Installing+Linux+on+your+computer

**Installing Linux On Your Computer** **By Justin Blair**

 Running Linux on your computer has many benefits, such as increased speed, better security, and thousands of applications, and all of these things are absolutely free. These instructions are for anyone who wants to try Linux and has some basic computer skills. Getting Linux onto your computer can be accomplished in just a few step**s:**


 * Selecting the Linux distribution**

The first thing that you will need to do is select the type on Linux you want on you computer. There are hundreds of them to choose from, but the most popular is called Ubuntu. If you are installing any other distribution of Linux it will be very similar to Ubuntu and there should not be any major differences that are not addressed in the instructions.

The files you need to download for Ubuntu are found at: []
 * Downloading the required files or buying a installation CD**



If you are using any other distribution they will have there own website with a similar way to download the files you will need. Also if you are looking to j ust buy a CD with Linux on it there are also links to other sites that will allow you to do that, for Ubuntu it is at: []

 Also if you are currently using windows you may download an Ubuntu installer right from the website and when its done downloading all you need to do is execute the .exe file, and it will slowly take you though setting up Ubuntu on your computer without having to do anything else. **3.** **Creating a Boot Disk** There are a variety of ways to install Linux, if you purchased a CD, then it will come with instructions for installing Linux and you will be able to follow those. If you did not buy the disk, but you wish to make one now you need to open some program that can burn an image onto a CD. The Ubuntu website will suggest that you use infra recorder which can be downloaded at: []

Once this is downloaded or if you choose another program, insert a blank CD into your drive and open up the program and select burn image option and choose the .ISO file you downloaded in step two.

The final way to install Linux is to put the file on a USB stick. To do this your will first need to download the universal USB installer which can be found at: []

After doing this, run the program universal USB installer and select your distribution, your .ISO file ( the file you downloaded in step two) and the USB flash drive letter. If you are unsure of the letter you may open up my computer and find your USB, and underneath it should be a letter such as “J” or “I” this letter is the letter you will need to put into the USB creator. Then click create, and wait for the program to finish writing all the information onto the drive. **4.** **Rebooting using Linux** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">After you have finished the last step you will need you place your new CD or USB drive into your computer and restart the computer. Depending on your computer, it may or may not recognize the CD or USB drive without adjusting the startup procedure, but it is quite simple to fix. When your computer is starting up it will give you an option for startup menu or startup options and a button to press (normally Esc) when it tells you this you will press the button. Then you will select Boot Device Option from the next screen, and choose either your CD, or your jump drive. Now it should load your Linux and begin installing it on your computer. This process is nearly all automatic but will require some inputs from you such as a name and password. <span style="display: block; font-family: Ubuntu; font-size: 20pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 20pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">**End Note** <span style="display: block; font-family: Ubuntu; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Now you have a working copy of Linux on your computer and should be able to do so many interesting things, and be able to learn quite a bit more about how computer systems should work. <span style="display: block; font-family: Ubuntu; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Enjoy.