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Theres been a question I have seen on multiple occasions both on the “How do I explain Linux to a Windows user” end as well as the “What is Linux?” question. That got me thinking.. what is the best way to explain Linux to a normal Windows user who has never heard of Linux? Have you ever been using a laptop in a public place, or have someone over at your house, and you’re running Linux and someone asks you why it looks different? Do you take the easy way out and say “it’s Linux, it’s like Windows but different!” or do you actually explain what Linux is? Here are some ideas of getting the message across as easy and straightforward as possible.
Explaining Linux to a Windows user

Here are a few ideas you can put together to help you explain Linux:

* Every computer has an Operating System. Windows is an Operating System. So is Linux.
* Linux was written in the early nineties by a college student name Linus.
* Linux is not owned by any one person.
* Linux is free, unlike Windows. Most people pay the Windows fee when they buy the computer that comes “pre-installed” with Windows.
* It’s fun to use.
* You have complete control of all aspects of the operating system.
* It’s “look and feel” is completely customizable. You can make it look like Windows or you can make it look unique.
* You can’t use all of the same software applications that you use on Windows, but there are alternatives to windows programs.
* If your computers primary use is for playing popular computer games, hold off on installing Linux.
* Linux is secure and practically virus and spyware free.
* It can be a lot faster than Windows with the right setup and configurations.

How do you explain Linux to a Windows user?

Have you ever was bored by installing some script via FTP, where you need to download archive to your PC, than unpack and upload every file to your hosting?(which could take a while even on speed connection if program contain many small files).
If you have a Linux based hosting and SSH option in your account, you don’t have to do this anymore, such script installation steps would take only few seconds. Also using SSH you can delete, change permissions, backup databases, move files and directories in very fast manner, usually in much more productive way than with control panels provided by hosting.

Example of how to install Joomla on hosting with SSH support:

1. First, you need some SSH client, for Windows I would recommend PuTTY which is freely available for download. For Linux I’m using OpenSSH, but PuTTY could be used as well.

2. Next you need to connect to your account through SSH program, in PuTTY find menu Session and input host you wish to connect, usually it would have format like yousiteurl.net but in some cases it may look like this ssh.yoursiteurl.net(you can find this info it in control panel or check with your hosting support), change protocol to SSH and click “Open”, you can also save session parameters for future use.

3. Once you click open you’ll need to input login and password, in most cases it’s same as main login and password for your account, but some hosts setup different login and password, so it’s better to check it out first.

4. Once logged in, you should see prompt like this:
Quote
Last login: Fri Feb  8 20:33:30 2008 from 92.113.60.216
yourlogin@yoursiteurl.net[~]#
.
Now you need to proceed to directory you wish to install script. You can do this either using console commands or by launching MC(MidnightCommander) file manager which preinstalled on many machnies. If you choose second way simply type mc.
If first method type ls and you’ll see structure of directories in your account which would look less or more like this:
Quote
./              .contactemail       .htpasswds/     .spamassassin/
../             .cpanel/           temp.tmp      .spamassassinenable
access-logs@    .cpanel-datastore/  .lastlogin      spamreport/
auto-whitelist  .cpanel-ducache     logs/           .sqmaildata/
.bash_history   .cpanel-logs        mail/           tmp/
.bash_logout    .dns                .mailboxlist    .trash/
.bash_profile   .emacs              .mc/            www@
.bashrc         etc/                .mysql_history  .zshrc
.canna          .filter             public_ftp/
.cedit/         .ftpquota           public_html/

There should be directory which called either “docs”, “public_html”, “www”, or “www@”. This directory is the place where your site is stored and therefore you need to upload your script there. Once it found simply type cd www.
You can also check in your FTP program where you usually upload your files e.g. if it’s “/home/yourlogin/public_html” in SSH type: cd /home/yourlogin/public_html
If you’re in doubt, feel free to ask here, just don’t reveal any passwords or login info publicly, it’s dangerous!

5. Now we ready to download our script, for example I’ve choose Joomla which seems to be popular lately, but this example would work with many other software including forums and blogs scripts. First choose file you need to download: http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/frs/
on download page copy link you wish to download in clipboard, I’ve choose to download: Joomla_1.0.15-Stable-Full_Package.tar.bz2

To download this file type this: wget http://joomlacode.org/gf/download/frsrelease/6828/22536/Joomla_1.0.15-Stable-Full_Package.tar.bz2
In few seconds file will be downloaded to current directory of your hosting account.
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6. now you need to unpack it, if you’re using command line type ls first, to see the name of the file and type:
tar jxvf Joomla_1.0.15-Stable-Full_Package.tar.bz2
If you don’t wish to type whole string, try this:
tar jxvf Jo[TAB]
(by [TAB] I mean hitting “Tab key”) So if there are only one file in directory which have it’s name started from “Jo” shell will complete name for you, if there are more files like this you’ll see prompt to choose one from list.

In most cases files in these archives are packed with correct permissions so you don’t need to change anything, which is also advantage of using SSH method. So once you’ve unpack file you’re ready to continue with web installation steps.
Article doesn’t look short, but it’s only to describe the way how it’s working, in reality it takes less than half minute to perform all all these steps once you get used to this way of working.

Let me know if it was useful, and if you got some troubles, feel free to ask and I’ll try to help you.

Is user laziness, and I find myself to be a big culprit.  I find some things so much easier on Linux than windows.  But I find more and more things that are easier on windows than linux, and not because linux is lacking, just that I’ve used windows for many years, and its second nature to me.  I can do it much faster on Windows because I don’t even have to link about it, my mind already knows where all the points to click are.  With Linux I need to think about it more and there is the time to set it up and I find myself going okay this will take 5 minutes in Windows, or 20 minutes in linux.

The Truth is, if I took the time to spend the 20 minutes on Linux the next time I tried to do it it would probably take 10 minutes, and then the next time 5.  But its trying to teach my brain not to go the easy way seeem sto be the hardest thing to do.

Biggest example.  I have all my subversion repostiories already linked in windows, and I’ve been using netbeans for years.  It takes me 2 minutes to do an update with Tortoise SVN and go into netbeans, compile, test and deploy knew aps.  I’ve done it every morning for 3 years.  In linux theoretically it should be even easier since in NetBeans 6 it works as the subversion client.  However I don’t have everything set up yet, so there is going to be a 30 minute setup while I link to all the subversion repostitories, assign all the libraries etc. etc. etc.  Its very lazy of me I know but its so much simpler just to reboot into vista, compile deploy, then reboot back to linux.

I really need convince myself to not do that.  I think might have to be something where you need to do it cold turkey, don’t dual boot, just go 100% linux and no windows.  Otherwise windows will just be your crutch.

Its very hard to do but if you have the option of going back to windows you will, not because its better, but because its more familiar.