Get a free CD of the new Ubuntu shipped to you

Ubuntu has been offering free CDs of its Linux operating system for some time, but until now that has meant the 6.06 Long Term Support version. But now Ubuntu is offering to send you, free of charge, a CD of the upcoming Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon release. Remember, you can use this "live CD" to both test out the system without installing anything (albeit more slowly than with an actual install) to see how your hardware reacts to Ubuntu's rendition of Linux. And the same live CD environment has an "install" link on the desktop to allow you to put Ubuntu on your hard drive.

But there's one problem. If your drive already has Windows on it, chances are its disk is made up of one huge partition. To install any kind of Linux, you need to create a separate partition on the drive -- and that means backing up your Windows data before you start. You ARE doing backups, aren't you? Now is a good time to start.

I don't know whether or not the Ubuntu installer will shrink the Windows partition for you -- and if it does, I'm sure it will provide the customary warning and admonition to have a backup of your data. But if it does handle the partitioning for you (or you do it yourself with a free tool such as Parted Magic or Gparted), Ubuntu is VERY good about setting up a dual-boot system in which you can choose to run Windows or Ubuntu every time you start your PC. If you're not yet totally sold on open source software, burning ISOs into discs and all that, you can use a commercial product to partition your drive. The only one I know of is Partition Magic, but I'm sure there are others.

But if you've never downloaded a huge (they usually run 600 MB or so) ISO file that must be turned into a bootable CD in your burner before loading Linux, Ubuntu's ShipIt offer is a great, great thing.

As for me, I just plunged right in, got ISO Recorder for Windows XP and began burning my own ISO CDs straight away. It's no secret that Windows makes it hard to make bootable CDs -- probably because Microsoft doesn't want you to even think about using another operating system, especially Linux or BSD.

And when you do get Linux, it's extremely easy to turn the huge ISO files that make up Linux distributions into bootable CDs.

Even the Mac allows you to turn an ISO file into a bootable CD without adding additional software. Only Windows tries to keep you from doing this essential task with your CD-R or DVD-R drive. ... But it you have Nero on your Windows box, that program does allow you to burn bootable CDs from ISOs.

The bad part about the free Ubuntu CD deal: It takes up to 10 weeks for delivery.