You can run Linux in Windows by running a free Linux virtual machine player program and opening a free Linux virtual machine!

This is fantastic for a new Linux user who needs to get Linux training and wants to learn Linux in Windows. You just download Linux in Windows as a “pre-installed” virtual machine, uncompress the virtual machine files in the Linux download file into a folder on the Windows hard disk, and then run a virtual machine player program to run Linux in Windows.

There are lots of new Linux “flavors” (versions) available as virtual machines to choose from. You can experiment with Linux commands to do Linux administration tasks - without messing up Windows on your computer system!

For example, while learning to do Linux administration tasks, you do things like: create a new Linux user, install Linux software programs, and create or delete directories in the Linux file system.

When you do these steps, you may accidentally cause the Linux system to stop working properly. If this happens, all you have to do is erase the Linux virtual machine files, uncompress the original files into their folder again, and start running Linux in Windows again!

The steps below outline how Linux is installed on a computer system, how a Linux virtual machine is created, and how to run Linux in Windows.

Installing the Linux OS on a computer system “from scratch” is a very time-consuming process. You do the following steps:

set up the system to boot from CD / DVD
boot the system with a Linux CD / DVD
run the Linux installation routine
provide several Linux system configuration settings, such as Linux networking settings and partition settings
select the Linux software programs to be installed on the system
wait while thousands of Linux software programs are copied onto the hard disk of the system

To create a Linux virtual machine, someone does the following steps for you:

all the steps above to install the Linux OS on a computer system - as a virtual machine
compresses the files that make up the virtual machine into a single file
puts the virtual machine on a Linux server as a free Linux download file

To run Linux in Windows, you just:

download and install the virtual machine player program
download a single file containing the compressed Linux virtual machine files
uncompress the virtual machine files into a folder
run the virtual machine player
open (and run) the Linux virtual machine

to run a Linux command, open a terminal emulation window on the Linux desktop to get to the Linux command line

Written by Clyde Boom.

Learning how to use Linux commands is key to understanding how to administer a Linux system. When you are new to the Linux OS (operating system) and need help with your Linux training, you can use these Linux commands to get help with using Linux (in general) and also get help on how to use a Linux command.

3 Popular Linux Commands You Can Use to Get Help with Using Linux

1. The Linux Help Command There are Linux commands that are called builtin (one word) commands, such as the cd (change directory) and echo commands. The help command is used to get help on builtin commands.

Linux Help Command Example

]# help cd

The output of the above command shows help on running the Linux cd command.

Linux Tips: The ]# in the above example is the Linux command line prompt, that appears when you are at a Linux console (also called a Linux terminal). You don’t need to type in the ]# characters, just type in the command at the right!

2. The Linux Info Command

The Linux info command is used to display help “info pages” on a Linux command or on a Linux concept.

Linux Info Command Example

]# info grep

The Linux command above shows info (help) on running the Linux grep command.

One of the best parts of using the info command is that some of the info pages show examples of using a Linux command.

Linux Tips: Examples of Linux commands provide an excellent way to learn a command. The Linux man pages (describe below) and lots of other free Linux documentation rarely shows a Linux command example.

3. The Linux Man Command

The Linux man command is used to display Linux man pages. These “pages” provide help on a Linux concept, such as booting a Linux system, or on a Linux command, such as the find command.

Linux Man Command Example

]# man find

This command shows the man page(s) for the Linux find command.

Linux Tips: The Linux man pages are quite cryptic and difficult to understand for someone new to Linux. Try using the Linux info command first and also look to see if you can find an example of how to use the Linux command.

Using the –help Option of a Linux Command to Get Help with Using Linux

Several Linux commands have a –help option that shows a description of the command and its options. To use the –help option, just type in the name of the command followed by –help, as shown below.

Linux –help Option Example

]# mkdir –help

The –help option is used to show help on the Linux mkdir command.

All of the above Linux commands and options can be difficult to understand for someone new to Linux. One way to get easy Linux training is to get a popular Linux book (or Linux ebook)

Written by Clyde Boom.

Here are two popular ways to get the Linux OS (operating system) up and running:

1. Install Linux from a Linux CD / DVD. This method can be complicated and very time consuming, but is also a great way to get experience using Linux.

2. Use Linux live CDs (or Linux live DVDs).

This is a fast and easy way to run Linux and will also help you get Linux training experience.

As an alternative to the above two methods, there is also an excellent way to download Linux free and install Linux in Windows, so you can learn how to use Linux in Windows.

Overview of Running Linux in Windows

Just boot your computer system into Windows and download the free Linux virtual machine player. Then download a free Linux virtual machine.

Install the Linux virtual machine player in Windows and uncompress the Linux virtual machine files into a folder. Then run the player and “open” the Linux virtual machine. This allows you to quickly and easily run Linux in Windows!

Linux Tips: There are hundreds of free Linux virtual machines available for download - and they are very easy to use. So you may want to download and try several. This is a great way to get Linux training on several Linux distributions. High-speed Internet access is recommended for this.

Using the Linux Virtual Machine Player

The free Linux virtual machine “player” (program) is run and then used to open a Linux virtual machine to run Linux in Windows.
You run the virtual machine player and open a Linux virtual machine in the same way as your run a word processor (program) and open a letter.

Linux Virtual Machines - What They Are and How They’re Created

A Linux virtual machine is a complete, fully functional Linux distribution (version of Linux) in a single compressed file.

To create a Linux virtual machine, someone runs the Linux installation routine from a Linux CD / DVD and does a Linux installation on a system. This puts the Linux OS and Linux software program files onto the system.

All these Linux files are then compressed into a single file and made available at a web site, so you can easily download the free Linux virtual machine and run Linux in Windows.

Linux Tips: When you go to download a Linux virtual machine, be sure to read the specs of the system at the Linux download web site.

Linux Tips: If you are a new Linux user, make sure the virtual machine has a Linux desktop (as many don’t) and also get the password of the root user (which is the main Linux administration user).

A free Linux virtual machine is the easiest and fastest way to run Linux in Windows and get Linux training on an existing Windows system!

Written by Clyde Boom.