Hi I want to learn linux and I have windows 98 at home, can I changemy os from windows 98 to linux?

You can change your os from 98 to linux. If you have thee linux startup up disk and the linux cd. eg Redhat Linux. Then just boot up your computer with the boot up disk in the floppy drive and when promited insert the linux cd. You will need to burn all your file onto a cd and remember not all programs will run on linux. And you will need to do a clean format. If you have a large hardrive or more than one partition then you can just intall linux onto a partition. You can download a boot manager if you want to have both win98 and linux on your computer. Good luck. Make sure you don't format or try re-installing before you know wat you are doing.

Hi, Do a Google search for a program called Knoppix. This lets you use Linux without actually installing it. I've used it a time or two. Just burn the ISO onto a cd as an image then reboot your machine with the disk in your CD drive and it'll boot off of it. With Knoppix, you can even get on the internet. There's another like it called Freedom Linux. Basically the same thing. If you want to get really technical, you could dual-boot win98 and Linux, if you have a big enough hard drive. Go to www.linuxiso.org and you'll find several different flavors of Linux available for download. They're all free too. Just remember that when you burn them onto a CD, you MUST burn them as an image, or they won't be bootable. Good Luck, ~winipcfg

Dual-booting is rather simple. And if you add a second hard drive it can be done without making any changes to Windows. As mentioned above, Knoppix is an excellent way to try Linux without making any changes to your computer. There are other CD-based Linux versions also. Check out "distrowatch" for a full list. Best Luck, Bob

Hey I got a question for Bobthearch & anyone else familiar with Knoppix? - I had a Knoppix CD and tried it at school . . . worked beautifully. Couldn't hear sounds 'cause we don't have sound/speakers at school, but was no big deal. Took it home, tossed it in the computer, and it started up and all, I got to the screen that appeared as colorful DOS - but once it got to the main OS screens with all the awesome graphics - the screen was COMPLETELY black. I knew it was still running 'cause I could hear sounds . . . but it didn't show ANYTHING. So, any suggestions? Maybe it's that my graphics card couldn't handle it?

Can't say exactly what the problem is, but it sure sounds like a graphics problem. You might try posting on a more Linux-centric forum with your graphics card specifics. The trouble with Knoppix is that since everything you "need" is on a burned CD, it's difficult to make specific adjustments that would be possible on a hard drive install. Best Luck, Bob

thank you for all the replies. so 1) if my windows is not much useful at home, and beside I don't want cause any probles for the PC which I need to use, so just delete the windows and use the red hat 9 cd. 2) I went to the http://csociety-ftp.ecn.purdue.edu/pub/knoppix/. which one I should download? 3) more explain about just boot up your computer with the boot up disk in the floppy drive