Try chucking a boot cd in and running a fsck on your hard disks
fsck.ext3 /dev/hda3 (or whatever depending on file system and where your linux disks are)

RPM the worst package management system apart from slackware's.

Linux is really lacking good package management and RPM is right at the bottem of the barrel

No halm in trying mandrake, Just try to make it a very minimalistic install.. If you don't succseed you can always try another distro.

I think im with Aykon that slackware may be your best bet....

How will that help use NTFS ?

Don't forget that power saving butiful processor created by digital, the strongarm :)



Avoiding installing Desktop Enviroments (KDE/GNOME) and if you wish to use X use a farly minimal window...

Apache is an exceedingly popular server, I would be exceedingly suprised if it wasn't already supplyed with your distrobution.

I would check out my distrabutions Package Management System, before...

Read the INSTALL that should be in the directory that you untared

You Prolly Install it as such

$./configure
$make
$sudo make install

Having said that Its a great distro for leaning about linux gentoo seems to be a tad bit complicated for some biginners (the install isn't really a nice introduction to linux) slackwares install is...

I used to use slackware for about a year I think.. The package management systems worse then RPM !!

and a considrable amount of resources(ram/cpu etc)

Just got Slackwhere box running as an Xwindows terminal.. worked good for that, Its great for minimalistic instlalls (in some respects, the aweful package managment system is the biggest downside)....

Oops Double Posted

Sorry its called gnome blog :P I just have a habit of saying blogger :P
Its a nice little application for gnome that sits on the panel and allows very easy blogging.


Gnome Blog Screenie...

Anyone know if I can use GnomeBlogger with the Daniweb blogs ?

I can use "Self-Run MovableType", "Self-Run Pyblosxom", "Self-Run WordPress" or "Self-Run Other"

Most require base blog URL's or...

the windows netowkringprotocal is a discusting protocal in genaral, The whole lets elect someone to be the browsemaster etc. etc...

You might like to try checking if your linux boxes know who the...

In linux you can use the following for writing to NTFS

Captive NTFS allows write to NTFS drives (free uses wine) - Apparently slow
also
Paragon NTFS Driver does (commertial) - Exceedingly good

If you want to use your box as a router I would strongly recommend IPCop (exceedingly easy to setup). But if you just wanna learn about linux and get your hands dirty, I would definatly suggest...

Gnome is the unpopular option, but i would have to say best :) kde is just ugly bloat