What kind of person are you?

Do you cook, or do you prefer take-out? Do you change your own motor oil, or do you drop off your car at the shop? If you're like me, your personality depends entirely on the task at hand. I love to cook, but when it's time to change the oil, the last place you'll find me is sweating in grime beneath an automobile.

When I booted my first copy of Linux back in 1995, it was pretty hard to find a pre-built Linux system. In those days most folks had two options: Install Linux on a Windows machine, or build a Linux box from scratch. But today -- with everyone and their grandma getting into the Linux business -- pre-loaded Linux machines are easier to come by. And with the quantity and quality of Linux applications growing by leaps and bounds, paying Microsoft for an operating system you'll never use just seems silly. So what do you do? Do you build your Linux system from scratch or do you buy one ready-made? What kind of person are you?

Before I started this story, I thought I knew where I stood on this question. Linux is a do-it-yourself OS, plain and simple, and for people like me, buying it pre-configured ruins the fun. I half-believe that the GNU General Public License should be amended to require that all Linux users struggle with uncooperative hardware -- at least a little bit -- before they can unleash the mighty penguin. On the other hand, spending your Sunday afternoon poring over manuals and quietly cursing Taiwanese parts manufacturers may not be everyone's idea of a good time. Especially if the alternativeis to hit a Web site, click a few buttons and sit back and wait for that FedEx lady to home-deliver your ready-to-roll Linux machine. We're talking completely different experiences here.

Linux Magazine asked a couple of manufacturers to supply pre-installed machines for the article, so we could get a feel for the pre-fab experience. Tim Finnegan at Workstation 2000 and the guys at VA Linux Systems were gracious enough to comply. Thanks guys! Your family members will be returned shortly....

Reconnaissance

When you're building from scratch, there's one question you need to ask before all others: Will my hardware work with Linux? I learned this one the hard way -- not by building a system from scratch, but by installing Linux on a Windows PC. My problem was a common one. I could not get the X Window System up and running because there was no driver available for my video card. To make matters worse, the video card was integrated into the motherboard, making it impossible to install a different, Linux-friendly card. My best efforts at getting the hardware vendor to help me with my distinctly non-Microsoft problem proved fruitless.

So check for compatibility before you buy. But don't lose heart if your hardware component does not list Linux as a supported OS. This does not necessarily mean that it is incompatible. One of Linux's greatest features is that it makes it easy for people to write their own drivers, so even if the hardware company hasn't written a Linux driver, you may still be able to find one. A good starting pointfor your search is the Hardware Compatibility HOWTO at the Linux Documentation Project (http://www.linuxdoc.org). The Documentation Project also has HOWTOs on specific types of hardware -- Voodoo graphics acceleration cards, for example.

The Bottom Line Why Build? Pick your own components Can be less expensive It's fun! Why Buy? Easy Tech support System-wide warranty

The best starting point for video cards, however, is the XFree86 (http://www.xfree86.org) site. XFree86 is the Open Source version of the X Window System -- the backbone of the Linux graphical user interface (See our story on pg. 42 for more on X). Go to the "Resources" section of the site and look up the "XFree86 Documentation) for the version of XFree86 that comes with your Linux distribution (The latest version of XFree86 is 3.3.3.1). There you will find a "README" file with a list of "supported video-card chip sets." If your video card is listed, everything shouldbe okay. Check for the exact model of video card, as any minor change in a chipset can make your video card incompatible with the other drivers. Just because the SuperFly 3D video card is compatible doesn't mean that your SuperFly 3D+ will run at all. If your card's not listed, drop the manufacturer an e-mail or call them. Money talks, and if vendors hear that they're missing out on Linux sales they will start to take notice.

While you're researching hardware,I recommend visiting Tom's Hardware Guide (http//www.tomshardware.com). Tom's isn't Linux-specific, but it has a lot of information about motherboards, CPUs, chipsets, RAM and storage. It's a great place to learn about the quality of what you're buying. And if you happen to be an overclocking fiend, then you'll really like Tom's. It has a whole section about running your CPU at a higher-than-specified clock speed (a practice I advise against; it can fry your chip and it's guaranteed to void your warranty).