Please Can you help me?

I am running an AMD K6 2-400 with 640mb ram /SoundBlaster Awe32 with Debian Sarge using the standard kernel (2.4.x.x)

I am getting so cheesed off at trying to learn how to configure the o/s instead of using the box to Just Do Work OnI have read so many forum pages here and elsewhere on simple how to's like sort out the lack of sound and all the solutions involve lots of typing script into config files etc, etc,also i have been looking In Vainto install a 2.6.x.x Kernel as many forums say sound probs are solved with 2.6.x.x etc.

Of all the distros i have tried (as live CDS) the Slax 5.07 is totally awesome, and if it was installable, i would use that type of setup as the basis of my desktop linux box because all my network, internet, soundcard, etc, all works "out of the box" and it lets me get on and do work on it.

Please, please, please, can someone tell me if:

a/ debian is the right distro for newbies,

b/ is slackware easier to install to get a Hard drive install that looks and runs like Slax 5.07 (than debian)

c/ what is all this stuff about kernel compiling? - if a live distro like slax works out of the box why would i want to learn all about compiling unless i had nothing better to do?

a) Probably not
b) Slack or deb are not considered the easiest, no.
c) You don't HAVE to compile the kernel. You have the option of doing so.

You might try Mandriva or Suse if you want an easy, out of the box solution.

My linux box is a work box. I spend very little time configuring. Even kernel compiling takes very little time on an amd64, but even if it takes a while you do it in the background. Comfiguring the kernel is also quick once you have some idea of the options and you mchine.

You might want to look at XandrOS OCE 3 Desktop. You download the iso, burn the image to cd and install. OCE is the "free" release, the rest are purchased products.

OCE is a solid distro without all the frills. I'm using the 3.0.2 Desktop Deluxe(lots of bells and whistles)version on my Alienware laptop. Works very well with either the built in NIC (eth0 disabled) or the D-Link DWL G650 AirPlus wireless(ath0 enabled)PCMCIA. There is also very limited SATA support.

I have found that most of the distros are good at "running right out of the box," on most hardware, provided that you are using a very fresh version of that distro. (In other words, use the "Red Hat 7.0" CDs that you got in the back of a book at a used-book store for what they are .. coasters.) And let's not quibble over things like Red Hat Network, which (gasp!) charges money for their service. (You expect to pay for restauraunt dinners; if you feel you get what you pay for, you can certainly pay for this. If you want to.)

If your primary interest is to "just plug in and use" Linux, on whatever hardware you have, then plenty of distros will let you do exactly that. So... pick one.

Install the thing on an entirely separate disk-drive. You can add a second drive to a computer in less than 30 minutes and spend about $100 USD (or less) doing it. This gives you a completely separate area to play with, allowing you to keep your Windows installation completely untouched. You can select which drive to boot from, to start with anyway, from the BIOS "Setup" screen.

I have split your post off of the 2.16.6 kernel released post as it has nothing to do with the original post. I have also moved it to Linux - Distributions where it appears to belong.

John