What is the command prompt

command prompt is the general name of the command line shell of the operating system - using it, you can execute programs and sometimes manage the system via command line, i.e. by typing direct commands like in the good old times rather than with GUI programs with lots of graphics as Mr. Gates made us accustomed to. make sense?
nope, it's nothing like python as it's not really programming language.
how to get started? I really don't know. it depends on what exactly are you trying to do? what's your final goal?

For obvious reasons, Windows and Linux can't co-exist. it's even worse than Lamb and Wolf. they just can't exist side by side. you will have to create seperate partitions for each operating system, for example using program like Partition Magic, and install the Linux in its own partition where it would be free and independant. Yes, you must use CD to install Linux.
any more questions?

where can i get a linux cd
can i download one into a cd-r or cd-rw
can i install it into another hard drive

Try google. And decide which version of linux you desire.

Or go to the store and purchase SuSE or RedHat.

Or buy some product that includes a linux CD, linksys NIC boxes used to always include a linux CD.

Or call Linus Torvalds long distance and ask for one

You can find a form to help you finding linux distributions here:
http://www.linux.org/dist/index.html

Based on your questions, I would recommend that you stick with one of the main-stream distributions (red-hat, suse, etc..) and if you have a second computer (an old one will do) install it there. Even if you have your system partitioned properly it is still possible to destroy your Windows patition while playing around in Linux if you don't know what you are doing.

As for getting the CD's the link above will take you to a form where you can choose the type of Linux you are looking for based on language, type of system and if you are looking for main-stream or other distributions. From there it will take you to a list of distributions that match your request. There will be a large number of them (see the next paragraph). Click on the distribution you want and it will give you a list of sites where you can download the installation. Look for ISO's. An ISO is an Image of a CD in a single file. Once these are downloaded (This will take a long time. There are generally 3 or 4 full CD's to be downloaded at 600+ MB per CD.) you will need a program like Easy CD-Creator or Nero Burning Rom to burn them to CD. The built-in CD burning capability of Windows XP does not support ISO's (I'm fairly certain of that, however someone can feel free to correct me if I'm wrong).

Linux is not like windows where you have only a few flavors (XP Home, XP Professional, Server). Instead Linux is the Core operating system which has been modified by many companies, organizations and individuals to provide for slightly different capabilities. Each of these is called a distribution. Most things can be done no matter what distribution you choose, some however have some distribution-specific commands and options. Some have a very simple install process while others are very complicated.

Once you've created your CD's the first one should be a bootable CD. Simply put disk one in your PC and start it up. If your system does not boot from the CD you will probably need to go into your computer's BIOS to tell it to boot from CD's before the Hard Drive. The BIOS is usually gotten into by pressing a key or key combination right after turning the system on. Common keys are DEL, F2, F12 but there are others depeding on the manufacturer.

Linux is a great operating system and you can't beat the price in dollars. The price in time though can be extreme if you don't know what you are doing. If you are interested in getting started in Linux there are many resources available. http://www.linux.org is a great place to start. Also you might want to see if your local college has a course in Linux Fundamentals or Basics or whatever they choose to call it. Working with other people will usually help you learn much faster.

Hope this helps,

A kid who doesn't understand that it's rude to hijack someone else's topic, it seems.

Actually Doug he started the thread.


In answer to the question, there are some utilities that purportedly will allow you to resize a partition without losing your data. I believe Partition Magic is one. I have never used one of these and cannot tell you wether they work or not. I will say that if you start and it fails you are likely to lose all data.

Another option is software that allows you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously. I can think of two of these. The first is vmware workstation (www.vmware.com) the second is Virtual PC (www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc). Neither of these products is free or even really inexpensive. You can expect to pay $100 - 200 for these products. They use a portion of your unused but already partitioned space to create a virtual partition that will contain the Linux operating system. The Linux will run in a window within Windows, but will be completely functional. The upside to this is that you don't have to shutdown and reboot to switch operating systems. The downside, aside from cost, is that you pay for the overhead of a second operating system with performance.

I'll also say that most Linux users groups don't descriminate by age. Certainly more weight is given to matters brought up by adults, sorry thats just the way the world works, but certainly "kids" aren't excluded in most user groups. So don't give up on them so easily. Often people who are experienced with something enjoy helping those who are just starting out. If that were not the case this site would not exist.