[TriLUG] New user seeking advice, help

[sholton at mindspring.com]

argotera <argotera at yahoo.com> writes:

> I  use excel and various addins like solver  ,treeplan etc for regression
> analysis and business modeling. 

I'd recommend caution. With no disrespect intended, many people who venture
into the land of Linux for the first time are just way too addicted to Microsoft
products to have a good first experience, if rushed.

I'd definitely recommend a Live CD-style distribution first. These are CD-ROM
based full versions of selected Linux distributions which are intended to demo
the features of a Linux distribution in a no-comittment-required fashion.
When you're done, you remove the CD, reboot the system, and Windows
(or whatever you had on the system to begin with) is still there.

For the Knoppix Live CD, visit http://www.knoppix.org/
For the Ubuntu Live CD, visit: http://www.ubuntulinux.org/download/

For a less "cold turkey" way into the world of Linux, you might want to consider
running a Linux machine "inside" your Windows box by using virtualization
software like VMWare ( http://www.vmware.com/ ) and try out a bunch of 
different distributions. In this way, you'll have the advantage of keeping your
Windows system running and available while trying-out various features of 
Linux.  On the downside, you'll need a fairly powerful machine and a decent 
amount of disk space, or your efforts might be frustrating. Also beware that some
Linux distros won't work in a virtualized machine.

Finally, consider what is driving you to linux. Your interest may range from 
sturding the kernel archtecture, wanting to learn UNIX-style shell scripting or
system administration, or just wanting access to the wide variety of powerful 
(and generally free) tools available in the Free Software world. Knowing what
you're wanting to do is essential to choosing the right Linux distro, if any.

If you're just looking for a free replacement for Microsoft Office, you'll want to
visit http://openoffice.org and see if that suits your needs. No linux required.

And be sure to come back here with your questions and to let us know how
it's going. 

-- 
Steve Holton    sholton at mindspring.com
"Don't judge someone by the answers he has, but rather by the questions he poses.
Questions are important; they are the containers for the answers. Without good 
questions, the answers may become spoiled."