At first, all I knew was that there was a Red Hat Linux version.
But when looking into linux world, I see many other versions of linux: mandrake, Suse, red hat etc. etc.

My goal:
To know linux, the commands, the webserver possibillities with the php language (is learning that atm.) and MySQL database and integration between PHP and MySQL.
Know how to use Linux and get familiar with it.

What I want:
I want to make a server, I can get to know Linux on,
I can use as testserver for php + mysql scripts,
use as gameserver (not essential, but a great plus, if your suggested version is good at it)
use as fileserver etc.
the plus and minus on the suggested version.

Links to help how to create a hosting like the ones you normally pay for, ie. with username, pw, database name in MySQL etc.

What free version is best to use? I don't mind if it's not GUI based, as you learn MUCH more with code based, like the old DOS.
Please post what version you think I should use, and please also tell me what strong sides and what weak sides it has.
I have managed a internetserver a while, which is in Linux and commandbased.
Please post links to cover what I need, also PHP and MySQL if it's not standard in the version you suggest.
Also if you post other usefull links to programs for linux would be higly appriciated.
Furthermore, if you talk about 2 or more different versions, pls. tell what differences the different versions have.

A few side questions:
If I use it in LAN, how can I connect to it like I was going to a web adress? like google.com (example) should i then use ip in browser?
How will a LANcomputer differ from the internet, could I ie. install a PHP based forum from ie. a XP pc, and do the install on the linux PC?

I am still new to Linux, but I hope to skip the buggy XP with Linux when I have enough experience. But not before.

omg, that was a long tread , I hope to get much help, as I'm eager to get started, but want the right from start

Thanks in advance

Get Slack.
www.slackware.com
You can find help for it in many places including here.

I second that!
I was brand new to Linux 6 months ago and started out with Slackware 9.1. Installation was easy and configuration straightforward. If I didn't have to use WinXP at work I'd ditch it completely now. Plus there's lots of help for Slackers in the form of other Slackers.

-geomatt

What Linux?

No matter how frequently this is asked, it's always exciting to answer. Responses are always likely to be enthusiastically in favor of people's most familiar distros. And each have strengths...and, you know, the other things.

If we are talking free ones...

Slackware is an interest suggetion. I think Fedora is too, and you can get SuSE Personal ISO from <a href="http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=241454">here</a> and download & run updates from the site. Debian has its strong base of enthusiasts, too.

Consider that you will be locked in to some extent just by the distro you learn with, but you will always be able to hack around on a different one.

Suggesting the largest--most corporate--distros may seem like distro bigotry, but they are well supported so you will have a lot of free documentation and more people to ask.

All that said, Gentoo, and others I'm not aware of yet would be worth a look, too.

My own favorite "daily driver" is Java Desktop System, but it doesn't fit your scenario being strong in GUI, a desktop and costing $50 per year for upgrades.

Then again you can always try out a couple of distros by downloading and burning some linux live cd's - there's slax for Slackware, and knoppix which is based on Debian, and lightweight linuxes like DSL. No installation necessary, though also limited customization possible, but you can still tru before you install.

-geomatt

Definitly go for Slackware. I learned more using slackware in the first 2 days then I did using mandrake for a month. It forces you to learn, which is what you need. If you want to go even further delete windows altogether, then you will really be forced to accelerate your learning of linux.

I will also recommend Slackware. Redhat and Mandrake are popular, but are not a good choice in my opinion for someone who actually wants to learn Linux.
Slackware comes with all the software you will need to run an apache webserver with php and mysql. I was able to set mine up easily. Slackware also lets you choose from a few different GUIs (KDE,gnome,fluxbox...).

with slapt-get and webmin Slackware will get you started with linux, after 6 months of tweaking, check out gentoo, it is a struggle at first, but then you see the light as you go.

I am presently using Red-Hat. I am nooB too. I am reading a book Linux Covered in a Nutshell. That book refers to Red Hat. So I am using it.

I have a few questions about Slackware.
1) Can you play MP3 files?
2) Can I Use the same software that I am presently setup in Redhat? I have a lot of rpm files that I downloaded. Can I use the same rpm files?
3) is it easy to setup as red hat?
4) Is there an Oracle 9i version for linux and is it free?

First. Slack uses tgz tarballs instead of rpms. you can most likely find a tarball at www.linuxpackages.net for the rpms you have now. If you can't find a tarball you have 2 options, install from source or use a program called rpm2tgz that comes with slack to convert your rpms to tarballs.

Since there is some mp3 codec licensing issues, slack doesn't play mp3s from a default install, it takes a single small package from the above sight and then you can play them.

I think slackware is easier than red hat to setup. From what i have heard oracle does have a linux version, and that is going to be kernel dependant, not distro dependant. also the i in oracle 9i means web based gui, so the client end will run on linux no matter what, if you mean server that should as well.

Thanks for your quick reply.
It seem to me you all suggest Slackware, so I am downloading all 4 cd's (!) atm.
Thanks for your answers

But a few questions:

1: Does the packages include latest version of PHP and MySQL? (It's one of the mainfeatures I want to use on Linux)
2: Can I connect to the linux PC with slackware as I would do on a server on the internet, and get a page, and able to create accounts for MySQL with loginname, pw, bd_name etc?
I am downloading the latest version 10.0 of Slackware.
3:What is suggested to use, PHP or PHP3 ? And what's the difference? (I've seen both versions of various scripts)
4: Will I be able to connect to the pc in my own LAN , and do php installs like I can over the internet?

Again many thanks for your help.

I would recommend Debian, Ubuntu, Slackware, or Gentoo. Personally, I never recommend Red Hat (even though I've used it for 5 years), Fedora, Suse, or Mandrake unless all a person does is internet, music, etc. I don't like them. Too GUI based and not for the admin type

1. Slack 10 using slapt-get for updates:
php-4.3.8-i486-1
mysql-4.0.20-i486-1

2. i'm assuming do you mean does slackware come with a web server? yes it comes with apache-1.3.31-i486-2

3. i don't code so i don't know

4. I'm not sure how you do php installs at the moment, elaborate.

I started with SuSE, nice look, easy to config, friendly gui; after that i tryied red hat, got rid of it very fast [not my distro] and i've seen a lot of people saying Slackware is Da Bomb so i've tryed it out and guest what?! all those saying that slack rocks were right! Slack rules!!! Get it
After all there is no such thing as a better/stable/easy/secure distro because you can fully customize any distro you choose [the fun of using open source].
Try more distros and stick to the one that you like the most.
www.distrowatch.com

i am planning to order a 4 cd set for slack. i plan to overwrite my redhat distro with slack.

do i need to backup my personal files?