Get Into Linux
Linux Format|January 2017

Jonni Bidwell runs Linux on all his systems and he’s going to wax lyrical about why you should and how you could too. Best put the kettle on.

Jonni Bidwell
Get Into Linux

Anyone can be a Linux user, in fact anyone fortunate enough to own any kind of consumer technology or has used the Internet is very likely already a Linux user. It’s at the heart of Android phones, home routers, smart TVs, pwned IoT devices and most of the web servers in the world. Its also running on 99% of the world’s fastest super computers. But you can use it as a desktop operating system too—it’s easier than it has ever been.

You can try Linux risk-free straight from our coverdiscs or in a virtual machine. There are desktops to suit fans of Windows and macOS, and there are desktops for people with taste [straight in with the trash talk—Ed]. Software freedom has never been more important, as corporations try to lock us into their closed ecosystems, impinge on our privacy and restrict what we can do with our hardware. Linux won’t force you to download and install a whole new OS while you’re not looking or stop supporting your older hardware. You won’t find unwanted extras when you install applications on Linux or find yourself desperately scouring the web for legitimate download links, because software is managed much more coherently. Thousands of top-quality free applications can be downloaded from the comfort of the desktop. Let’s explore this world…

What is Linux?

It’s all very well getting into Linux, but it’s prudent that we first explain  exactly what it is that we are getting you into.

This story is from the January 2017 edition of Linux Format.

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This story is from the January 2017 edition of Linux Format.

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