Linux : take it easy

Hi there,

First of all, i think some post will be in english. This one is the first. Sorry for french-only readers, but, "that's the way it is !".

Today, i'll write about Linux and how to try it. For sure, many of you are "fluent in linux" but this message is for the others, those who dont know a word about Linux. So, take it easy and here we go !

1) Live CD.
Perhaps, the easiest way to begin. No installation, nothing to do. Just put in your PC a live CD of a Linux distro (Google "linux live cd") and make your PC boot on the CDROM/DVDROM.
You will get a brand new desktop, under Linux (often KDE or GNOME). Feel free to explore it, you will be able to browse your hard drive as well : listening to music, watch photos, ... .

Ok. That's easy indeed but you want Linux AND Windows at the same time on the same PC ... Hum, let's go !

2) Virtualization.
No, virtualization is not so difficult. You are going to boot a Linux PC INTO your Windows. For that, you should get VMWARE (Google it!). VMWARE is free !. You only need to register to get your licence free. I'm not gonna make a complete review here like "VMWARE for Dummies". If you want to try, go for it (how to do ?).

Hum, that's sound like real stuff but you want something more easy and by the way very quick to try AND you want Linux AND Windows at the same time on the same PC ... Hum, let's go !

3) QEMU.
I bet that 5 minutes after downloading something like "dsl-3.2-embedded.zip" (see sites at http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/), your Linux-box will be alive into your Windows OS ! Download, store, uncompress, execute "dsl-windows.bat" and the box is on !
Oh, you want to test it on a linux machine (yes, a linux-box into a linux OS), so, execute "./dsl-linux.sh" and the box is on !

Hum, so easy ! Great piece of software. I think point 3 is the easiest way to try. And at last but not least, you can put all this (including your mail, documents, and so on) on an USB Key : all PC is your PC ! Linux everywhere !

Enjoy.