Questions to Consider Before You Start
- Why Linux? Stability, speed, price, open-source and security.
- Which "distribution" –– whose version of Linux should I run?
- Pre–installed on your new computer, or upgrading?
- "Dual boot" with Windows or sole Operating System on the computer?
What We Like
-
Stability – it stays up and recovers more effectively from
program crashes - Fewer reboots needed – most program installations do not need
reboots - Ability to segregate users data – can protect it from other users
- More robust if the computer crashes non–program issues, e.g. power loss
- The Baton Rouge Linux Users Group
- The Cajun Clickers Desktop Linux SIG
- SAMBA so I can also use my Linux box as a backup file-server for my Windows boxes.
- The friendliness and camaraderie of Linux user groups.
- Dual–booting our desktops & notebooks between Linux (Yeah!) and Windows.
What We Don’t Like
- Windows Zealots
- Linux Zealots
- Mac Zealots
- Other close–minded people
Other Resources
Usual message about security
- Be sure to check for program updates and OS updates. Even though this isn’t Windows, there are fixes to security issues in various programs that may (or may not) come with your Linux distribution. All distributions have some mechanism for doing updates, although some are much more automated than others.
- No matter what operating system you use, you need to run a firewall program. No, the operating system (e.g., Linux) won’t protect you. No matter who told you (the guy at the computer store, your best buddy, the tech at your ISP, the cable/dsl installer, or whomever) that you don’t have to have a firewall, you do! It’s not a technical requirement – it is a necessity to protect you, your equipment and your data. No one can do it for you.
- Use your distribution’s tool to set up your initial firewall, probably using IPTABLES. Then, tweak it when you need to.
- Review your system logs occasionally to make sure you’ve got control of your system
- Consider using a program like TripWire and/or logcheck to automatically monitor your system’s logs for changes and access by users
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