I have a HP computer at 2.4 (2.0 GHz) AMD Athlon XP. I have a free distro of Mandrake 10 (3 CD). Do I need a distro of the same year of my computer? How to config software (I have never try it)?
thank you for any respond

You dont need a distro of the same year as your computer to run it, just one that works with your hardware which I believe is x86 from mandrake. You could use the new 10.1 if you wanted a slightly newer distro.

And what do you mean configure software?

When you add a new software in OS Linux you don't need to configure the software ? Perhaps I have not understand the subject... Perhaps it's like the software in OS Win XP, you just need to answer a few question...
thank you for your feedback!

You'll get a chance to pick software packages during the install. If you miss something you want, you can install it later.

I mean others Linux softwares outside the distribution of Mandrake.

when you install from source you go through three stages by typing them in the command line:

./configure
make
make install

This is only for building from source, and certain packages have their own installers. The best way to install software is through your distro's package manager, which on Mandrake is RPM ; but if you have to install through source read the directions and follow those.

Also you cannot cross diffrent package types. I.E. You can't install .deb packages on Mandrake and you probably won't be able to use Redhat/Fedora RPMs on Mandrake also.

[edit: I mis-read your post the last time.]

I have try to install Mandrake 10.1 Official but if my memory serve good I have to wait half a hour to install 4 CD. I have return the CD to www.linuxcd.org and he said that it was working good and he send me a Mandrake 10.1 on DVD but still do the same. What do you thing about that ?

takes me 15-20 minutes, as a guess, to isntall slack 10.1 which is 2 cds. your situation, which is double the number of cds, and twice the amount of time, seems fine.

I have install Mandrake 10.1 . The first thing you have to do is unplug all the peripheric (printer, sound, modem, etc.) and had only 4 plug (power plug, mouse, keyboard and monitor). Like that all will well install.
Question: I try to configure "Evolution". For receiving mail I have put "pop3.nb.sympatico.ca" and to send mail "smtp.nb.sympatico.ca" . I put my username and the password that I have receive from my service provider. I don't know what I have done wrong, I receive the error that I have invalid username or password...

any answer will be appreciate

I dont know for sure, since I don't use email clients; but that sounds like an issue to ask your provider about.

The password and the username "don't work" with Evolution but work with Outlook 2002 in Win XP. It's something I do wrong but what?.... : (

Do you just double click on a rpm file to install it? I will like to install the last version of Wine. I use a dial up and I need a software from win xp that cut the connection when someone want to call me.

Thank you for any feedback

no you use the terminal for packages you have downloaded.
open a terminal and su to root (or sudo) and type something like:

check here

When I click on Wine.rpm it ask me if I want to install or just record it. If I choose install what will happen because the above reply said to use a terminal and the command urpmi <file_name>

thank you for your feedback

probably nothing will happen (unless your root).. go ahead, click install. it might ask you for a root password in order to install it, if so, go ahead type it in and it should install.
your distro is probably just setup to handle .rpms when they are clicked.

using the terminal, however, will be a distro-independant way of doing things (of course requiring a RPM-based distro)
try installing it with the terminal, probably not very hard, but try it to get used to it. let us know how it goes.

when ur clicking it, its probably, in essence, doing the same thing (as the terminal command), but just with a frontend (graphical tool) for the command line based urpmi program