Well, that all depends on what you want to use your computer for. Mandrake and RedHat Linux distributions make good personal workstations. Slackware and Debian are really nice if you want to really learn Linux and networking and maybe do some programming and shell scripting.

Personally I'm a devoted RedHat user. There's actually a post somewhere here on TechTalk that discusses the pros and cons of different distributions. Do a search for it

If you decide to go with RedHat, there's a post here: http://www.daniweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=231 which explains the RedHat Package Management stuff (RPMs) which is a good place to start. Otherwise, just choose a distro and then go to their homepage. They'll over some basic info as well as where you could download free .isos of their distributions (usually through one of many available mirrors).

Let me know if this was of any help to you, or if you have any more questions!

Also ... maybe someone else would be able to offer some advice as well?

my advice goes against the typical norm but i say download something that installs easy like red hat, piddle around with it a couple of weeks just to get a feel and then go to linuxfromscratch.org and install an lfs and beyond lfs system. you will see first hand where all the files and folders are and come across all kinds of tutorials along the way that will leave you feeling very comfortable with linux.

My journey through linux goes as follows:

mandrake 7.2 to 8.2
red hat 8
about every distro EVER, i tried debian woody, libranet, college linux, vector linux, slackware, JAMD, and about 20 more cd-rs worth of distros

THEN i found something that interested me, source mage which is based from the now dead sorcerer and this got me interested in from source distros. After that i decided to try gentoo because alot of people say portage was good so i did and i FINALLY found the distro i like

if you HAVE to start with red hat...try JAMD...its compiled for i686 and it all installs off of one cd plus you can install rh RPMS and not worry about breaking stuff.

but like the other dude said...stick with it for like a few weeks max, if you get used to having everything handed to you...lfs will seem so intimidating you wont ever want to touch it

I am currently using Linux Mandrake.
You may want to stick with a distro, if you are new to linux. Letting the distro keep track of bug and security updates would be a good reason to stay with a distro instead of going the Linux From Scratch route.

I recommend Knoppix, since there's no need to install. You can get your feet wet and garner a basic understanding of Linux BEFORE going through the process of installation. No matter which distribution you wind up going with, even a little Linux experience will make installing MUCH easier.

See the postings on this subject elsewhere in this forum.

Try the Live CD-based Distro called
KNOPPIX
http://www.knoppix.net
You'll have to download the ISO image
and burn it to a cd.
Leave it in the cd-rom drive and re-boot
your computer. Play around with it all
you want, then re-boot without the cd
to go back to windows.
It's robust, and is an easy try out
without actually installing anything.
I use if for 101 different things
at home and at work! ;-)
YMMV

Hi, I am just another newbie to Linux and am picking a suitable one to start with. Err...reading thru all the replies, why none of you guys mentioned Free BSD ?

Because the original poster was asking about Linux? Not UNIX?


My first distro was Slackware 1.2.3

OK this post is being done with and through the use of Knoppix Linux. Which I must say I am having a blast with. It is really kind of fun to have an operating system on a CD ready to go. :-)

The only drawback I have with it, is that my main system has too much newer hardware for it too recognize, so I have to use it on my subsystem or server system (lover end models) :-)

Very fun to play around in....