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qas

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Which linux is the best ?

Hi.

I've been working on windows for a while and started hate it pretty fast!  I'd like to install a linux version on my system but it kind of never works.  Here is a list of the recent linux version I tried to installed the past 3 weeks.

-corel linux 1.2 (french)
-mandrake 8
-caldera's open linux (4.2?)
-turbo linux
-red hat linux 6.2

Every one of these installations failed.  Red hat and Open Linux (which I have the original CDs) installed themselves all the way but were impossible to configure in the video card section.  All the other linux versions failed half way through the installation (corel and mandrake where burned from ISOs, turbo was an original CD).

Here are the specs of my system:
-AMD duron 750
-384mb RAM
-13.6gb + 6.4gb HD
-Creative SoundBlaster Live VE
-ATI All-In-Wonder PRO 32mb
-DLink DFE-538tx nic card
-Did I forgot something ??

And at last, here is my question:  which distribution of linux should be the best regarding these specs ?

Thank you.
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bomek

Every distros should do the job. Recent distro is needed to configure your video card at installation.

Actually, there is no reason that don't work. You should post the errors you have here so we can see what's the problem.

For you, i strongly suggest Mandrake8.
Try out RedHat 7.1 and Mandrake 8, these two can detect your hardware automagically, and must do the job...
I've looked at SUSE, Mandrake, TurboLinux and RedHat.

I keep coming back to RedHat because of the RPM method of installing/upgrading programs (not perfect, but pretty good).  This distro has lots of neat tools (Powertools CD) and has made great strides in installation since v6.2.

I've had "user based" X configuration issues that I've since worked around/solved.

I just installed Mandrake 8 last night. This was the first time I have ever seen linux. It went very smooth. I didn't have any problems. It was very easy to install. It detected all of my hardware automatically.
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garisoain

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If you don't mind poking around, and starting with a small basic system, try Vector Linux, from:

http://www.ibiblio.org/vectorlinux

It's Slackware based.

Or if you want a complete desktop-oriented distro that hasjust about everything you need, then try Peanut.

http://www.ibiblio.org/peanut

I do agree with most posters that Mandrake is probably the best solution. You just have to realize, though, that Linux does take more configuring and setting up than Windows. The nice thing these days is that it has better hardware support. Just stick with it long enough, and I think you'll see the benefits to using Linux. Personally I've been using Peanut alongside Win98 since Jan. 2000, but I'm about to get cable and a CD-RW, so I might download Debian or Progeny Debian. That's my fave among the big distros.