best linux os for pc?
 

im looking for a linux os for my pc. i have found diff. ver., but the ones i see are graffic hogs. i dont care if my screen looks pretty, it the functionability speed im looking for.

graphics hogginess can be turned on/off at will. Compiz is a hog. Gnome vs KDE is a religious war. Just don't install X at all if you want to really run lean & mean.

As far as which distro? I'm a big fan of debian [and derivatives like Ubuntu] for the package management.

Hi liquidscorp,

As far as performance is concerned over a standalone PC, I will go for Ubuntu...but for stability one should go for either RHEL or CentOS.

Cheers,
Kapil.

It's not so much a question of which distro but how you set it up and what kind of applications you use. Your choice of window manager/desktop system will determine how much eyecandy you'll get (and, as said, you don't have to use a graphical system). Linux is not Windows where you're essentially given a desktop environment and have to live with it. But setting up a lean and mean system will be pointless if you then run resource heavy programs.

To answer your question: have a look at light weight distros like Zenwalk, Xubuntu, Puppy linux or Damn Small Linux.

You could try this.
 

I may be incorrect but you might look into MEPIS Antix 8.2. It's easy to add to or change and is not bloated. Runs on just about any kind of PC, old or new. I've had quite a bit of luck with it on several PC's and Laptops. Even a EeePC 2GB Surf. Worked like a charm.
Happy Hunting

CentOS and RHEL are not really intended for desktop purposes. I'd say go for Mandriva or Suse since you're new to this.

I second MEPIS Antix. Other ones to consider are Puppy Linux, Slitaz, and Tiny Core.

thanx 4 repli every1, stil not sur wut im goin 4. i wil look in2 ur advice. ps: wish i cud c sum samples of these linux distros (screen shots (have seen sum, i wud like 2 c wut distro can do wut w/o installin), video?)

I would go for debian or ubuntu . I am a big fan of debian too...
it is easy to use and manage ...

I second Ubuntu - it's a very good starter OS, and the user forums are very nice and helpful.

Please use proper English; thank you.

In response to what I think that lot means, try www.distrowatch.com

I second the proper English request. Not only does this make it easier for people to read what you write, but it also helps with search queries on linuxquestions.org.

go for puppy 4.2.1, i did a full install and it works great
very fast, and i haven't run into any giant problems using it

This really looks like it needs to be a poll :D

I second Debian its a nice one. You can go with XFCE or LXDE which are light weight desktop environments. You can also have a look at Zenwalk which has XFCE as desktop environment by default.