Looking for a relatively easy to use distro for a low performance machine (However I'd prefer KDE/Gnome as desktop, these will work find after tweaking settings).

Machine is
p2 400
160 meg of ram
20gig HDD
Cd-rom (Writer)
ethernet (D link, works with most live cds tried so far, not knoppix though, atleast not with proper drivers)
Riva Tnt2 model 64, 32 meg
ISA sound blaster 16 (Detected abd works in knoppix)

I've tried VL Soho, refused to boot
Mandrake 10, crash during install.
Knoppix HDD install, too much of a nuisense to do anything (Largely due to Xserver) Otherwise working
Arklinux, crash in install.
Peanut linux, refused to boot any gui.
Ubuntu linux, some error when unpacking packages, loaded into gnome but any app would crash, no app symbols.

It would be nice to use an rpm based linux, or atleast one than can use rpms without midnight commander or alien.

Slackware will run fine on that hardware. I have a similar machine, except it was a p2 350 (put a p3 550 in its place), and I now have the 64mb tnt2 (updated monitors and wanted more mb), I still have the 32mb though. Also I have some 128mb ram sticks I will sell you for that machine, if you want. One last question is it a Compaq? You may have probs with the sound card in RH/FC, Suse, and Mandrake, It has something to do with the probing of the card if you need help getting it working let me know.

I only recently put the card in so no.

As for compaq? For onboard stuff no, this came with nothing onboard, not even ethernet, which tends to be better in linux. I think the board may be an Aopen (Or similar) but I can't be sure as I just used peices I've gathered over the last 2 years.

Hoping to let my parents have it for web browsing/spread sheets/word processing etc.... but I'd prefere it to look like windows, largely because thats what they know, than and handing them an actual windows box is like giving them a glass hammer.

i have recently put knoppix on my harddrive and i think it works great a lot beter than slackware works