If you're interested in using Linux the following links and information will help get you going:

Installing Mandrake 10 - download the extract from the official Mandrake 10 Starter Guide (1.2MB PDF) which provides most of the information and guidance necessary to install Mandrake 10.

Installing Mandrake 10 Supplementary Guide - expands on the Starter Guide extract above to explain or emphasise some points.

Updating Mandrake Linux 10 - article originally published in PC Update providing a step-by-step guide on how to update Mandrake 10 from both CD and on-line sources.

New! Updating Mandriva Linux LE2005 - update of article originally published in PC Update providing a step-by-step guide on how to update Mandriva LE2005 from both CD and on-line sources.

Configuring Melb PC dial-up for Linux using kppp - guide to using the kppp dialler to connect to Melb PC.

Useful programs, commands and tips - a list of useful information aimed at users new to Linux. This is very much a work in progress. (updated 21/9/2004)

Removing Linux - explains a simple process for deleting Linux and (optionally) expanding an existing Windows partition to fill the entire drive if you decide Linux is not for you.

Updating KDE on Mandrake as seen in PC Update (May 2005)

Linux has become quite prominent of late as an alternate operating system to Microsoft Windows, although with a reputation for being the domain of "geeks" only. While this has certainly been true in the past, the growing maturity of Linux has lead to increasing popularity among less expert users. Is it ready for the desktop of the average user? Maybe, but the answer very much depends on the user and their requirements - for many experienced computer users most definitely, for novices probably not without guidance.

Linux appeals to users on a number of levels. Many like the "free" nature of the software, both the minimal cost often involved and the ideal of open source software. It has fewer security issues than Windows, there are very few viruses and worms for Linux, and other malware is almost non-existent. For some the appeal lies in it not being Microsoft, in being different.

If you're at all curious about Linux then now is an excellent time to have a try. There are many "live" Linux CDs to try without actually installing - Knoppix being an example Melb PC has made available to give you a taste. Ease of installation and good hardware detection are important for the novice user and mainstream distributions are now quite good in these areas. Mandrake Linux is particularly good here so has been chosen as the distribution to make available through Melb PC and is used by a number of members.

Learning your way around Linux is not a small task so expect the need to learn, but don't be put off by that. It is very usable with the knowledge you currently have - the underlying concepts involved are much the same but it's the way things are done that is different. Many everyday applications such as web browsers look and behave identically under both Windows and Linux. And if you install Mandrake 10.0 and later decide it's not for you then it can be removed with ease.

Mandriva LE2005 is a modern operating system and as such is designed to be run with a modern computer. It has relatively high hardware requirements and probably isn't suitable for the old computer you have gathering dust in the corner. The minimum requirements below are adapted from the Mandrake web site and should be taken as absolutely minimal - it may run but not terribly well. A system meeting the realistic minimum requirements (or approaching them) will work sufficiently well for everyday use and have enough disc space spare for user data and some additional software.

Minimum requirements:
Pentium or equivalent processor
64M RAM
1G available disc space

Realistic minimum requirements:
500MHz processor
128M RAM
4G available disc space

Refer to the following page on the Mandrake web site for further details on hardware and an overview of features: http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/features.php3

Probably the biggest stumbling block you'll face is your modem. If you have an external serial modem or an internal ISA modem you will almost certainly have no trouble as the vast majority are hardware modems - chips in the modem do all the work required of a modem.

Where you may strike trouble is if you have an internal PCI modem or an "on-board" modem as these are almost always software modems, also know as winmodems. Software is used to pass much of the work needed to the CPU - it makes for cheap modems but they're poorly supported in Linux because the manufacturers don't release enough information to write drivers. You may be lucky and it will work or you may need to get help - try www.linmodems.org. Or you might be unlucky and it may not work at all.

USB modems fall somewhere in between for Linux support - if it's ACM standard compliant it should work. Refer to your modem documentation, manufacturer's web site or www.linmodems.org.

Another lesser problem is printers. Certain printers are known as winprinters and, in the same manner as winmodems, pass much of the work required to the CPU. Again these are poorly supported by Linux. If you suspect your printer is one examine the box or documentation for something along the lines of "requires Windows" and refer to the manufacturer's web site.