I tried... If my search was inadequate I apologize in advance.

I am wanting to install some Linux OS onto my system, I have a spare 10 gig harddrive, and while knowing some basic UNIX commands, I am extremely ignorant of things Unix based in general. I am willing to do the studying up that it takes to become literate, if not apt, but I am wanting to know what the best Linux OS would be for me, as the single user of a single PC, with only a dial-up modem. Which release seems to be more in tune with the beginning user, especially ease of installation.

Thanks in advance.
Nullen

if your looking for a good beginners distro for a single machine i would have to recommend Mandrake 10.1.
The install gui is really simple to follow and for linux first timers, in my opinion it's the easiest to configure and use.

for ease of installation, I would recommend Mandrake Linux or Suse. Mandrake is very good for newbies and there is a wide selection of 3rd party software available for it.

I appreciate your help, and almost regret asking the question, since I checked out the Distro Reviews from the Main Menu. I'll take you up on your suggestions, thanks.

I've got to put a word in for Mepis! With a dial-up connection you might want to buy a cd. I think that it is $9.00 or $10.00. It is very easy to install and can also be run as a live cd. The cd can be used for repair should you mess something up. It is debian based, which I also think is a good thing due to it's stability.

zoey http://www.mepis.org/forum?PHPSESSID...826e368c2c8931