Open Source for Beginners: Basic Terms, Choosing Operating System and Programs

How long have you wanted to change operating systems and go Open Source? I’ve put it off for years because I had filled every waking hour with work to accomplish and just did not have time to research all the options. There was no time to dedicate to the steep learning curve that is required when you change EVERYTHING you know how to use. What if there were one site where you could easily find a path to the answers we need?

I have now cleared my schedule and am devoted to figuring this all out and – more importantly for us all – documenting what I find out. I will post everything from which operating systems, programs, and applications I decided to go with to how to do practical everyday tasks.

I hope you’ll take this journey with me. Thanks in advance to the many who have already posted the information I’ll find in my research and to those willing to provide additional answers that will benefit us all. I decided that Ubuntu was the best operating system for new computer users and those who are switching from Windows or Mac. It is certainly not the only option but it will be the only one I’ll be able to teach here.

See our Open Source Software page [coming soon] that contains current recommendations on the best Open Source applications and software programs to use when running Ubuntu. In the meantime, if you don’t have a clear understanding of basic computer terminology and especially Linux and Ubuntu see Understanding Computer Basics: Hardware, Software, Operating Systems, Linux and Ubuntu.

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Gail Gardner

Small Business Marketing Strategist at GrowMap

Gail Gardner is the founder of GrowMap.com. She is a Small Business Marketing Strategist she mentors small businesses, bloggers, and freelancers. After 23 years in the field with IBM and 5.5 years managing AdWords accounts, her focus shifted to small business marketing strategy. GrowMap.com is listed by Cision as a Top 100 Site for Marketers and has received three Small Business Influencer Awards from Small Business Trends. Named by D&B a Top 50 SMB Influencer on Twitter, you can follow Gail @GrowMap and on LinkedIn.

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