October 19, 2009, 6:39 PM — Have you ever been tempted by desktop Linux's security and stability, but you didn't want to go to all the trouble of installing two operating systems on one PC or the expense of buying a new PC? Then, you're in luck, because there are many ways to give desktop Linux a try without changing anything permanently or using a spare desktop.
It used to be that if you wanted to try desktop Linux, you had to be a confident power-user and make permanent changes to your PC or have another computer. Those days are long gone. Today, you have four different, easy ways to take Linux for a spin.
1) Hidden Built-in Linux
If you have a new PC, you may already have Linux installed on your computer. Does your PC have an instant-on setting that lets you look at the Web and check e-mail without actually booting up? If it does, congratulations, you already have Linux.
The exact name may vary, and it probably won't even give a hint that you're running Linux, but that's indeed the case. For example, newer computers from ASUS, Lenovo, HP, LG, and Sony all come with DeviceVM's Splashtop Instant-On Desktop, which is a lightweight desktop Linux.
Splashtop's not the only Linux already hiding in plain-sight on new Windows PCs. The high-end Dell Latitude Z includes a mini-motherboard just to run its instant-on Linux, a custom version of openSUSE.
2) Presto and Wubi
If your PC doesn't have one of these, the Linux vendor Xandros offers an interesting alternative, Presto. This is another fast-boot Linux, but you can install it on your existing PC. While this makes your PC a dual-boot system, Windows and Presto, to install it you don't need to do anything more than you'd need to do to install an ordinary application. Once you're done, and you reboot, you can choose to hop into Presto. This is also a handy trick for giving older PCs a new lease on life since Presto gives you all the PC operating system basics in a very fast, lightweight package.
Wubi uses the same idea as Presto but takes it in a slightly different direction. Instead of adding a small Linux and automatically making your computer into a dual-boot system, Wubi installs the full Ubuntu 9.04 distribution.
Like Presto, you install Wubi just as if it were another Windows application. It's a pretty nifty trick and it works well.
While Wubi won't, for now, run on Windows 7, you can use it on Windows 98 up to Vista. You simply run the installation program, which will take a few minutes, and at the end, you'll be able to boot into Ubuntu without any fuss or muss.
Well, usually. Wubi is known to have problems with some hardware. For more on how to deal with such problems, see the WubiGuide. Presto, while not as full-featured, gets along better with a broader array of PCs.
3) Live CD, DVDs, and USB Sticks
Perhaps the most common way to give Linux a try is with the use of a live CD. These are versions of distributions that are designed to run from a CD, DVD or USB stick. The first two will run more slowly than your PC would ordinarily run any specific distribution because they don't have access to your hard drive. USB sticks, because they can use the empty space on the drive for virtual memory, can run almost as fast as a fully-installed operating system.
No matter which way you try, some things are the same on all three media. First, you need to download a live CD distribution. You can find a comprehensive list of these distributions on the LiveCD List. As you'll see at-a-glance, almost all Linux distributions now have a live version.
Personally, I recommend Fedora, MEPIS, Mint, openSUSE, or Ubuntu. These are all polished, reliable distributions that will answer the needs of anyone.
