Linux is much more robust and more reliable than Microsoft Windows. Most Linux users report that their computers never lock up and never need to be rebooted, even after installing new applications. Linux is growing in popularity, and some devotees of the new operating system claim that it will eventually become more popular than Microsoft’s operating systems. (I’m not sure I agree with that claim, however.)

The "downside" is that Linux can only run applications that are written for Linux; Windows applications normally do not work on this new operating system. (See my article at www.ancestry.com/library/view/columns/eastman/4871.aspfor information about a couple of major exceptions: Win4Lin and VMWARE are Windows emulators that do allow most Windows programs to operate under Linux, even genealogy applications.)

Another big drawback is that the user interface in Linux varies from one version, or "distribution," to the next. Each Linux vendor has their own distribution, and there are many differences from one distribution to the next. Until recently, all of these distributions had user interfaces that were quite different from that of Microsoft’s products. As a result, the newcomer to Linux had to expend a lot of effort and time to learn the new system.

Most of the Linux user interfaces are graphics-oriented, and they use a mouse and "windows" in a manner that is loosely similar to Macintosh and to Microsoft Windows although they vary greatly in the details. Newcomers to Linux often find the operating system to be very confusing as they become immersed in a lot of new terminology and menus that are very different from the Windows systems they are accustomed to using. The newcomer to Linux usually has to struggle with program names such as licq and gimp. In addition, making a Linux system talk on a network to Windows systems requires the use of Samba, and installing new software requires the understanding of tar, gzip and rpm files. No wonder Windows users are confused!

One new version of Linux solves many of those issues. Lycoris is designed for Windows users who wish to try Linux or to migrate to the operating system without spending hours learning new terminology. Lycoris is a Linux distribution that is billed as "a familiar, powerful and open alternative to Windows." Lycoris has a user desktop that looks very much like Windows, and the amount of Linux-specific terminology is reduced to a minimum. It also integrates quickly and easily with Microsoft networks. I installed Lycoris on an older PC of mine this week and found that it indeed is a Linux version that even a Windows user could learn to love.

Lycoris replaces the normal Linux user interfaces with a desktop called Lycoris Desktop/LX. It emulates Windows as closely as possible. To take a look at Lycoris Desktop/LX, go to www.lycoris.com/products/gallery/ and click on the various icons. Those images will look familiar to most Windows users.

I was pleasantly surprised at how easily Lycoris’ networking integrates with Windows networks. I have wrestled in the past with Samba, Linux’s module that communicates with Windows networks. It has always required an hour or two of head-scratching to make a new Samba installation talk to my Windows PCs on the network installed in my home. This time, I installed Lycoris and found that Samba was also installed and operational without my intervention. As soon as I booted Lycoris for the first time, my Windows computers could access files and printers on the Lycoris system and vice-versa.

Lycoris includes many applications for all the more common computer tasks, including word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, Web browser, instant messaging, photo editing and more. Best of all, the menus to launch these applications are written in English, not in geek-talk. To launch the built-in word processor, simply click on "Word Processor" in the menus. Installing new software is also easily accomplished. Click on the icon in the lower left corner, select "System Management," and then select "Install new software." A series of menus will then lead the user through the software installation process without requiring knowledge of tar, gzip or rpm files.

I found Lycoris to be an excellent implementation for the person who wants to try Linux. It also is valuable for companies who wish to run Linux applications without retraining all their employees on a new operating system. Anyone who is experienced with Windows 98 can start using Lycoris almost immediately. However, I suspect that experienced Linux enthusiasts will dislike Lycoris for the same reason that it appeals to others: Lycoris looks and feels like Microsoft Windows.

Keep in mind that computers that run Linux do not need to be as powerful as computers used to operate the later versions of Windows, assuming all other factors are equal. If you have recently upgraded to a faster machine and now have an older PC that is no longer being used, you might want to install Lycoris on that older system.

Lycoris is available in two versions; a complete installation with full support from the company, CD-ROM disks, and a printed installation manual may be purchased for $29.95 at www.lycoris.com/store or from Fry’s Electronics stores. In addition, a free version (without support, manual, or disks) may be downloaded from ftp://ftp.stealth.net/pub/mirrors/ftp.lycoris.com/iso/. The free version does not have the capability to download new programs from the company’s Web site, however. If you download the online version, you can later purchase a software license with full support for only $19.95. Once registered, a user can download new programs from Lycoris.com.

Be aware that you need to download three files that total more than a gigabyte. I don’t think you will want to attempt that on a dial-up modem. However, anyone with a cable modem or DSL modem and a CD-ROM burner will find that easy to do.

I downloaded the free version first and was impressed with it. I then purchased a license from Lycoris to gain support and to be able to download new free programs from Lycoris.com.

For more information about Lycoris, look at: www.lycoris.com. For information about the free and open Linux operating system, look at the brief New York Times article at www.nytimes.com/2002/09/18/opinion/18WED2.html, then go to www.linux.org