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About two years ago I tried downloading the ISO for some Linux systems, and ran into hassles. It would download for hours, only for me to find that i hadn’t got it all after all, or once I had it burned on a CD it wasn’t done right, so i went to ordering my distros online (Mandrake 9.2 and SuSE 9.3) and all went much better.

However, now my brother called and his Windows XP has crashed for the umpteenth time, so he is asking for a Linux system. Well, …that’s nice, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to give up my set of 5 CDs for installing my SuSE. Sometimes I do pull them out to look for another program to install, Or, last year when I made some bigger mistakes I had to re-install from scratch. But I told my brother I’d see what I could do about getting myself version 10.1 and he could have my older set of CDs.

In doing some checking around on the net I made some discoveries. For one thing, there are some sites now offering FREE copies of various Linux systems. Ubuntu is one. Some others were out of stock for the time being. Others are selling them for like .99/CD or maybe 2.50 each disc.

Furthermore, it is possible to download a smaller mini-ISO file, burn it to a CD and then use it to start your install - but then it goes online and finishes it from there. Ah-ha. So I’ve tried that. Got the CD burned, but need a block of some hours to see about the install.

Just now it occurs to me that I could just as easily burn copies of my SuSE 9.3 for my brother too. Why didn’t I think of that sooner? The Ubuntu will take a few weeks to get here, but I can take him this mini-ISO and if that doesn’t work, we’ll use a copy of my other set. (I wonder if Sunday afternoon works for him?)

All this means that there are several options when you are ready to try out Linux;
1. Search online for a free give-away. I understand they can be found inside computer magazine covers sometimes.
2. Download just the installer mini-ISO and burn it to a CD as an image (not the way you do backups).
3. Get someone to make copies of their Linux Distro set of CDs or a DVD. Install from that.

Incidentally, on one blog I checked out the writer had advised some friends to get the same as he had, so that if they ran into problems he would better be able to guide them. That’s sound advise too.