Suse and Mandrake *are* good desktop distributions, and their hardware support is about as good as you can get. So if you can't install either of them I think your problem will not be solved by looking for another distro - either your hardware is very incompatible with Linux or you're doing something funny...

I think I may be partioning them wrong, but as for SuSe, a lot of people are getting the same problem I am with it, so I think it is something with the Personal addition itself. As for Mandrake it just freezes at a random time during installation, but I still have yet to make it to disk 2 it always freezes at disk 1, but heck for all I know it is my disks.

Tell us what hardware are you using? How are you partitioning your disk - are you trying to double boot with Windows, or is the whole disk going to be dedicated to Linux?

Ok well I have the following Hard Ware

A-Bit NF7+ Motherboard
Athlon XP 2500+ Barton 1.83GHz CPU
768MB of Corsair XMS Memory
ATi Radeon 9600 Pro 256MB Graphics Card
Maxtor DimondMax9 Plus 160GB HD
Oporite CDRW Drive
Also I have a D-Link Wireless Card for internet

Yes for now I am trying to Dual Boot, because I can't get any of these to work and I still need internet access. Although once I do get linux working, and get used to the distro I choose or get installed I will then dedicate the whole drive to Linux,

When you boot, I think you'll need to pass 'noapic' option in order to get anywhere. And once you get past that hurdle, you can expect more pain trying to get decent display out of your Radeon card... sorry to say this, but while your system might be possible to configure with Linux, it isn't going to be smooth sailing. I guess you've discovered that already

it's more of a nightmare than anything. I just want linux :'( And why will it be hard to get a decent display? Also ferrix you got aim? u seem to know what ur talkin about and I got a couple of questions for u.

Sorry, I don't aim... In any case, you'll be better off asking here - many heads are better than one, especially when that one head is mine And to tell you the truth I don't know much about your hardware, never having used nforce boards, for example. I did use Radeon at one point, but I ended up swapping it for nVidia - it was just easier this way. Anyhow, ask away...

yeah, well I stopped using nVidia basically boycotted it. I build custom computers and I won't even give them a nVidia card if they want it. I just think they are terrible cards, and any serious hardware person should never use them. As for the rest the only other hardware product I wont use is Lite-On drives as they fail more than a kid with a 5 IQ. But my hardware is all from September, except for my 512mb ram stick which is from June, it is all working. So I think this is something I am just doing wrong *thinks to self, someone should make a linux hotline*

well, before you can worry about video, you'll need to boot So, have you tried using 'noapic'? Actually, I would suggest starting a thread in the hardware section. Perhaps just stick to Mandrake, since you said Suse is known to have issues... Also, have you tried reading and/or asking on nforcershq.com? They have a Linux forum, and if anyone should know, it would be them...

I am checking it out, some useful info on installing my ATI Drivers, but I am going to have to get to a boot first, don't see nothing on my mobo which is http://nforcershq.com/modules.php?na...wcontent&id=11 btw, that is the exact one.

Ok I found out that a few people have successfully installed Mandrake 10 on the NF7-S. So it isn't my motherboard, although I do have altered bios settings so that could still be it. A few say that Gentoo went over nicly, of them one has the same mobo, processor and is using an ATI card. Someone is also using my same Motherboard, an AMD Processor and the ATI 9800 Pro 128MB Card, but they are using Fedora... which I am not sure if it is a good linux for everyday internet use.

Fedora, Gentoo, Mandrake ... doesn't matter, it's all Linux in the end. At this point I would just worry about getting *something* installed, then you can pick and chose. Gentoo is slightly more complicated to install than all the others, since it doesn't really have an installer as such - you do everything by hand, from the command line. Following their (excellent) handbook is a must - don't even think of jumping into Gentoo install without a printout of their handbook in your hand! Fedora Core 2 is decent enough... As I said, you can't really afford to be picky at this point

Hmm, well when I get home I will download both, and print the Gentoo handbook... pending how many pages it i but I will atleast get the installation part. And I will try gentoo first.. maybe the graphical instals are the problem

Ok I just ran one of those checks on SuSe, and nothing was wrong with it, and nothing was wrong with Knoppix either. So i am not sure what it is now.

You have to print it out? Damn! Someone should have told me!.LOL Actually, the handbook is on the cd if you choose stage3. If you can get online with the install cd, you can "links www.gentoo.com" and read the manual in vt1 while you do the work and the reading in vt2 and vt3. I have Gentoo. I don't have a printer with ink................