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Here I am, at long last, back behind the Free Agent desk. I've spent the last several months locked away in a dungeon with the rest of PC World's Applications Development team, helping build this shiny new Web site. Now that I'm allowed back out into the sunlight, it's time to put on my columnist hat again and resume the habit of telling you what's what in the lands of Linux and free software. Sorry to have been away for so long, but it's nice to be here in these new surroundings. Not only do they look classier, but they afford you the opportunity to respond to me openly, via the Comments section below. Speak freely!

While I was away, the Linux landscape changed. Ubuntu loosed its latest version of Dapper Drake (aka version 6.06 LTS) on the world, to widespread acclaim. Novell's SUSE Linux got a spiffy upgrade, as did Xandros Desktop Linux and Fedora Core. And the folks at Linspire announced their Freespire offering (which smells to me like a reaction to the success of Ubuntu--more on Freespire in a future Free Agent). Also, there's been a curious (and encouraging) set of Linux adoptions among high-profile alpha-geeks like Tim Bray, Mark Pilgrim, and Cory Doctorow. A colleague once told me, "If you have three, that's a trend," and I suppose what most shocks me about this "trend" (which definitely involves more than just three people) is that the platform they're leaving behind is the Macintosh.

Of course, high-profile Windows-to-Linux defections are going on, too. That's fine. Plenty of room for everybody. It turns out that the free-software swimming pool has no maximum occupancy; and though plenty of booths (with signs like Novell and Xandros) are selling tickets, you don't have to pay to get in if you don't want to. (Of course, if you do pay, you get a nice towel, or maybe a place to lock up your stuff. But more on the current crop of commercial Linuxes in a future column.)

Installing Ubuntu's Dapper Drake Release

One thing that hasn't changed: People keep asking me, "Isn't Linux still hard to install?" Look, it's 2006--can we please stop asking this question? Check out the new installer in the Dapper Drake edition of Ubuntu, and tell me if you've ever experienced an easier OS installation. The setup CD itself is a so-called live CD that boots to a fully fledged Ubuntu desktop. This means that even before you actually install, you get to make sure that all your hardware works just fine with Ubuntu. You can test everything before you commit. Here's how:

Begin by visiting Ubuntu's download pages. Expect to spend an hour (or several, even at broadband speeds, depending on your location and the speed of the server you've chosen) downloading the installation disc image. Once it's completely downloaded, burn a copy to disc. (Scratching your head already? See my answer to the frequently asked question "How do I download a stinkin' CD?")

Now reboot your PC with that disc in the drive. The boot process is likely to take a good long while, as Ubuntu gets to know your hardware, your network connection, and all the intricacies of your particular PC. But within a few minutes, you'll see a clean, orangey-brown Ubuntu desktop. Congratulations, you're running Linux!

You can launch applications, surf the Web, and so forth. Take this opportunity to see that all your hardware works. Test the sound. Print a document. Plug in your camera or your iPod. Chances are very good that Ubuntu will happily talk to all of these devices and more. (One possible exception: an MP3 player sporting Microsoft's "Plays For Sure" designation. More on this in a future Free Agent.)

If you're satisfied that Linux plays nicely on your PC, you can confidently double-click the Install icon on the desktop. Gone, gone, gone are the days when a Linux installer required you to have detailed notes about your hardware at the ready: The few questions Ubuntu will ask you are no more involved than what language you speak, what time zone you live in, and your name. The most technical question you'll be asked is how much you want to shrink any existing Windows partition on your hard drive. (You must do this to make room for Ubuntu, which needs to run in its own partitions.)

This brings up another frequently asked question: "How small should I make the Windows partition?" You have to answer that one for yourself, based on how you use Windows. Personally, there are only two reasons I ever boot Windows on my PC: to play a game, or to run tax software in the spring. So I've uninstalled every last bit of unessential software on the Windows side (including Microsoft Office, a notorious space hog) and have shrunk the Windows partition down far enough to hold what's left plus about 8GB of free space. This gives me enough room to install another game or two and have some breathing room left over for the unexpected. Linux gets the rest of my hard drive.

Once you've answered Ubuntu's partitioning question, the installer does its work. While your new OS is being installed, the desktop environment that the CD booted remains at your disposal. Surf the Web, play solitaire--whatever. Ubuntu doesn't care. (Can your other operating system run while it's being installed? I didn't think so.) When the installation is complete, you'll be prompted to reboot. And there you are. You've just installed Linux! Now it's time to tweak it to meet your immediate needs.