thinking about trying linux -- help!

[chunkstyle]

hi guys

i was thinking of trying out linux as a 2nd os on my pc.

i've been checking ebay recently, but am unsure as to how
well linux purchases there work out. plus, as a complete newbie, i have no idea which distribution is preferable --
suse, red hat, mandrake, etc. and i don't know what version of the vaious distributions is most up-to-date.

any advice? if it matters, i only have a 56k modem, so downloading it would probably take forever.

thank you!

[mikeL]

I've bought linux from here, with out any problems. www.linuxcentral.com

if you are just starting out in linux I would recommend red hat (fedora), mandrake, or if you don't want to go through the install look for knoppix that will run from the CD.

[HAL9000]

Go buy yourself a nice book on Red Hat or Mandrake that comes with the CD's. Much nicer to go through a book than chase down info you need on the net.

[Karnevil9]

You would probaly want either SuSE, Mandrake or Redhat. I think the latest versions for Mandrake is 9.2. The latest and last version for Redhat is 9. Redhat for home personal use is now Fedora,. I think SuSE's latest is 9 also but not 100% sure.
For my first Linux system I used Hal's suggestion. Bought the For Dummies book for Redhat 9 at Borders for 20.00 bucks with the OS. Not a bad deal. You can also order online from Amazon.
Edmunds Enterprise also sells the CD,s without the box set for less than ten bucks, but you can't get SuSE that way, only a live evaluation CD.
I also think other good systems for beginners, if not everyone, but not quite as easy as Mandrake or Redhat to install,but almost, is Knoppix and Libranet.

[aym]

I'm using SuSE 9.0 right now, it's very easy to install and use, highly recommended along with Mandrake, as for RedHat, the last version is outdated by now, and Fedora is still a test version.

Knoppix is a live CD, you don't need to install anything, you just boot from the CD, and you have a Linux system running, great for trying Linux for the first time, or testing a PC that refuses to boot.

[Karnevil9]

I was under the impression that The Fedora Core 1 version was the finished release.

I like your Gimp icon

[natebo]

Fedora Core 1 would probably be the best option now, you'll have the easiest time with it, if you have highspeed internet, just down load the three iso's and burn them. no need to buy anything. I did buy a redhat 9 book with cd's, it was helpful, but already archaeic when I tried to implement mplayer and others. Just go for it, it's a learning experience.