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Howto: Create a Linux Box for Your Mom (50+ Resources)

Here is a great article from virtualhosting.com discussing some good resources for “getting your mom on linux”. Great idea!

By Jessica Hupp

For most computer literate children, a request from mom to get her set up on “this web thing” is met with panic and a feeling of drudgery. Are you about to expose your sweet mother to spam, phishing, viruses, or worse? Or perhaps more frightening, sign your life away as a 24/7 tech support center? Perhaps, but there’s a better way. By setting your mom up on a Linux machine, you can give her a safe, lean computing experience that will let her do all of the things she wants to do without giving you a nervous breakdown. Here, we’ve compiled over 50 of the best resources to help you get your mom on Linux without a whole lot of trouble.

Systems & Environments

With these systems and environments, you can get your mom set up with low maintenance and friendly interfaces.

  1. SimplyMEPIS: SimplyMEPIS is low-maintenance and great for Linux beginners.
  2. Linspire: Linspire is the “World’s Easiest Desktop Linux,” with a familiar look and feel for Windows users.
  3. Mandriva: Mandriva Linux was specifically designed to offer ease of use for new users.
  4. Ubuntu: One of the most popular Linux distributions, Ubuntu is stable and easy to use.
  5. KDE: The K Desktop Environment is easy to use, and offers basic desktop functions.
  6. Ximian Desktop: Ximian offers a simple layout, with large icons that are great for elderly users.
  7. Lycoris: This distribution looks a lot like windows, and offers great ease of use.
  8. SuSE: With SuSE, you’ll got lots of popular open source software like OpenOffice, Kaffeine, and more.
  9. GNOME: In this desktop environment, you’ll find an extremely usable GUI.

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