Help on first linux install, Fedora
 

So I have this old gateway profile 2 I belive, it is a great computer but sadly has 98, I was looking into installing fedora. I don't have a DVD burner and dont know how to use Isos so my questions are
How can I install fedora on a computer without using CDs?
If i have to use CDs how do I burn an ISO?
Is fedora a good first linux operating system?
All I need is DVD playing, music playing and Internet browsing along with Openoffic and firefox would be good to, is fedora for me?
How much space does it take up on the harddrive?
Can I leave windows on it (dualboot) but still have an easy install?
Do I have to use a command line to use linux?
Is it easy to install linux?
Will I need to reformat drives and other devices for linux?
Will a belkin pre N wireless card work with it?
And last how long does it take for fedora to boot?
I know thats alot but I have been trying for hours to find answers and I can't. Please help!

You can install Fedora via the internet by using a set of boot floppy disks. However, it might be easier just to buy the DVD off eBay for about $ 4 / £ 2 / € 3.

Fedora does the general stuff you want to use it for. You have to install packages to play CSS-protected (region encoded) DVDs though. There are howto guides on the internet.

A typical install is 2 GB but could be between 1 - 5 GB depending on what you choose.

Dual boot should be set up automatically if you select the option during install. Install is quite easy. There's no need to format a whole drive. Fedora will need to make its own partition.

Command line use is not required but is sometimes the easiest way to do some things.

Setting up a wireless card might be tricky, but big name cards like Belkin tend to have good support so could be easy.

Boot is about as fast / slow as Windows.

Ok, so it is a good choice?
I think I will try it. I do have a question though, what version should I download for intel?

Can I use the first disk or do I need all the disks?

I'll try to answer all of your questions from your first post:

1. It is possible to install Fedora via ftp, but if this is your first Linux install I don't recommend it, it's a little trickier to set up.
2. The method of burning an iso image is slightly different depending on which program you use to burn CDs. In Nero, try looking at Recorder->Burn Image...
3. Regarding the choice of distro, Fedora is fairly friendly to new users, and has one of the nicest graphical installers. However, I would recommend Ubuntu if you have a broadband internet connection. You can usually get your base system on Ubuntu up and running in about 20 mins. You might also be interested to know that you can get free (yes, really!) Ubuntu CDs from https://shipit.ubuntu.com/, but they will probably take a few weeks to arrive.
4. (this also relates to the previous question) All of the programs you are interested in are available for both Ubuntu and Fedora, and of course most other distros. However, it's worth noting that Fedora comes without mp3 support by default, and I think Ubuntu ships without Open Office. It's straightforward to install extra packages on both though, providing you have an internet connection.
5. The amount of space an install requires depends on which packages you choose. For a standard desktop setup, 5GB should be more than enough (not including your data files such as music and documents)
6. Most distros tend to detect your Windows setup and enable dual boot for you, so you shouldn't have any problems there.
7. You don't have to use the command line to use Linux, but as you get more into using Linux you may find yourself using it more and more often. Once you start learning what the commands you need are it's often a more powerful tool.
8. Ease of installation is down to luck really. On average I'd say it's no more difficult than installing Windows. Of course, it's true of both Windows and Linux that if you happen to be unlucky with a piece of hardware then installation can become very difficult, but usually it is very straightforward. Unlike Windows though, if you have a problem with one version of Linux you can always try another, which sometimes fixes the problem.
9. You will need to format the partitions you install Linux to. If you want to keep your Windows setup for the time being, you'd be best off trying to put an extra drive in your computer and installing Linux on that.
10. Don't know about the wireless card, I've never used wireless myself. There are plenty of tutorials etc on the net, and people on this forum will try to help if you ask!
11. I disagree with rjwilmsi, I've found Linux usually takes slightly longer to boot than Windows. There isn't much in it though.
12. For an Intel (presumably a Pentium 2 or 3?) you will want the i386 version.
13. You may or may not need all the disks, depending on which packages you choose to install, but you will need most of them. Best to get all of them because you will be very annoyed if you get halfway through the install and find you don't have one of the CDs you need! Ubuntu only has one disk, but for most setups you will need to download extra packages from the net.

Hope that's some help. Feel free to ask more questions, I know trying out a new operating system can seem a little daunting. I probably wouldn't have actually got round to using Linux without encouragement and support from people I knew who were already using it. Now that I do use it, I love it though!

If you decide to go with Fedora, Stanton Finley and mjmwired both have very good setup guides. I'm not aware of a similar thing for Ubuntu, but they have a good wiki. Automatix is apparently very good for getting your base system set up, you can out more about it here. Happy Linuxing!

ok thanks, I am using Roxio easy CD creator, I tried burning the ISO of the first one onto a disc I chose an 8x burning speed and not to emulate anyhting, should I choose to emulate a harddrive? I put in the disc and turned on the computer, windows launched. I then turned it off put it into setup told it to boot up the CD drive first it still didnt work. I then selected it to boot from the CD but it didnt.