Hi I was just wondering what the best version would be to get and why I'm a computer user who can do eveything in windows pretty much and know whats what and about hardware so from there whats the best Distribuator or version?

want some challenge then build os yourself
LFS
Happy New Year!!!

i don't suggest if your new to linux to build your own just yet as neo suggested. if your new to linux though, mandrake is good to start off with or maybe redhat.. if you want a more challenge then you can try slackware which is the most unix like or maybe debian which is the most robust linux distro.. but if your new, either mandrake or redhat is your best bet...

Mandrake 8.1 or RedHat 7.2 would be the best for a newbie, followed by slackware or debian for those with linux experience.

I recieved a copy of Linux Suse7.3 for xmas so do you think i would be ok with that? or should i switch to redhat or something else?

No Suse 7.3 is fine, its about as upto date as the others, it dosn't get recomended much because Suse don't make iso images available untill the distro has been superceded.

So im looking around on the net right now to download mandrake and redhate 7.2...i have 7.0 that came with linux for dummies...book....so you dont suggest i waste my time downloading redhat which is a gigabyte or mandrake which is 845Mb..anyway hey can i email you sometime or get and icq# from you aussie its easier to get help that way if your willing to help a newbie out who is in love but confusion with linux thanks though

Red Hat 7.2 is the best I think, because you get some cool stickers in the standard workstation release. I love plastering them all over my face, just before my wife tucks me in for the night.


Wazza

So LFS is basically a book that explains how to create your own Linux? Is there a dumb wizard you use or is it just read and do type of thing?

no, LFS is a distro in it's own right, but has no installer or anything. all you get are a set of source packages that are known to co-operate nicely. you then build up your own system as you want.

http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/

I started out with Slackware 7 a year or so ago and found it very good for learning. It doesn't have too many GUI config tools and can be very frustrating for a Newbie, but it forces you to get stuck in and ask questions.

If you want to learn and are willing to take the pain try it out, but if you just want to get up an running quickly I have heard good things about Mandrake.

Yep, mandy is very good and stable, I am trying to break it, it has some flows (who doesn't, right?), but for a green newbie it is the best one, when I first installed it my mouth kept open of graphical installation program (freshly baked Athlon system), and you know what, it still keeps me wondering how they did it so stable that when I am running out of space on /usr and it is still working getting more space from other filesystems mounted. Red Hat 7.2 refused to boot after a repeatative creation of dummy files >1G size.
Oh, it seems like I am writting a review, but anyhow I wasn't serious suggesting LFS for a newbie, Mandy is the choice, and look at linux iso here you'd find almost any distro available in a nice iso package (even Suse but only evaluation CD for intel, for SPACS they have complete iso's).
OK, Happy New Year and my best wishes to all of you!!!

If you got SuSE 7.3 for Christmas, you really shouldn't have any need to try anything else until you see if you like SuSE, no? It's a very fine distro and should be just fine for you.