Malaysian Open Source Centre

Written by Syahrizal

You can create the bootable USB Flash Pen Drive using newer Linux Live CD such as Ubuntu 8.10 Live CD and several other Linux OS. You also can buy bootable USB Flash Drive such as Mandriva Flash 2010 at their website. You can carry a portable Linux version with you on a USB Flash Pen Drive. Just set the BIOS to boot from USB Drive and plug in your bootable USB Drive. Restart your computer and wait until it boot using the USB Pen Drive.

Several computer don't support USB boot option but newer computer support it. You should get the USB Drive to work in your new computer.USB Linux installation enables you to install a Portable Linux operating system on a flash drive or USB key no larger than your thumb (Thumb Drive).

This portable Linux operating system can then be run from any computer that can boot from a flash device, allowing you to bring your operating system, desktop, applications, files, email, personal settings, favorites, games and more with you. It’s your own personal operating system you can carry in your pocket. On Pendrivelinux.com, we provide many simplified portable Linux flash drive installation tutorials. Making is easy for anyone to install, boot and run Linux portably from a flash pen drive!

Written by Syahrizal - linuxrise.com

There are plenty of Linux Distros out there. When you want to migrate to Linux, you must first choose a Linux operating system that is suitable for you. If you are a new Linux user, then you should try to learn the basic of this operating system as this stuff is not the same as your Windows operating system. When I started using Linux a couple years ago, I faced many problems as I didn't know how to use this operating system at all. But as I start to use Linux, I feel that I am now becoming a more challenging person.

Just imagine that you walk on a road that is totally unfamiliar to you. Just walk like that without proper information about the place. But don't worry as you will slowly getting more familiar to the situation. Remember, when we first started to touch a PC with Windows operating system in it. At that time, I also don't know anything about computer. But, we slowly learned to use it. Same goes to this Linux operating system. Learn slowly, and you will master it in no time. Learning process is not about reading their documentations or books. The most important thing to do is by trying the Linux Distros by yourself. I am sure that you will be amazed with the Linux.

I will give you a number of popular Linux distros out there that you can try. You can determine the suitable operating system by yourself when you are using it. For Linux newbie, I suggest Linux Ubuntu as this operating system is very easy to use and user friendly. But if you like adventure, try using Linux Mandriva as this Linux is more enjoyable to use. Linux Mandriva is totally different from Windows. So if you want an original feel of Linux, try this operating system. If you like Mandriva, you must also try Fedora and OpenSUSE. Don't forget to use Debian as this operating system can be considered as among the first Linux operating system.

You can also try Linux XP and Knoppix as they are also easy to use.

Sabily is a free, open source operating system designed by and for Muslims. It is based on the popular Ubuntu Linux distribution which is a free, efficient and secure operating system. Unlike Microsoft Windows and other proprietary systems, Linux is publicly open and extendible by contributors.

Sabily includes a set of packages that customizes the Ubuntu distro; Ubuntu is easy to use for a novice user, with the most-used Office, Internet, Graphics and Video applications already installed. With Sabily, Muslim users have “out of the box” Islamic software and tools installed as well. Sabily includes Islamic software (prayer times tool, Quran study tool, Hijri calendar etc.) and has a custom design. Sabily comes with out of the box educational software, codecs for the most used media formats and has better support for Arabic language.

Versions available

Sabily 9.04 is available as a Live DVD (so you can test it without installing anything on your computer), with 3 versions:
Small version (935 MB): contains the main Sabily packages (artwork, islamic applications) and Arabic support

Full version (1.4 GB): same as above plus multimedia, education and miscellaneous packages (see the full list here)

Full version with recitations (2.8 GB): same as above plus Quran recitations provided by http://www.versebyversequran.com: Muhammad Siddeeq al-Minshawi, Huzify, Sa’ad al-Ghamadi and Mishary Rashed Alafasy. Note: this version is useful if you are not connected to the Internet (all Sabily versions provide online recitations)

A CD (184 MB) containing the Sabily packages is also available if you want to convert a standard Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) installation to Sabily.

Mandriva Linux One 2009 is the best way to start using Linux. A full Linux operating system on a single CD for both new and experienced Linux users, it is fast to download and install, and also safe to try with a live mode. One is really the one CD you need!

Mandriva has released yet another polished Linux distribution. Called Mandriva 2009, this is made available in different formats namely :

Mandriva Linux One 2009 - This is a live CD which comes with all the proprietary multimedia codecs, Nvidia graphics drivers and Adobe Flash installed. So you get a pleasant out of the box experience in using Mandriva. Mandriva Linux One 2009 is available as both KDE and GNOME CDs.

Mandriva Linux Free 2009 - This is a purely Free as in Freedom Linux CD sans the proprietary drivers and codecs targeted at Free software enthusiasts who shun anything that is not-Free.

Mandriva PowerPack 2009 - This is available for a price or as a subscription. It has all the applications that are there in the above two formats and additionally, it also provides access to many closed source applications such as Codeweavers CrossOver products, commercial games targeted at Linux and so on. And lastly …

Mandriva Flash - The mobile and installable Linux desktop on a USB key.

Ubuntu is a community developed operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. Whether you use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you'll ever need, from word processing and email applications, to web server software and programming tools. 

Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing.

Ubuntu is designed with security in mind. You get free security updates for at least 18 months on the desktop and server. With the Long Term Support (LTS) version you get three years support on the desktop, and five years on the server. There is no extra fee for the LTS version, we make our very best work available to everyone on the same free terms. Upgrades to new versions of Ubuntu are and always will be free of charge.

Everything you need comes on one CD, providing a complete working environment. Additional software is available online.

Istilah Linux atau GNU/Linux (GNU) digunakan bagi merujuk kepada keseluruhan edaran Linux yang selalunya disertakan perisian-perisian lain sekali dengan Sistem pengendalian. Contoh-contoh perisian adalah seperti pelayan web, bahasa pengaturcaraan, pangkalan data, persekitaran desktop (seperti GNOME dan KDE), dan suite pejabat seperti OpenOffice.org. 

Kisah ini dimulai ketika seorang mahasiswa Computer Science (Sains Komputer) University Helsinski yang bernama Linus Torvalds ingin mengembangkan sistem operasi MINIX pada tahun 1991.

Pada saat itu sistem operasi MINIX diedarkan kepada mahasiswa di universitinya sebagai prototaip sebuah sistem operasi. Dalam perkembangannya dia menyebarkan kod programnya melalui internet sehingga dapat dipelajari oleh orang lain, ini yang menyebabkan Linux berkembang dengan pesat karena dibuat oleh ribuan programer dan hacker yang tersebar di seluruh dunia.

Pada mulanya, ia dibangunkan dan digunakan oleh peminatnya sahaja. Kini Linux telah mendapat sokongan daripada syarikat-syarikat besar seperti IBM, dan Hewlett-Packard. Para penganalisa menujukan kejayaannya ini disebabkan ianya tidak bergantung kepada vendor (vendor-independence), kos perkakasan yang rendah, dan kepantasannya berbanding versi UNIX proprietari, serta faktor keselamatan dan kestabilannya berbanding dengan Microsoft Windows. Ciri-ciri ini juga menjadi bukti kepada keberkesanan model pembangunan sumber terbuka.

Saat ini Linux didistribusikan dibawah GNU -- General Public License -- yaitu suatu lesen dimana pemilik program tetap memegang hak ciptanya, tetapi orang lain boleh menyebarkan, memodifikasi bahkan menjual kembali program tersebut dengan syarat kod program yang asli harus tetap disertakan.

Sekarang, banyak sekali perusahaan yang mengeluarkan CD Linux, seperti RedHat, Debian, Slackware, Caldera, Stampede, TurboLinux, Knoppix, Fedora, Suse dan lain-lain. CD Linux tersebut disebut dengan CD distribusi.

Sebenarnya yang disebut dengan Linux adalah sebuah kernel, yang merupakan bahagian paling penting dari suatu sistem operasi, yang menangani I/O, pengaturan memori dan interaksi antara perkakasan (hardware) dengan aplikasi. Kernel Linux ini merupakan kernel standard yang digunakan oleh distribusi-distribusi yang ada sekarang ini.

Perbezaan yang ada antara distribusi hanyalah pada pakej-pakej aplikasi yang disertakan, sistem penyusunan direktori, init script, dan lain lain. Mana yang lebih baik? Semua sama baiknya, bergantung dari selera pengguna. Saat ini distribusi yang paling banyak digunakan di negara ini adalah RedHat yang terkenal dengan kemudahan dalam pemasangannya.

Untuk melakukan pemasangan ruang hard disk diantara 200MB sampai 2GB bergantung pada banyaknya software yang akan anda pasang. Pada beberapa distribusi Linux anda bahkan dapat memasangl versi minimal dengan hanya menggunakan 50 mega hard disk ataupun dengan menggunakan sebuah disket dengan kapasiti 1.44 MB. Bagi yang baru nak mencuba Linux dicadangkan menggunakan Damn Small Linux.

Linux juga dapat dijalankan dengan baik pada komputer yang sudah memiliki sistem operasi lain seperti MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows ataupun OS/2. Pada masa komputer dihidupkan, pemakai dapat memilih untuk menjalankan komputer tersebut dengan sistem operasi Linux atau sistem operasi lainnya. Sistem seperti ini dinamakan dual boot.

Tetapi bukan bererti anda memerlukan MS-DOS, Windows atau sistem operasi lain untuk menjalankan Linux, linux adalah sistem operasi yang dapat berdiri sendiri dan tidak bergantung pada sistem operasi yang lain.

Pengendalian yang sukar masa lalu dihadapi oleh pengguna Linux adalah kurangnya dokongan terhadap harware yang ada, namun pada saat ini Linux mengalami perkembangan yang sangat pesat dan semakin banyak hardware yang didokong, dari segi penggunaan, Linux juga semakin mesra pengguna sehingga ditengah-tengah maraknya sweeping yang dilakukan oleh Microsoft, Linux layak menjadi sebuah alternatif sistem operasi yang murah tetapi handal.

Linux meskipun di datangkan dengan GUI (antaramuka grafik) namun kekuasaan Linux sama seperti Unix iaitu dengan skrip commandnya di terminal. Untuk rujukan tersebut sila lihat 

Maklumat tambahan Linux:

Wikipedia Linux dalam BM
Sumberterbuka.com
Opensource MIMOS

Compatible with other major office suites, OpenOffice.org is free to download, use, and distribute. Download it now, and get:

Writer – a word processor you can use for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book. 

Calc – a powerful spreadsheet with all the tools you need to calculate, analyse, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics. 

Impress – the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations. 

Draw – lets you produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations. 

Base – lets you manipulate databases seamlessly. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, all from within OpenOffice.org 

Math – lets you create mathematical equations with a graphic user interface or by directly typing your formulas into the equation editor. 

Why OpenOffice.org? 

OpenOffice.org is synonymous with quality

the roots of OpenOffice.org go back twenty years, creating a mature and powerful product 

hundreds of thousands of users participated in the beta testing of version 2 
independent reviewers around the world have recommended the product 
with a fully open development process, OpenOffice.org has nothing to hide - the product stands or falls on its reputation 


OpenOffice.org is easy to use 
the software looks and feels familiar and is instantly usable by anyone who has used a competitive product 
it’s easy to change to OpenOffice.org - the software reads all major competitors’ files 
few language barriers - if it’s not yet available in your language, the chances are it will be soon 
OpenOffice.org is supported by a global community of friendly volunteers, only too happy to provide assistance to newcomers and advanced users alike 


OpenOffice.org is free software 
you may download OpenOffice.org completely free of any licence fees 
install it on as many PCs as you like 
use it for any purpose - private, educational, government and public administration, commercial... 
pass on copies free of charge to family, friends, students, employees, etc. 

OpenOffice.org is standards compliant - certified by OSI as open-standard compliant, and the first software package in the world to use OASIS OpenDocument Format (ISO 26300) as its native file format.

OpenOffice.org is an open-source, multiplatform and multilingual office suite comparable with MS Office. It is compatible with all other major office suites and is free to download, use, and distribute.OpenOffice comes with OpenWriter - a word procesor, OpenCalc - a spreadsheet and OpenImpress - a presentational package.

I like this software because it is really useful.I hope you would try it too.This open source software can help you a lot and is very reliable.I like it.