The early LINUX OS systems were not for those of us who were afraid of computer crashes! I cut my teeth figuring how to get the Slackware distribution compiled and running properly. Rest assured, my present Linux system is running quite smoothly and is very reliable. However, this has not always been the case. The enjoyment I receive is in making changes and really "messing things up" once in awhile. An easy way to do that in the early days was to update to a new kernel. This was some of the "fun" playing with Linux. This is not a problem with current versions of Linux.
I am now running Suse Linux 11.1 on my shop computesr which also dual boot Windows XP Pro. I am sharing a three printer print server on a three computer wireless network which shares a cable modem access to the Internet.
The Suse distribution is stable enough to be almost boring, but I am not really complaining. I can run both Gnome and KDE desktops in X. I prefer KDE at the moment. There are a LOT of free programs available for Linux. If you are a computer enthusiast, you have to be running Linux!
I build my own "boxes" (computers) so they are always changing and hopefully improving. That's the same thing that happens with Linux. You can purchase software, but in reality, everything you may need can be found legally free off the Internet. My current version of Suse 11.1 was downloaded free and legal from the Suse web site. A fast cable connection helps a lot with these huge downloads.
Linux software is constantly getting better and stronger. The link in the banner below will take you to a wealth of information on Linux and everything else associated. Surf out and check it out!
