Which is best to install for a first time Linux user with NO UNIX knowledge or LINUX?

I am so sick of windows (all of them) install after install and now I am getting questioned just about every time I reinstall over the top just to freshen and smooth things out.....I want to run Linux. I am a gamer and an AMD overclocker to the max. What would be the BEST,Smallest version of linux (i guess the proper would be "distro" right) for me to learn it and still run winXP on the same pc......I can partition my 160 gb Western Digital or I can put it on its own drive....either way I need dual boot, and like I said Im a gamer so I need something DirectX9b friendly.

Thanks everyone...

oh yeah if Ill need driver packs and or other upgrades let me know.....and heres my hardware that will be hosting it.....

Chris!

SiSoftware Sandra

System
Host Name : EMACHINE-T3025
User : chris24ang
Domain : EMACHINE-T3025

Processor
Model : AMD Athlon(tm) XP 3200+
Speed : 2.26GHz
Model Number : 3200 (estimated)
Performance Rating : PR3277 (estimated)
Type : Standard
L2 On-board Cache : 512kB ECC Synchronous Write-Back (16-way, 64 byte line size)

Mainboard
Bus(es) : ISA AGP PCI USB i2c/SMBus
MP Support : No
MP APIC : No
System BIOS : Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG
Mainboard : MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD MS-6570
Total Memory : 1535MB DDR-SDRAM

Chipset 1
Model : Nvidia Corp nForce2 AGP Controller
Front Side Bus Speed : 2x 205MHz (410MHz data rate)
Total Memory : 1536MB DDR-SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 2x 205MHz (410MHz data rate)

Video System
Monitor/Panel : Plug and Play Monitor
Adapter : NVIDIA GeForce FX 5600 Ultra

Physical Storage Devices
Removable Drive : Floppy disk drive
Hard Disk : WDC WD1600AB-00DYA0
Hard Disk : WDC WD800JB-00CRA1
CD-ROM/DVD : LITE-ON DVD+RW LDW-401S

Logical Storage Devices
1.44MB 3.5" (A : N/A
Win-xp-home (C : 149.0GB (102.4GB, 69% Free) (FAT32)
Western-80 (D : 74.5GB (67.4GB, 90% Free) (FAT32)
CD-ROM/DVD (E : N/A
Dig_dug_deeper (F : 180MB (0MB, 0% Free) (CDFS)

Peripherals
Serial/Parallel Port(s) : 9 COM / 1 LPT
USB Controller/Hub : Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : Standard OpenHCD USB Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : Standard Enhanced PCI to USB Host Controller
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
USB Controller/Hub : USB Root Hub
Keyboard : Standard 101/102-Key or Microsoft Natural PS/2 Keyboard
Mouse : PS/2 Compatible Mouse

MultiMedia Device(s)
Device : NVIDIA(R) nForce(TM) MCP Audio Processing Unit (Dolby(R) Digital)

Printers and Faxes
Model : hp psc 1200 series

Power Management
AC Line Status : On-Line

Operating System(s)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Home (Win32 x86) 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2, v.2096)

Network Services
Adapter : NVIDIA nForce MCP Networking Controller

Performance Tips
Warning 100 : Large memory sizes should be made of Registered/Buffered memory.
Tip 101 : Large memory sizes should be made of ECC/Parity memory.
Tip 2 : Double-click tip or press Enter while a tip is selected for more information about the tip.

Slackware - the install is not really straight forward so read the Slackware-HOWTO that's included on the CD.

Never had any problems with SuSE (everything works - USB removable disks, Canon Digital Camera, Printers, Bluetooth, DVD playback, gaming schticks, bruning CDs, etc.) and no installation hassle whatsoever. Installs really nice next to Windows(XY).

You could use SuSE wine rack for some Win32 apps and some games.

cheers.-

First: Slackware is not user friendly. It's by far the coolest distro IMHO, but not even close of the user friendly that Mandrake, Redhat or Libranet offers. Don't use it as first shot... Coming from XP with a hole bunch of wizards and configurations tool to Slackware is no easy task, trust me .

Second: simply forget games on Linux. There are very few native games for Linux that you can count with your hands: Quake 3, UT2003, UT2k4, RTCW, NWN and a few others. A good way for running Windows games under linux is through an emulator called WineX. Wait a few more posts and someone will say Wine is not an emulator, but it does exactly the same thing... you know, potato == potayto .

Still, Wine and WineX are too beta to be used. WineX does a nice job too, but for a gamer who wants the latest and greatest, your best shot is to keep dual-booting

You can always read reviews of Linux and it's different distributions here. I'd say, go with Mandrake...

Very good point - I now remember how frustrating Slack first was because the install is so unlike Windows - although after some experience I recommend you give it a look.

Originally posted by hallamigo Very good point - I now remember how frustrating Slack first was because the install is so unlike Windows - although after some experience I recommend you give it a look.

Oh yeah, I agree Once you learn all Linux paths and the important files to edit, Slack baby

I am a very new linix user and while I have many problems at the moment I had NO problems installing and setting up (to the best of my ability) Mandrake. Seems user friendly enough (not that i am an expert right enuf) but you might wanna give it a go.

Rough

For what it's worth, I agree with Oceansurf. I'm also a newb, but got really good at xp. No games is right. Dualboot, easy to do with mandrake or SuSE. I use sue cause it works easy on my laptop. LinuxCD.org is a good place to buy a distro cheap, and try it out. One really nice thing aout dualbooting is keeping your windows tuned and lean only for gaming, and the real power for everything else. Just my opinion. Give it a shot. Or, you could buy a mac?

A MAC????????????? AHHH NOOOOOOOOOOO RETURN OF THE MAC!



Sorry panic over!

Rough (The mac hater)

my first hand experience of linux was slackware 7. I'm a no-no-newbie (up to now) and i must say its quite cool, but as they say, it's not as friendly as you think. So maybe you could give red hat 9 a try, i had used suse after slackware, but i got so many hassles and etc., though its quite easy to install, as a beginner like me, why not hop into red hat 9. i heard mandrake is also good, but i was not able to give it a try.

I suggest you go with Mandrake it has a friendly user interface, an easy to use program to install/uninstall software, install updates and much more. LILO does the job of dual booting it has worked for me thats why I recommend it.

That goes well for red hat too.

Originally posted by cyberdwarf ...Or, you could buy a mac?

That was a joke, right? You weren't suggesting he junk that top of the line x86 machine for a more expensive machine, which won't run the Windows games he wants at all, because you can't put Windows on a mac, just so he can not use Windows? Maybe I need new glasses, or else I am way too poor to see the sense in that one. Clue me in.

well i have to recommend mandrake also. i am a very very newbie who has basically done almost everything wrong so far while still at the beginning of my linux learning curve. i started with mandrake on a dual boot with win2000. i had also bought suse and downloaded redhat. i then had both redhat 9 and suse 64 running on machines. i still run suse but redhat wasn't for me, though i don't really use my suse. however mandrake is now consuming a 120 gig disk alone (no dual booting). and i have learned a thing or two with it. mandrake is user friendly and mandrake is just beautiful.

go with mandrake trust me (and i had no prior command line experience or text basex experience)