looking to install a linux distro (preferably mandrake) on a ibm <cr>aptiva 486 32megs of ram 2gig harddrive. What version of mandrake runs best w/ a 486? Or what other distro runs best on a 486?

You might want to go with an older version of Mandrake. Almost any distro out there you could get to run most likely, but with a 486, your gonna be really slow if you plan on using the GUI.

get red hat 4.2, yull notice that i totally and completely endorse suse but for a straight 486 try red hat 4.2 , i dont think there is one better...

O.k, great! thanks for the info. Now I just need to know where I can download this? re:Im so broke, I cant even pay attention.

im not sure the url is redhat.com but see if yu can find their corporate web page. one thing i can say about redhat is that their ftp server is pretty doggone extensive... if im not mistaken they have an archive of older redhat distros like 4.2

which, of course, brings me to another idea ive had for a while. if youre a linux freak like myself you may have wished for a damn linux box set from your favorite distro...take suse for example, they sell a box set of cds with the 7 series, the 6 and the 5 and back to the very first kernal put out by linus... thats pretty crazy huh? well dammit, id buy it, yu bet yur ass...

out

You might also try the Caldera 2.4 distribution. They clain it will work fine on a 486.