Linux the hard way – a newbie installation

Kelly McNeill writes “I have always been of the opinion that installing, configuring and using Linux is not hard these days. Certainly the advent of distributions has simplified the process immensely. Perhaps the only reason I hold this opinion is that I have learnt the system from the ground up. I have the patience to sit down and read the documentation, or search for alternative sources of information on the Net. So, when I was asked to help two sets of newbies install and use Linux systems in one week, I took the opportunity to do a case study and discovered just how hard Linux is to the absolute novice.”