hello all!

I am very interested in trying linux again. I am using it on a Toshiba Laptop. Currently I am using Mandrake 10 beta, just because I like mandrake but when I installed it it came with NOTHING.....I mean, no programs at all.


What is the best Distro I could use that would come preloaded with all the basic programs I would need?


THANK YOU!!

slackware :=), red hat,

Yea I dont know why Mandrake's distro is like this...

It's a beta...that might just have something to do with it. Try Mandrake 9.2 - it often gets criticized for having too much included.

Yes, I suggest MDK 9.2 as well. TONS of apps. I believe the beta is just the base OS and tools. (note the word beta)

I have MDK 9.2 and will be installing 10 on a partition to assist in beta testing as I want to start supporting Mandrake more since it supports me so well

BTW, what Toshiba laptop is that? If it is an older one, with a slow processor and not a lot of RAM (slower than 300 mHz, less than 128MB RAM), you might want to install an older distro, and then upgrade the kernel. Or at least be very careful about your package selection and how many extra services you run.

I suggest you use a Knoppix Live CD or some other distro live CD, such as SuSE, Slackware, etc.

A live cd will cater to all your software needs and you won't have to install. Also, Knoppix will very easily detect all your hardware and you will face no hassles running it.