Hi guys,
So for the first time I am very seriously considering Linux. I would like to start by dipping my toe into Linux with the aim of eventually make it my day-to-day OS in a few years.
I would recommend setting up a virtual environment and playing with the distributions in that until you find the one you want to run instead of immediately doing a dual boot setup. Also, you can try the Live CDs but I find them to be a little slow to really give me a full feel for the OS in question.
Linux is a very powerful OS that has come a long way in usability, ease of installation, and ease of software installation. A lot of the dependencies and other issues are taken care of by the software distribution systems and even when you compile software today dependencies are easier to deal with. However, the average user can use Linux without the need to compile any software as the software "repositories" have most of what you'll use.
Ubuntu is the common distribution that many end users select and there are good derivatives of it that are compatible with it's software collection.
http://www.ubuntu.com/about/about-ubuntu/derivativesLbuntu
Xbuntu
I haven't played with Mint but it seems to be popular.
Personally, I like SuSe and their YAST system of management for settings and software installation, etc.
Any OS can have it's problems as Windows has proven time and time again. No OS is flawless and Linux has gotten far, far better than back in the early days when installing it meant compiling the kernel and messing with the GRUB loader just to get the system up. Installation entails little more than booting from a CD and answering a few fairly simple questions.
You can take a look at Ubuntu Studio for some of the open source software for video, photo and audio. Nothing wrong with keeping Windows around for software you can't get compatible on Linux for but be sure to take a look at the free software to see if it would meet or supplement your needs.
http://ubuntustudio.org/ I'd switch from Windows completely in a heartbeat but there are a few software applications that I also use that Linux doesn't quite have a counterpart to yet.
If you become a member of the Linux community be sure to Google questions first and you'll avoid most of the RTFM, which has gotten better in recent years but the Linux community is snooty compared to the Amiga community. I remember how many hours I spent learning from my fellow Amigans who seldom if ever would turn you away without helping. That Amiga community stands alone in any computer community that I've been in. The closest I've found is Novell where if someone told you to read the manual they would refer you to the exact page that answered your question.
1. What type of Linux would be the most widely compatible and still good on a system from about 8 years ago (specs above)?
-> Most will run on fairly low specifications but derivatives of Ubuntu like xubuntu, lubuntu and Mint take less to run. You can get system specifications by just googling the distribution and system specifications.
2. For my purposes (gradual immersion), should I create a partition on the 160GB hard drive for Linux, or buy a 32GB or 64GB USB stick and install on that?
-> I'd start with live CDs to see if you like the looks of the Os at all. Then I'd run it in a Virtual Machine. You can use the Open Source Virtual Box or VMWare if you want to buy it.
3. Any tips or good guides on creating a dual boot system?
-> Don't install the dual boot until after you find the OS you want to keep. You might want to look at an third party boot loader to manage your installations like Acronis OS Selector. It's always a good idea to take an image of your working system, I use Acronis for that but there are some good free disk imaging tools out there. MaximumPC just covered some of them recently.
5. Any tips on creating a Linux partition on a hard drive WITHOUT having to destroy and re-install the XP partition that already exists there (i.e. Swissknife?)?
->Acronis Disk Director or another linux system bootable GParted disk to resize the partition and create a new one for Linux and then install into it. It might be better to add a small hard drive.
6. Any complications or pitfalls I need to watch out for on a dual boot system?
-> Boot loaders can get misconfiguration when you install new OSs. Third party might be better. I prefer Virtual Machines myself.
7. Are all Linux strains compatible? I don't want to be stuck with a Linux branch that can't run common binaries.
-> Uhm, well they are all based on common standards but their binaries are not all compatible. That doesn't mean that the same software is available for most common distributions in a pre-compiled state. Redhat and SuSe use RPMs to distribute software and Debian/Ubuntu use apt-get repositories. I wouldn't worry about common binaries, I'd worry about common software.
8. In future, will I always need a Windows XP partition to run my legacy Windows XP applications, or is Wine under Linux good enough now?
->Wine is only compatible with certain applications and I'd imagine not the ones you are looking to run. It's a really neat package but not the same as a full Windows install.
I hope this helps you decide to give Linux a try you might just find you like it better for a daily driver and only end up booting up Windows for a few specific software programs that you can't yet get on Linux. If you end up not liking one GUI, you can always try another, now that is something to really like about Linux.
