Gonna try Linux for the first time

[LuDaCriS66]

Basically, I've only run Windows and I have absoleutly no experience with Linux whatsoever. So I thought maybe it'd be cool to check it out for once. Right at this moment I'm trying to download the Mandrake 8.2 ISO files. Looks like its gonna take a few days to completely download them all. I'm only on the first file out of four I think and it's downloading at a rate of 11k with 16 hours left
Anyone know of faster mirrors than the ones they have on the official page?

Also, how difficult will it be for me to set Linux up?? Is there really a point for me to do it besides seeing what its like? How many conflicts should I expect? Can I triple boot with Win98se/WinXP and Mandrake? How difficult would that be?

Thanks

My System Specs:

Epox 8KHA+ KT266a
Athlon XP 1700+ 1.47ghz
512mb Crucial PC2100 DDR
Gainward GF3 Ti200
IBM 60GXP 60GB
ATI TV Wonder
Pioneer DVD 115
HP CDRW 10x-4x-32x
SB Live! value

 

[n0cmonkey]

linuxiso.org
planetmirror.com



<< Also, how difficult will it be for me to set Linux up?? >>



Its a cakewalk when you RTFM.



<< Is there really a point for me to do it besides seeing what its like? >>



If you have to ask, no.



<< How many conflicts should I expect? >>



It depends on how much you follow the advice of: RTFM. The less you follow that advice the more conflicts you will have here asking dumb questions



<< Can I triple boot with Win98se/WinXP and Mandrake? >>



Yes.



<< How difficult would that be? >>



Should be pretty easy.

 

[TheWart]

not wanting to beat a dead horse, i suggest you check out Gentoo Linux it is so cool, by far the best distro IMO.

 

[MGMorden]

Mandrake is easy for a beginner. Want a good reason to learn Linux? Well . . .

You know when you tell the local computer dummy to click on the Start menu and they say "What's that?"? Well don't you kinda snicker to yourself at them? Of course you do. Well all the Unix/Linux people will snicker at you if you don't know what things like X11 and grep and shell scripting are. You don't want do be on the bad end of a snickering do you?

On a serious note, learn it so you'll have a broader range of experience. It will help in helping others and when applying for jobs that use different computer systems (especially with Linux starting to penetrate the business market more. Wasn't it Merril Lynch that just migrated to Linux completely?)