which Linux
 

whats the best version of linux 2 use ?

Technically speaking, there aren't "versions" of linux...they're generally known as "distributions." Furthermore, the question you've asked is sure to inspire heated debate. Everyone has a specific distribution they prefer above others, and there are at least 100 actively maintained distributions. Here are a few of the most popular ones:

Debian (no offense, but probably THE most popular distro)
Slackware (probably the most long lasting linux distro known to man, I think it's about 10 years old)
Ubuntu (good for newbies)
Kubuntu (also good for newbies)
Red Hat Linux (IMO, this should be avoided like the plague, it's no longer maintained)
Fedora Core (I despise this one, but I've been told that it's improved since Fedora Core 2)

There are loads more, and if anyone else posts to this thread, I'm sure they'll be able to fill you in on some other distros that are available.

yeah, with my 6+ years of linux experience I quite agree.
I've tried everything , first I used redhat , also mandrake,suse etc.. But debian is THE Best. Then again maybe for beginnser uduntu/kubuntu would be initially better choise.

Slackware, Debian, Arch and Gentoo are what i generally consider to be the best linux distros going today. So you could try reading up about them from links on distrowatch.com. Maybe you'll find something more to your taste there if you don't like the sound of the distros already mentioned.

The absolute best distro for you is the one that works for you. For me it's Slackware, for you it may be something else.

Read up, try several until you find one that you like and that works for you.

As has been said ubuntu is a good distro for newbies (nice CD-Live to try Linux), but so is Libranet 2.8.1 (2 Cds, free version -- Libranet 3.0 is rather expensive but nothing like M$Windows).
Libranet is more adaptable if you want to chose what software you install (I wanted fluxbox but no KDE or Gnome) -- Libranet has a wider choice of software but installing new software from either distro is easy.

Libranet 2.8.1 is rather old and needs to be upgraded -- but i'm still using it and have learnt how to use the apt-get utility (and being on dialup connection I simply update the sofware I use, I don't bother with a major upgrade but evrything works!).

libranet will teach you fast how to get out of newbie level, fast but smoothly, and ubuntu will allow you to rest a while,a nd doze happily before deciding to move on!

Anyway before you go linux read about partitions and system files, and make sure you understand how to partition -- very easy with libranet or ubuntu, but still you need to know what you're doing! You'd be well-advised to plan your partitions beforehand.

From a newbie level two ;-)

so, first: What do you wanna do with ur Linux?

Just home use playing music and stuff

I've got to go with Mepis for the first time linux users. Its the easiest one I've found to install and it has a nice software lineup for desktop users.
If you want a souped up Slackware try MiniSlack. It's minimalistic but easy to install and will satify basic users. Its really fast.
Kanotix and PCLinuxOs are impressive and easy.
Alinux has a new version out which concentrates on multimedia. I'm finding it quite nice.

I know Mandriva(Mandrake), Suse, and fedora are popular but I've never had much luck with them.

I have read many places that the two best distros. to learn linux on our debian and slackware.

so what media files will be able surport

I'd have to agree that Mepis is a great newbie distro. Installs great, and is simple to get up to speed. I'm using Slackware because I want to learn how linux works, not just to use linux. But as a newbie, Mepis gets you up to speed quickly.

F_M

By "what media files will be able support" do you mean what audio and video formats? such as mp3's and MPEG4's and whatnot?

yea which types of files can i suport

which is the best media player as well

Mepis was my first serious distro, and it has a lot to recommend it, particularly to new switchers or dabblers from Windows. A lot comes configured for you. It automatically has mounted and unmounted partitions show up on the desktop. It uses KDE, which new Windows switchers tend to prefer over Gnome or IceWM. It has a wizard that will make the keyboard shortcuts and other preferences similar to Windows. You can have numlock turn on by default with a few clicks of the mouse. It's also both an installer and live CD.

Whether you use Mepis or not should depend on a few things:

1. How fast your computer is and how much memory and hard drive space it has.
2. How willing you are to embrace the command-line.
3. How much documentation you want.

Here's why:

1. I installed Linux on a friend's computer (766 MHz, 128 MB RAM), and it's deathly slow... not as slow as her Windows XP was on the same computer, but still... very slow. KDE in general--Mepis' implementation of it specifically--is bloated and a memory sucker. If you've got a slow processor and very little memory, don't bother with Mepis (though, Mepis Lite is on the horizon, apparently). Maybe Damn Small Linux?

2. Of course, as with any Linux distro, you can use the command-line in Mepis, but a lot of stuff you can do without the command-line. One of the best things about Mepis is it includes a button that launches the file browser as root (within a regular user's account). If you don't fear the command-line, Ubuntu may be your thing.

3. Likewise, here, Ubuntu. Mepis just put out a user guide, but it's less than 100 pages (with lots of graphics, big fonts, pictures, and white space).
Unless you're feeling really adventurous, I wouldn't even bother with Slackware, Debian, or Gentoo for now.