Im a fast learner and want to learn linux ive been using linux for about 3 mouths, ive been using redhat and mandrake but they are so.....how can i put this like windows, when i got into this linux thing i thought cool time for me to really learn about computer's etc, but when i got mandrake it was like ive masterd it in 2 hours(Like windows lol), so i tryed redhat it was abit better but still not what im looking for Ive done everthing i want to eva do in redhat got games goin ungraded stuff etc etc, so its time for new project ive always wanted to pretty much build a distro that is right for me like the desktop feel etc, my problem is i cant decide which one to go for Gentoo or Slackware or WHAT. This may sound stupid for a newer linux user but i love to edit thing and take them apart as well as i love using koncole or termanil lol. So which is a good distro for me ive got a amd xp 2200+ 512 drr ram 128 ati card and a winmodem that goes on anything with the proper editing etc, Im daul booting to windows so it doesnt matter if it takes me 5 years to get the net going under it lol.

I dont have a fast internet, if this affects anything.

thanks in advance.

regards From New Zealnd.

If you have time and disk space then bung on both,

Yea, try both. Actually, Make 2 partitions. Install Slackware on one and then use the other to install LFS or Gentoo...

Go for both, but to begin with, I would recomend slack, just because you said you have modem (56k?), it just will take you 2 days downloading the slack ISOs , while it will take you a week installing Gentoo, , but other than thatm go for both, or try Debian, or LFS, they are pretty nice to, I haven't done an LFS...yet

Try them both, I'm doing a stage 1 gentoo install at the moment and it's pretty cool. It forces you to learn more in detail about the stuff you're building/ using than Slackware does, and it'll be interesting to see whether it's noticeably faster compiling everything from source. You might want to have a look at FreeBSD too, I have that running on an vmware at the moment (installed but not really played around with yet).

Since you have a slow internet, you may want to hold off on Gentoo until you get a faster connection. Its fresh and updates all the time, so you'd be a long time getting it to work. Once compiled, you'd be rockin', but until......

BTW, I have found that Most distros are basically the same under the hood. The only new things you learn are the way they manage their packages most of the time.....try a *BSD while you're at it. There's learning there as well...

Thanks guys i really cant download them coze of my slow internet connection i just buy them cheap Ive read some reviews and I like the sound of slackware, but i want to try gentoo as well there the same price 2.50USD if i install gentoo from disk's will i need the fast internet by the sound of it you need one and here in new zeland you pay big for fast internet and you only get like 1 gig before it cost you like 80c per mega bit.
Ive got 80 gig hdd so i could load on a couple, LFS sound cool, anyway i hope to find that distro that i really like and suits what i want to do.

I've got that Surf Flatrate plan (through ihug), 10GB/month at 256kps for about $70NZ (means a download speed of around 32kb/s), and it's fine for downloading ISOs (it takes about 6 hours for a whole CD and about 40 minutes for the gentoo minimal cd). Dialup would just be too slow, painful and unreliable for gentoo, so unless you can get adsl (it's well worth it if you can) then go for slack. Before I got hooked up with adsl I used to use these guys http://www.linuxshop.co.nz/ or you could get a subscription through slackware.com if you wanted to support the cause.

Ive got slack now I got it from I guy on trade for my standed 5 bucks, thanks kovacs i almost got gentoo but then you said you need a fast internet really and i read some reviews that said the same, and i dont want to get angry because i dont have fast internet, anyway ive got Slackware now it will be here in a couple of days hopefully.

Thanks guys.

P.S. Ill be back askin questions about slack soon cya then.

Other question Is there a better desktop then gnome or kde?

Yup, fluxbox.

Slackware comes with 8/9 WM/DE's already installed (if you do the full install). Try them all and pick the one that works best for YOU. If you dont like any of them, search the web and find one thats more to your taste.

MagicMan

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O.k. another question quickly can i install slackware over my redhat partation or do i have to delete redhat and make a new partation for slackware and i want to dual boot to windows xp so do i need to know anything about lilo before i go installing slackware or does it auto find windows and make the lilo confige for me thanks.

Slack's installer will find the linux partitions and ask if you want them used. Then it'll erase and replace.

You're gonna like the speed of Slack.

if you can ask your friend to help download gentoo 2004.1 universal and packagecd, do it. Or buy from any online store. you can install gentoo through the narrow band with the cd, which i have done it. Gentoo claim that the cds have erything you required to install gentoo, but in reality it is not so. Every now and then it will have to go to the internet to pull some proggies or patches. So having an internet connection is a must.

i have been tinkering with gentoo for a few weeks now, like the concept of compiling stuff from source and most of all like portage. But the wait for compilation is really a cultural shock. After a while it wears you out, especailly your machine is not the newer generation ones. But if you are those that like to installed once and wont' do much tinkering and upgrading after that, it will be a fine distro. But if you are are living dangerously and always clamour for the latest and greatest, then, perhaps gentoo will prove a little time consuming for you. But if time is on your side, gentoo is the way to go. If the wait is killing you, slackware is the distro to come back to.