Linux Install Series Part 1: Why Install Linux on your Mac?

That is the question my fellow Mac users. In today's world we take what we have for granted but we forget that we have freedom, we have choice. And we need to take advantage of this. It is important to realize that we are not limited to what is 'given' to us. Thus, Free Software gives us the freedom to chose. That is why in the first part of this series we shall look at several of the reasons why using Linux is beneficial for some of us users.

Most of the articles found on the net deal with installing Linux distributions on x86 hardware. Not the least bit because x86 processors dominate around 90% of the market (now all Macs are based on Intel x86 processors) but also because of frustration from the Windows operating system.

However, on the Mac side of things there is Mac OS X, which beautifully combines the ease of use of the Mac with the power of UNIX. In addition, most UNIX and Linux software can easily be installed on a Mac by either compiling from source or using fink (http://fink.sf.net), a great tool for installing UNIX and Linux open source software. So why use Linux on a Mac? There are many reasons and read on for the author's opinions.

First and foremost, getting the most of the system. The hardware Linux will be installed on has the following specs:

- PowerPC G4 733MHz
- 512MB RAM
- NVIDIA GeForce 2MX with 32MB VRAM
- Two 40GB Harddrive

Not the cream of the cake but its not the crust either. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger has been running beautifully on this system but it is definitely showing its age. Installing Linux with the right setup will definitely give this 'tiger' a lil more roar.

Another reason is philosophy. I truly believe in the concept of Free Software. The freedom obtained by using free software is something that can be felt when using a system based on this principle. The software applications are desinged for the user without any commercial motive. The user has complete choice without any concern regarding licensing issues.

GNU/Linux is an example of Free Software success. It has come long way in making it easier for novices and beginners to jump into the Free Software boat. However, a lot of regular users still find it daunting to install/set up GNU/Linux.

As a developer, the freedom provided by GNU/Linux is something that just fits right. By using this system, a developer has complete control over it. There is an infinite ways to customize your system. Also we are returning to the community when we provide feedback and bug reports. Most open source projects thrive with this type of environment.

For a regular user, there is enough incentive to make the most out of their computers. They don't have to pay for any software. Most software they will install are open source. They will not be bound by licenses.

Many of us take for granted the ease of use provided by our Mac systems. However, setting up our Linux distribution properly, we can 'emulate' this ease of use and power.

This concludes the first part of this series. The next part will look at backing up your data before diving into Linux.