Welcome to the LXF 100 DVD

What a corker of a DVD we have for you this month! Like buses, you wait around for a new Linux distribution, then several arrive at once. So we're super-chuffed to offer you the brand new releases of both Ubuntu and OpenSUSE on our special double-sided DVD. Whether you want to upgrade your existing distro, or you've never tried Ubuntu or OpenSUSE before, there's more Linux here than you could use in a decade of Sundays. And if you've never used Linux before, this disc provides the perfect start: you can run Ubuntu straight from the DVD and experience Linux without committing it to your hard drive.

Ubuntu 7.10 is the new version of the world's most popular distro, packing in the very latest software with a friendly desktop environment. Ubuntu runs in Live mode -- that is, it runs straight from this DVD, so you can try Linux without having to change anything on your hard drive. But if you want to use it regularly, you can install it to your hard drive by double-clicking the 'Install' icon on the desktop. We've created a special version of Ubuntu for this disc, adding KDE, Xfce, development tools, extra applications and more. So effectively, you get Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Xubuntu in one uber-distro! To run Ubuntu, boot your PC from Side 1 of this DVD -- see the magazine for more info.

Meanwhile, OpenSUSE 10.3 is another solid release from Novell and the community. OpenSUSE is one of the longest-running distros, with over a decade of experience on the home desktop, workstation and server. It's jam-packed with software, looks gorgeous and includes YaST, a very powerful configuration utility. You can install OpenSUSE by booting your PC from Side 2 of this disc -- again, the magazine has more installation details.

And we have much more too: a whopping 100 chapters from Apress books covering a wide range of topics such as using Linux, programming and website design (see the Help section). Then there's Gnome 2.20, HotPicks, games, desktop apps and more to explore. I hope you enjoy the DVD, and if you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to get in touch!

Mike Saunders
New Media Editor
Linux Format