Is the thought of running Linux on your laptop making you feel faint? Have you been by the forums and help centers online lately? If you have you probably know that you are not alone. These sites are packed with questions like “Which Linux distro is best for my laptop”, “Why doesn’t my laptop run properly after installing Linux”, What’s the best laptop for running Linux” and the list goes on and on.

With so many Linux distributions available and the wide variety of hardware and software that laptops support these days, it would seem that many Linux interested consumers have found themselves buried in decision. So what do you do now, forget about Linux all together and fire up Windows again? If you do that, you might end up with a mob of Linux supporters at your door step with burning torches and pitch forks, so that won’t work.

What will work is following the list of resources I have provided below, learn as much about Linux as you can, get familiar with your laptops hardware and then just try out a good Linux distro and see what happens.

General Linux Information

Linux Online - If you are going to learn about Linux, you might as well start out at the source. Linux Online, or Linux.org, is the primary home for Linux where you can find out news and information, learn about different Linux distributions and more.

Linux.com - A great site filled with information and resources for people interested in using and learning about the Linux operating system.

DistroWatch.com - Covers the latest additions, news and releases for many Linux distributions.

Linux Journal - This site has some great articles on Linux, along with “how to’s” and resources to get you going.

Kernal.org - Kernal.org, or the Linux Kernal Archive is the primary site for the Linux Kernal source. But they also have information about Linux and a system that allows you to report bugs in the Linux Kernal.

Linux Wiki - Wikipedia.com has a bunch of great information on Linux. You can find everything from the history of Linux to the definition of Linux terms you hear around the web.

LinuxToday.com - Find Linux jobs, read the latest Linux news and keep up to date on the constantly changing world of Linux.

The Linux Foundation - Site is operated by a nonprofit group dedicated to furthering the growth of Linux. This is a great source for finding information on Linux.

Linux Magazine - Geared more towards developers and Linux power users, this is a great site to visit for Linux information.

Popular Linux Distributions

Knoppix - Bootable, full featured Linux distribution.

Freespire - Community developed version of the Linspire distribution.

Mandriva - Very powerful Linux distribution built to run many different platforms.

Ubuntu - Mainstream distribution based on Debian.

Debian - A free distribution of the Linux operating system.

Fedora - A complete, general purpose distribution developed by RedHat.

Gentoo - A more advanced Linux distribution designed for developers and power users.

RedHat - High end Linux distribution designed for businesses.

Suse - Very popular mainstream Linux distribution.

Linspire - Based on Debian Linux, Linspire is a full featured distribution designed for desktops and laptops.

If you are interested in learning about even more current Linux distributions take a look at the complete list found on Linux.org.

Resources for Installing Linux on Your Laptop

Here is an in depth article that shows you how to Install Linux on a Toshiba Notebook.

A resource for installing Linux on a Dell Inspiron laptop.

Here is a Linux installation on an Acer Laptop.

Installing Linux on a Compaq Presario 2100 laptop.

Linux on Laptops has a large database of information on installing Linux on your laptop. Most laptop brands are available.

Installing Linux on an HP Pavilion N3410 Laptop.

How to install Linux on a Laptop from eHow.com.

How to install Mepis Linux on a laptop from eHow.com.

TuxMobil has Linux installation guides for laptops on virtually every laptop brand available.

Installing Linux on a Dell XPS laptop.

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Installing Linux Videos

Below you will find a multi part video series about installing Fedora Linux on a laptop:

also see part 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

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Removing Windows and installing Fedora Linux video.

Buying a New Laptop That Comes with Linux Installed

Your other option, also probably the easiest, is to simply purchase a laptop that already runs on the Linux operating system. Dell has 3 models ranging between $600 and $1000 each. These models come equipped with Ubuntu Linux version 7.10.

Have you installed any Linux Distro’s on your laptop recently? Please share your experiences in the comments below.