Hello all,

Brand new to Linux, as in just started researching it a few days ago. I'm pretty computer literate, but I'm not command-line driven, so I'm looking to find a basic, all-around distro that will do nothing much more than allow me to surf the Net, keep notes (using something equivalent to OpenOffice's word processor), play a game or two on Steam (which, I understand, the game I want may or may not be available in Linux), and, well, not too much more...Oh, and listen to a few podcasts; some embedded into the site I'm on and some via iTunes when I have no choice.

Otherwise, it's pretty straight-forward, so there's my quest for the best distro out there for me.

Hope to talk more with you all,

Starkman

Ah, hello and welcome to a fellow Oregonian

If you'd like suggestions on a possible distribution, let us know what your system is and the specs, like the processor, memory, wireless adapter and video card, as examples.

Regards...

Welcome aboard.

May I suggest looking at AntiX/MX > http://antix.mepis.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it.

I have a home-built Win 7 Home Edition system with an Intel 3220 i3 (two cores), 8 gigs of ram (I HAD 16 until 8 just died, for no reason other than to spite me, I assume), an NVidia GTX650, and plenty of hard drive space. With Windows 10 including more spying capability than the NSA, I figure it's time to say sayonara to M$; so I've decided to go with Ubuntu Mate (and I did check out Antix...thanks, fatmac), but I do have a few questions.

1. When I read how a distro has such-and-such applications (e.g., one for printing - Samba, I think it was for AntiX), I may still have to check with my printer company to see if there's a Linux driver for it, won't I (that is, if the printer isn't working)? Is that how that works?

2. I've partitioned my hard drive to create a 125GB segment for installing Linux, but I'd like to test drive it first with Virtualbox, which I've never used. If I do decide to install it and then take it off, will it have left traces of itself on my C (main) drive where Windows is? If so, what do I need to do to clean things up if that is the case? (I suppose if there's minimal threat to the data on the C drive, I may just install in on the partitioned drive instead of running Virtualbox.)

Well, thanks again. I appreciate the input.

Starkman

Howdy again. Take a Windows wipe your memory of any Windows power moves and thinking pill.

Printing can be usually handled with cups. >>>This is old old old link http://antix.mepis.org/index.php?title=Printing

Youtube is full of printing setups. Search <your model printer> Debian.
Since Antix is based on Debian.
I ecommend MX-14 since you are new to this stuff and you have the horse power to run MX-14 like a raped ape. The Mepis forums will be your best resource when asking to setup your printer also.
It is a bookmark in MX-14 Browser.

Lots of Videos. you can wach and learn from while breaking out a ice chest of beer (that is what I do anyways).

My partition layout on this free server from City Hall. No Windows on this box.

It is set up so a reinstall is instant and painless. Youtube can explain that also.

So don't give up. (referencing another post, just playing around though)

Thanks,rokytnji!

Welcome.

One of my daughters lives out that way.