Set Up Your Home Office on Linux: a Guide for Windows Users - Installing Your New Operating System

Now that you have the disk, you can install your new operating system. Just follow the instructions on the site from which you downloaded it. If you happen to have chosen Ubuntu as your new flavor of Linux, you can use these instructions.

1. Insert the disk.

2. Turn off the machine.

3. Reboot to the CD drive.

4. Answer the questions that the install wizard asks. These questions will vary slightly from version to version, but they are all fairly straightforward.

Install your software

Now it is time to install your software. Be aware that some flavors, including Ubuntu, come with Open Office already installed on them. So check out your programs before you begin downloading and installing. Just in case, here are instructions:

Open Office (office suite)

1. First untar (unzip) the downloaded file. Replace the filename in the command with the file you have downloaded.

tar -xvf OOo_3.0.0_LinuxIntel_install_en-US.tar.gz

2. Change to the new folder.

If you are the only user on the system, you can choose to start the supplied setup script and follow the graphical dialogs. This installs all files to your home folder, and you are the only user who can use the OOo suite.

If you want to install the suite to a central location, where the suite can be used by many users of the system (this is the preferred method), you have two choices: install as admin, using the graphical setup script; or install as admin, using the native Linux rpm installation method.

To install using the graphical setup script:

1. Open a shell or terminal window.

2. Become superuser by typing su -

3. Grant permission to open a graphical display for root, using the authority from your user account. This step is necessary for security reasons on some systems, while on other systems, adequate security is provided without this.

XAUTHORITY=/home/{username}/.Xauthority; export XAUTHORITY

DISPLAY=:0.0; export DISPLAY

4. Change to the directory that contains the OOo 3 installation program.

5. Start the setup script.

./setup

6. Follow the instructions.

To install using the rpm method:

1. Install all rpm files together:

cd RPMS

su

rpm -i *.rpm

2. Change to the desktop_integration subfolder and install the UI integration for your system

cd desktop-integration

rpm -i {menu_filename}

For a Debian-based system like Ubuntu, you can either download the installation files in .deb format, or you can use an rpm to deb converter. Then use the built-in deb mechanism for installation.

(From: http://wiki.services.openoffice.org/wiki/Documentation/FAQ/Installation/
How_do_I_install_OpenOffice.org_on_Linux%3F) 

GIMP (image editor): Instructions 

1. Download the file.

2. Double click on its icon.

3. Answer the questions as Next, Next, Install Now, Full installation, Install. (this sequence may vary by version).

Once you have all of your software set up, it is time to get familiar with your new operating system. For most people the best way to do that is to use it. Dive in with both feet and try a few things out. You will be surprised how much of it will be intuitive. Then you can hit up the help resources when you need to and get help with specific problems instead of reading pages of tutorials or documentation. Here are some great resources:

The Ultimate Linux Newbie Guide

Linux Newbie Guide: Resources, Help And Links

Once you have the basics down you can get your files out of storage and put them onto your new system. That’s it; that's all you needed to do in order to convert your system over to Linux for your home office.

What about your printer? No worries, most brands already have drivers pre-installed in newer Linux operating systems, so the odds are good that it will work right out of the box. No stress or installs. Just one more fun and thoughtful thing that the Linux developers have put in to make your life simpler.