A critical factor in choosing a Linux distro is your company's level of in-house expertise—with computers in general and with Unix-like operating systems in particular. If you have resident Linux or Unix gurus, you have many more options.

Because no user lives by an OS alone, you must consider applications and support. Not surprisingly, this is where the bigger-name, commercial packages are strongest. In fact, if you read through the listings of downloadable software on sites such as freshmeat.net and SourceForge, you'll see that many programs are provided as source code (which you must compile into a running program) as well as binary packages prebuilt for Red Hat. These binaries will often run on various distributions, but sticking with the most popular distro is still a wise idea when you're just starting out.

If you're eager to get some hands-on experience with Linux in your business environment but want to stay as isolated as possible from disk partitioning and other technical details, try one of the freely downloadable loopback distros.

On the other hand, if you want the easiest installation available in a non loopback distro, give either Caldera Open Linux or Corel Linux a try. Both offer completely automated options for repartitioning your disk and installing Linux alongside Windows, or for letting Linux take over the entire disk.

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ef="http://www.sourceforge.net/">SourceForge, you'll see that many programs are provided as source code (which you must compile into a running program) as well as binary packages prebuilt for Red Hat. These binaries will often run on various distributions, but sticking with the most popular distro is still a wise idea when you're just starting out.

If you're eager to get some hands-on experience with Linux in your business environment but want to stay as isolated as possible from disk partitioning and other technical details, try one of the freely downloadable loopback distros.

On the other hand, if you want the easiest installation available in a non loopback distro, give either Caldera Open Linux or Corel Linux a try. Both offer completely automated options for repartitioning your disk and installing Linux alongside Windows, or for letting Linux take over the entire disk.

If you can handle a normal distribution process and want to use the widest possible selection of commercial and free software, Red Hat is your best option.

For more information on the distributions, as well as download sites, see Linuxberg or Linuxiso.org. It's also a good idea to peruse the entire set of Linux how-tos, particularly those related to hardware compatibility and configuration issues.

As Linux continues to grow in popularity, more and more companies will face the challenge of taking advantage of what it offers. But be sure to select the Linux distro that really matches the needs and resources of your business.

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