So you’re a Linux enthusiast. You love Linux, and wish to spread the love to other computer users. “How exactly can I ensure that they be happy Linux users?” you ask yourself when thinking about people that are about to convert to Linux.

Well, there are serveral things that one must do to ensure that the newbie Linux user will have a smooth computing experience.

1) Make sure it’s a CD–and a LiveCD

Do not give them a DVD, USB key, or a printed bit of paper containing a large mass of 1′s and 0′s for them to install Linux with. Make sure it’s a CD. Why?

DVDs are bad in case the computer they want to install it on does not have DVD reading capabilities. Remember, Linux has the reputation of running on older computers like a champ. Don’t ruin that ability with a DVD.

USB keys are bad because they often require configuring the BIOS to make the USB key bootable. If you are giving Linux to non-technical users, you definitely want to make sure that they do not need to fiddle around with the BIOS.

Direct installation CDs are bad because it does not let the user test out his or her hardware to see whether or not it is supported by default. It may be the case that the user is not interested in a whole lot of configuration, and does not want to install Linux if it does not have perfect out-of-the-box support for his or her hardware.

Also, don’t just point the new user to an ISO that they have to download and then burn. Many new users do not know how to burn ISOs, and may not have the software that is capable of burning them.

2) Put all the necessary information about the CD on the CD

Don’t give the users a separate sheet of paper, a URL, or some other reference to find out information specific to the type of Linux that you are giving them. They might lose or forget the reference that you give them. To solve this, put all the necessary information straight on the CD.

Information that you should definitely put on the CD include:

• Name of Linux distribution. It’s definitely not enough just to label the CD as Linux.
• Version (and if applicable, version codename) of the distribution on the CD.
• Architecture–so they do not attempt to run an x86 LiveCD on an old PPC Mac.
• A place to get more information. I prefer to give my email address for this purpose for the following reasons:
  • If I give them a forum, mailing list, IRC channel, etc. to contact, they may be treated unkindly by trollish Linux users.
  • I know about the CD that I gave them, and they have probably already told me what kind of computer that they are going to run this on. If you give Linux CDs to lots of people, you might need to find some way to manage this information outside of your brain.
  • They do not have to sign up for an account for a forum or IRC serve

If you give your email address to the new Linux user, that does not mean that you have to spend days debugging their system should it encounter problems. You can just reply back with some useful links or Google search terms that they might find useful if they need your help.

3) Show them how to boot and use the CD

Given that most LiveCDs have the ability to install themselves on the disk, and potentially wiping out the entire drive; it is very important for the user to know which options will install Linux, and which options will not install Linux.

Of course, it is very difficult to unknowingly erase data using a Linux LiveCD. The main issue is the user’s potential fear that there may be data loss due to use of the LiveCD. That potential fear may prevent the user from using Linux.

However, if the user is given a quick tutorial on how to not erase a hard drive, then the user can proceed with confidence.

4) Make the distribution and architecture choice based on what they need

Don’t just give them any CD you have lying around. If they plan to run Linux on an older computer, the latest AMD64 Kubuntu might be a poor choice.

Talk with them about what kind of computer they want to run Linux on, and explain to them how you narrow down the Linux distribution choices to find the one that should work the best for them.

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These tips, if followed, should reduce the chances that the Linux newbie should have significant troubles. Got more tips? Tell us in the comments below.