everyone!

 

[The General]

I would recommend not using WinLinux, I have never heard of it, but it sounds pretty lame, why boot to Windows if you want to boot to Linux? I use grub, it comes with http://www.debian.org and works very well. When you turn your computer on, it gives you a list of installed operating systems and you can choose which to boot, in your case it would be Linux or Windows.

If I were you I'd go with http://www.ubuntulinux.com (basically a simplified version of Debian, with newer versions of certain software)

Very easily installed, very easily setup. To install http://www.openoffice.org is very simple, and you should be on your way.

 

[fsufootball42]

but is it as simple as downloading it and installing it? After I do that once I restart my computer I will have the options of booting up in Linux or Windows? Does it ask how much disk space I want to use for Linux? Thanks for the help.

 

[The General]

It's actually simpler than downloading it and installing it, lol.

In the terminal, type:

apt-get install openoffice

And hit enter, it will download the appropriate packages and install them automatically.

 

[fsufootball42]

No, I am talking about installing Linux itself.

 

[macdude425]

Yeah, pretty much any Linux distro does...

 

[simple]

since you have mentioned that your use for linux would be limited hence i recommend that you go for a distro which is light on your system resources. i would also recommend that you try out live cd's like knoppix (live cd means that you dont have to install anything just boot from that cd and voila!).
as for downloading and installing linux(any distro), when you download it , it will be in the format of 'iso' files. burn these to cd's and then boot from first cd. it will give you formatting options and it will ask you if you want to erase the entire hdd or keep current config. take the second option.
Also a word of warning:: install xp first and then linux because xp is 'selfish' and it erases your MBR upon install and recreates it thereby linux will be there on your system but you will not be able to access it if you install xp over linux!!
hope this is of some help to you! take care! c ya!!

 

[fsufootball42]

I begain to try and download a distro and its 1 big file. You said iso files, so is there more to download? Or do I just put that one file on a CD(can DVDs work) and boot from the CD? Thanks

 

[Law]

What distro are you downloading?

 

[fsufootball42]

http://www.ubuntulinux.com