OK, here we go. Your computer’s operating system is the traffic cop. For years, Linux has been the also-ran in the operating systems market, but it’s been improving at a rapid rate. Linux has many variants, but two have captured the most attention for their elegance, ease of use and strong support: Ubuntu and Mint. In this chapter I’ll explain the basics of switching from Windows or the Mac, including how to run both systems for a time while you get acclimated, and how to find application software to replace what you’ve been using.

Sidebar: Linus Torvalds about the Linux journey

Sidebar: Mark Shuttleworth, Ubuntu founder