Everybody like free stuff. Unfortunately free often comes with a catch, but not when it comes to the Linux operating system. Free literally means “not under the control of another and to do as one wishes” – which with Linux you are totally free to do with as you please. The GNU (General Public License) grants “end users the freedom to run, study, share and modify the software” as you please. Not only is the Linux OS free but there is a ton of open source software as well.
There’s a host of articles online as to “why” you should consider using Linux over another operating system, including greater stability, increased security, ease of updating and the aforementioned fact that the OS is not only free but there is lots of free software as well. Two articles worth considering before taking the plunge are by S. Sathyanarayanan, the “Ten reasons why we should use Linux” and Sohail’s “10 Reasons Why Linux Is Better Than Windows“. Linux has a large community following and is community managed in part. There are many distributions to choose from, one of the easiest flavors to install, use and is widely supported is Ubuntu.
Currently as there are two desktop versions available – the difference is their support cycle. The latest version is 19.04 but is only supported until January of 2020 (in my mind if you want cutting edge wait until the next release which will give you a longer support cycle) and version 18.04.3 which is supported until April of 2023 with “free security and maintenance updates, guaranteed”. You’ll find download links for the Ubuntu Desktop here <—.
Simply download the ISO file of your choice, burn using an ISO burner (such as ) to a DVD or USB thumb drive and follow the installation instructions found here <— when you are ready to install (you can also try it out prior to installing, read about it here <–).
