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After deciding to move to Linux and determining that my hardware is compatible with Linux, it’s time to pick a Linux distribution. Choosing the right distribution for you is exactly that. You have to choose the right distribution for YOU. There is no one size fits all Linux distro. You have to think about what you’re looking for in a Linux distro and essentially rule out the ones that won’t fit you. Lou Grinzo said it best. In an article on ZDNet on 11 Sep 2000 he wrote, “Picking the right version just takes planning.” This still holds true today. I’m trying to determine which Linux distro is going to work for me and the users in my household. Should I go with a major or minor distro? Should I pick an easy to use distro or a more pure Linux distro? What about support? What differentiates the distros? There are a few things I’m looking for specifically for my Windows replacement Linux distro. ...

Recently there has been a huge push by digital subscriber line (DSL) providers to take a bigger chunk of the broadband market away from cable internet service providers. This has become even more apparent in recently thanks to Verizon and SBC (and I’m sure others will follow suit) dropping their prices dramatically. This is good for broadband subscribers and people looking into broadband because the cost of high speed Internet services is coming down. DSL and cable broadband both have their advantages and disadvantages but DSL seems to be the one lacking in quite a few areas and their marketing shows it. ...

The first step when preparing for the move to Linux is to make sure that your hardware is compatible. It requires a great deal of research when you get very specific (as I did). For example, I have a Logitech QuickCam Express and I wanted to make sure it would work with the latest Linux kernel. Well initially one would say, “Well it’s USB 1.1 it should work in Linux, no problem.” My research took things one step further by looking to see if that actual model worked and what it would take (if anything) to make it work right and to see how well it actually worked. This research utilized all the resources I had available to me. Searches on Google, newsgroups, and other Linux oriented web sites were quite helpful. There was never really a lack of information. Here is the hardware that I’ll be using regularly in Linux: ...

Like a lot of people, I for one am tired of playing Microsoft’s silly little game. Update this, patch that, buy our new operating system that turns out to be nothing but a glorified service pack. I’ve had it with Microsoft and the money pit that corporation has created. The sheer cost of staying up to date with Windows 2000 or Windows XP (Home or Professional) and Microsoft Office is, by itself, reason enough to look at other operating systems. Then let’s not touch too much on the “OS Nothing” experience Microsoft has been serving up. First there was Windows ME, a glorified service pack or third edition to Windows 98 that gave most people a lot of headaches. Now I’m reading about how Windows Server 2003 isn’t going to be much of an upgrade but more like a service pack to Windows 2000 Server editions. These are great money making ploys but there are better things that I could do with my money. The alternative: Linux. Linux is an open source, fully customizable operating system that could be engineered to power your microwave if you wanted. I’m moving to Linux. ...

Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a very nice feature for networks that utilize multiple devices that have administrators who view logs on a regular basis, web sites that make financial transactions, and employee time clock management systems (these are just a few examples). NTP is designed to keep accurate local time keeping. Having four different times from four different devices for one event that happened once isn’t a good thing. Having every device in your network set to the same time is highly recommended. Computers and routers by themselves use archaic methods for keeping time. NTP ensures the accuracy of time on all devices that use it. For example, the firewall I use at home will automatically e-mail me an alert when there has been an attempted attack or port scan. My home firewall uses NTP to synchronize its time. Therefore, I can then forward that alert to my ISP and the originating ISP. Upon reviewing the alert they can accurately tell by the time the attack/port scan took place and IP address used which one of their users was the perpetrator. ...