Newbie Help (As usual)

[Pythias]

Well I know that you all probably get tired of hearing us ask the same questions over and over again but I have no choice so here it goes. I was recently given a 486 66MHz w/ 16MB RAM and a 2.5 Gig HD and I want to try and install Linux so that I can learn. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for or what I'm going to use the machine for other than to just learn Linux. I would like some recommendations of a good version to learn off of and that will work with my computer. Also I have looked for some of the older versions and have had no luck finding them. If anyone can point me in the right direction I would be eternaly grateful. :)

Oh and after I do get the proper dist I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions about the install. Thanks in advance.

[Epyon]

You want to learn Linux?

I'll just tell ya what everyone else will tell ya- Slackware or Debian.

I don't use either one (in the belief that with a sufficient amount of upgrading, modification, and customization, every distro base can reach their level) but these two are well known for being the most logical, and since they're not exactly made for newbies, you'll be forced to learn a lot.

Also, neither one is overly bloated. Good for that older box.

If you want an easier path, one of the others would suffice... but unless you really customize it, Mandrake is said to be too much of a pig for that box.

There are a bunch of guides all over on how to tweak a Linux box for older boxes, so you're not stuck in slow Hell. You'll be needing them after the install. Google (http://www.google.com/) and theLDP (http://www.linuxdoc.org/) will help a lot with that... maybe I should actually put that speed guide I was planning together now..

Have fun, keep asking questions, and don't get discouraged :)

[mrBen]

Debian ( :cool: ) is a good suggestion for an older box, but is not the obvious option for a newbie. However, you can check out all of Learning Debian GNU/Linux (http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/debian/chapter/) over at O'Reilly, which is cool. Mandrake is almost definitely too much for your machine, I'm afraid, but maybe SuSE is another newbie-ish option?

[ 22 June 2001: Message edited by: mrBen ]

[Derango]

I've never used SuSE, but from what I've gathered, it seems to be almost mandrakish, although slightly better. I think your best bet would be, as mention earlier, either slack or debian.

[GonzoJohn]

Ok, I'm going to break ranks here. If you've never used a *NIX system before, don't explode your brain trying to install Debian or Slackware. I'm not sying they're hard to install, I'm just saying that there are easier ways to learn to swim than jumping into the ocean. Why not try the kiddie pool first?

Try a Mandrake or Red Hat or SuSE install first. The basic command sets are there no matter which distro you try. Eventually, you'll get to know the advantages of various distributions that make them appealing. I use Debian, but only after having used other distros did I realize that it was the best. I think that experience was valuable.

Ok, just my $0.02

[Pythias]

Ok well I'm going to download Debian and at least give it a shot. I figure that if I read that book "Learning Debian GNU/Linux", I should be able to maybe get started. I'm sure that I'll have many more questions later but thanks for now.