Q As a newbie to Linux, I've been reading your series on the Aspire One with great interest. I now want to install Ubuntu Netbook Remix (UNR), but I'm nervous that I won't be able to persuade the distro to find the Aspire One's built-in Wi-Fi card, which would be catastrophic for me. Could you also suggest where I can get a book or magazine that explains how to manage Linux in terminal and configure the operating system?
A UNR can be run from a bootable USB stick that contains a live version of the distro. Live distros, whether on a USB stick or a CD, run directly and make no changes to the software already installed on the computer. Thus one of the (many) benefits of the system is that you can try the distro at no risk. If your wireless works with the live version, it will also work when you install it. If not, you have lost nothing but a few minutes of your time. When installing, depending on the amount of space you have available, you may be able to install UNR alongside your existing installation and choose which one to use at boot time. This is a great way of trying out distros, but it's also used by those who want to use Linux but need to retain Windows for some tasks. It will be offered as an option at the partitioning stage of the installation process.
As for books and magazines, the best magazine is Linux Format, of course! For a good reference, try Rute. This can be bought as a book, or read online (http://rute.2038bug.com/index.html.gz). Keep an eye on our book reviews for any new gems that come along.