When is Linux like Microsoft Windows? When you install one of the X-Window packages, which offer a very familiar Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI). The most popular X-Window packages are Gnome and KDE and it's generally a matter of personal preference, with KDE currently leading the field with the most recent (and Windows 98-like) update.
When installing RH Linux and selecting one of the X-Windows, you have the choice of graphical or text log-in (with the former being the default). Go for text log-in, otherwise Linux will take you straight into X-Windows on every boot - very tedious if you just wanted a quick bit of command line fiddling.
To start X-Windows from the command line, simply type startx.
RH Linux makes a good job of monitor and vga card plug and play detection and offers a test of settings during install. However problems can occur and it's easy to get in a situation of resolution or refresh rate mismatch, with X-Windows being unable to display properly. Use the command Xconfigurator(note case) to adjust these settings prior to loading X-Windows.
The KDE (K Desktop Environment) brings a very Microsoft-like functionality to X-Windows. This has obvious applications for those needing the functionality of the familiar GUI environment, but can also be helpful for the Linux newbie. Faced with being unble to remember the right command line instructions, there's nothing like a bit of drag and drop to help allay those often frustrating first interludes into the strange environment which is Unix.
Don't let the Unix hardliners put you off, install an X-Windows if you can - not everybody lives for that bloody command line! And even if you do want to get to grips with Unix on a black and white level, a bit of X will help smooth the way.
- A.
