Linux is for geeks right? And you gotta know command prompts and all that stuff yeah?

Not exactly, in fact that kind of image is starting to fade away somewhat as Linux distros such as Ubuntu gain traction and mind share with each new release.

OK so Linux still has a market share closer to 1.5%. However things are beginning to change. Linux has never before been so easy to try. Here’s three ways you can install Linux on your computer.

Last time, I wrote about Live CDs and how you can make your own custom one. Live CDs are great, but let’s face it, sometimes even a CD is just too big to carry around. You male geeks probably have no idea what I’m talking about, but the other ladies can testify that the pockets on our clothes are just too small to carry around anything bigger than a small cell phone. CDs also have the magic ability to go from pristine to horribly scratched about 5 minutes before you need them and, since they’re CDs, don’t save changes.

An oddity of open source operating systems is the Live CD. It’s not something you’re likely to see coming out of Redmond or Cupertino any time soon, but for a few years now many Linux distros and versions of BSD have given this option. Recently, Live DVDs and Live USB have cropped up as well. These live systems are full versions of the operating system that run completely from the given medium. Which means you can carry them in your pocket and use them on other computers. They do not, by default, touch the hard drive, so they are completely safe to use.