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I received today a jiffy bag containing five pairs of Ubuntu Linux CDs, one of which will be dispatched chez Hamilton later today. The other four are up for grabs, if anyone's interested. PC only I'm afraid, although I can't imagine many OS X users wanting to switch in any case - they've already *got* a user-friendly Unix-variant on their desktops. Ubuntu is a "distribution" of the free (as in speech) Gnu/Linux operating system. It describes itself as "Linux for human beings", which is not a bad description. The base Ubuntu system fits on one CD, and is made up of a sensible subset of the vast plethora of available applications: the Gnome desktop environment, Firefox for browsing the web, OpenOffice 2.0 for reading and writing office documents (it's fairly compatible with MS Office), Evolution for email, contacts etc., and a decent array of tools for ripping and burning CDs, viewing and editing images and so on. Packages for almost any other kind of software application you can imagine are downloadable via the package manager, synaptic. It's all free (as in beer). Each pair of CDs consists of an installation CD and a "Live" CD. The Live CD enables you to try out Ubuntu without having to install anything - all you have to do is boot from the disc, and you get a working Gnome desktop complete with OpenOffice, Firefox and a few games. The installation CD can be used to either replace your existing operating system with Ubuntu, or set up a "dual boot" system where Ubuntu sits on the hard disc next to Windows and enables you to choose between them when the computer starts up. Send your address to me backchannel if you'd like me to send you one. Alternatively, packs of five or more can be ordered at no cost from the Ubuntu website: http://www.ubuntu.com There is, so far as I am aware, *no catch*. Dominic p.s. for information about the Free Software movement, and the principles behind Ubuntu Gnu/Linux, see the website of the Free Software Foundation: http://www.fsf.org/ -- Shall we be pure or impure? Today we shall be very pure. It must always be possible to contain impurities in a pure way. --Tarmo Uustalu and Varmo Vene