Try Mandriva for surprisingly Windows like ease of installation and configuration. Very well put together for a Linux newbie.
Essentially, all Linux OS are the same, the damn engine that runs them all is the Linux kernel. The only difference between this one and that one is the software variety included and the package managing system used to tweak it to your specific needs. The Debian package management system appears to be the superior package management system. There's probably 111+ Linux distribution based on Debian. It's even got some unique "Geek loving" features. Hell......if you think your good enough to handle the king, install Debian..
But Mandriva is attractive also, especially for a newbie.

BTW:
What was all that bullshit in the last few posts? I got lazy and only read the first one or so, didn't really need to read the bull that came after as it is more than likely irrelevant.

PS:
I've been known to accuse others of being narrow minded....look who's talking eh!

I beg to differ. I would hardly call Debian the King of Distros in any market but the home enthusiast market.

Corporate/Enterprise sector seems to go after Red Hat or Novell. The king of user-friendliness and Linux advocacy is Ubuntu (a Debian derivative, I know). The kings of customization are LFS, Gentoo, and Slackware.

Debian has enjoyed a great deal of success, but it's obvious that it's not "on top." A great distro, but I wouldn't say that it excels in any particular market except maybe SOHO...and even then it depends on the user's level of expertise.

Of course, this is all opinion, and I'm sure I'll get flamed by Debian users...

Your notebook uses a Realtek ALC861 sound chip, I believe. This chip is handled by the snd-hda-intel module in most linux distros, including ubuntu. I found it difficult to get sound out of the box in most live cd's, but I tried the latest Ubuntu (Hardy Herron 8.04) and it worked immediately. I also use skype and it works fine with usb headphone in skype.

The release candidate for Hardy Herron has just been released (was in beta up until yesterday). You might want to give this a try.

Bob

PCLinuxOS

I love it!I love it,I love it !Just great guys.It is working like a charm.This is the Linux that I have been looking for.Unbelievable....very nice too.Thank you for helping me All of you.I even installed Linux and Windows on my computer and is working perfectly.

Linux User # 170078

Everything is working now with no problem .My Skype also -no problem!

I personally think Ubuntu is the easiest, best, most well rounded distro for a newbie, or for a lazy user.

I personally use Slackware on my server, but Ubuntu variants on my desktops. I ran slackware on my desktop for years, and might go back to it once i stop flirting with Ubuntu Studio, but I have my mom, dad, and brother all using ubuntu with great success.


As far as you skype issue, you probally need to just dig threw its menu and tell it to use the correct sound device. If memory serves me correctly, it uses oss by default, you should set it to use alsa, or experiment with settings until you find the one that works. Its a pity it doesnt auto detect, but once you find the settings its not bad.

Just a word of warning: PCLinux is getting outdated and the reason that Skype works fine on PCLinux but not on Ubuntu is more than likely that it is an older version. It may be in your interest NOT to upgrade if a newer version becomes available.

Glad to hear you got it working. Welcome to Linux. :-)

I used Mandrake/Mandriva from 1999 till last year. I have stopped using Mandriva, except I keep an install CD for partitioning NTFS, works cool, do a manual partition, then hit the power switch when it offers packages.

So, why did I dump it? As much as I liked Man----, it simply had too many errors. Pre-8.x I always paid for it, and the paid versions had too many errors, so I stopped paying. Now, the free version also has too many errors, at one time they admitted they issued free with no testing, and it was obvious.

So, now it is Kubuntu. It is much better tested, and the forums are great. Also, the full range of debian apps are available.

I just read on another thread that Linux Mint is essentially Ubuntu, but has the media codecs included. I will be checking that out.

I put LinuxMint on the computers of newer users. It's the most hassle free version of linux I've ever used. Then I'd check out the lxp version of iceWM, if you are used to windows. You can find it on sourceforge I think, or freshmeat.