Exploring Linux

Want to see what all the hype is about Linux? Well, then read on.
I'm sure you've seen countless articles on how Linux is great and countless manuals on how to use Linux. When you see those you probably think "That's way over my head" or ' I don't have time to learn another OS". Well, it doesn't have to be hard at all.

I can tell you when I started with computers years ago I never read a manual on how Windows works or how to use the Windows OS. The way I learned it was by exploring and clicking on things. If I would of read a book on how to use Windows and how it operates I would probably still be reading it today. I agree, there are alot of things to learn about an Operating System but to learn the basics is not that hard. I've been a Windows user all my life and I still haven't explored everything to the OS and never will.

With that said, don't be afraid to try Linux. There are alot of good distros for beginners to Linux which I will discuss below. When you download an ISO and Burn it or use it in a Virtual Machine, Just start clicking on menus and taking a look around at different programs and menus. If you want to read a manual go ahead. Most people learn by interaction and not reading. I guarantee you if you just explore and do this on a daily basis you will become fairly familiar with Linux.

Their are several good distros or Distributions for first time Linux users. Some of them are listed below.

Ubuntu
Fedora
openSUSE
Mandriva

Many other distros can be found at:
http://distrowatch.com/

If you're looking for tutorials or software the best place would be to check out the Distributions website or community forums.

Have fun exploring Linux!