[plug] linux4imac?

[Onno Benschop]

On Sat, 2003-06-21 at 10:36, michelle huma wrote:
> >       * How much memory has your iMac got?
> Built in memory 64MB
> 
> >       * How big is your hard disk and how much of it is free?
> Capacity 4GB
> Available 3.1GB

OK, this gives us a start.

While you didn't expand on my speculation - that the machine is merely
slow and that you were told that Linux would work better, I'm going to
run with installing Linux in a moment.

Let me state this again:

You might have been told that your user experience would be better if
you installed Linux, or you might have drawn that conclusion yourself.
This is not necessarily the case.

If the sole reason you're asking about Linux is because you believe that
it will work better on your iMac than OS 8.6 or OS 9, then I'm going to
have to disappoint you if you are a(n) (experienced) Macintosh user. You
are likely to have much more benefit from spending around $100 upgrading
your computer memory to 128Mb. Any Apple Centre and many PC outlets will
be able to assist you with this.

All of this is by way of a disclaimer: Don't say I didn't tell you.

Linux is a replacement for Mac OS. What this means is that when you're
done, you won't have your existing Macintosh applications to use, nor
will the screen look the same, nor will you be able to use any Macintosh
assistance you currently enjoy.

However, in place of Mac OS, you'll have new software that is generally
available at no charge, that is written and maintained by people across
the planet. You'll be able to get assistance from mailing lists such as
this one.

I must for completeness point out that there is a programme called
Mac-on-Linux, or MOL, that allows you to run Mac OS as a program within
Linux. What this implies is that you get everything back, but it won't
be any faster than what you have today, and likely slower.

When you step off the jetty that is Mac OS, you move into a different
realm. Mac OS is written and maintained by Apple. The various programmes
you use come from independent developers.

With linux, it's the same, but different.

The linux kernel (like Mac OS) comes (in a very simplified version of
reality) from one place - a guy called Linus Torvalds. 

Many organisations, such as Debian, YellowDog, Mandrake, Gentoo, RedHat,
all get a copy of the linux kernel and add their own programmes,
utilities and installation tools. These combined things are called Linux
Distributions.

There are many different distributions and each has its set of followers
and advocates (some would say zealots :-)

To make things slightly more complicated, Mac OS runs only on Apple
computers, but Linux runs on a whole host of other things. There is
Linux for hand-held computers, for Intel-based computers and for Apple
or PowerPC (PPC) based computers. Each of course has their own
following, distribution and kernel version.

Why am I spending so much time on this?

Because you'll not be in Kansas for very much longer Toto and it might
be a little tough at first. (It took me three years to give up on
Windows, but boy am I glad I did.)

You've already had suggestions for trialling something called a LiveCD.
What this is, is a linux distribution, set-up specifically to run from a
CD, so you can try-before-you commit.

>From a mechanical point of view, your computer already meets the minimum
requirements of 16Mb of RAM and 800Mb of disk-space free.

One thing to know before you start installing Linux in what ever flavour
you choose is that unless you backup all of your data, it will likely be
gone, because the way that Linux installs generally requires you to
re-organise your hard disk to make it work.

So, any more questions?

Onno Benschop 

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