Linux on PC or Mac
Most Linux distributions are free because they use mostly free, open-source software to provide instructions to your hardware. Whether you have a new or old PC or Mac, you can install a user-friendly distribution such as Ubuntu or Mint as easily as installing Windows or OS X. If you have an older Mac with a PowerPC processor, you need to install the PPC Linux kernel, which is available from the Ubuntu, Mint or Debian website. Most new hardware requires little configuration after the installation because the Linux kernel includes modules for most modern hardware. Ubuntu and Mint help new users install additional drivers and set up their new desktops after the installation, so you don't need to be a computer expert to use these operating systems.