Linux newbie asks: safe to install which linux in this case?

[Innoka]

I would like to try linux so long as it won't spoil my setup in other ways. I have a 15Gb dual boot machine currently. I have Partionmagic, Bootmagic, System Commander and Ghost.
I can spare two gigabytes and have a choice of Redhat5.1, Caldera Openlinux2.4, Mandrake7.1. Turbolinux, Phatlinux or SUSE7.0
I am NOT going to buy another Linux, I should have enough to start with =) and I want to try out all the apps I have in the SUSE distro, Wordperfect, Borland programming...
If I make a 2Gb partition and hide it from the others to choose at startup with system commmander or Bootmagic, will that work safely?
Does anybody have any good links about starting out with Linux they can recommend? I'm not looking to using the command line (!)

 

[burnedout]

linuxnewbie.org

It has some good information there. I recommend Mandrake as it is very easy to install.

I just installed Mandrake 7.2 on an old 166 MMX box I had laying around. It even picked up a 3Com 3C905B-TX NIC. I never could get this card running in Redhat 6.2 without going to the 3Com site. Seamless.

Also downloaded Mandrake 8.0 beta. Trying it out soon.

 

[mcveigh]

burnedout: let us know how 8.0 is, i'm lusting after it already!!

 

[Soybomb]

You're going to need 2 partitions actually, a linux swap and a linux native. linuxnewie.org has excellent information, especially under the NHF's. If you want a slighlty more current copy of something like redhat 6.2, post to the board. Most people would mail you a cd free or for like $1 to cover the cost of postage and their blank.

 

[XGamer]

Innoka, you should realize what you are doing first. Linux is not some 'point-and-click' OS. It is not user friendly. You have to know what you are doing. "I want to try Linux" I see that all the time, newbies to computers who hear about linux and want to try it. I have seen people ready to ripp their hair out after the first 10 mins of using it. Im just warning you. Linux is good for only dedicated servers. If your planning to get office work or gaming done on linux, you need you re-think installing it.

 

[littleprince]

i'm pretty sure you cant do a full install using Suse on 2GB.... isnt like 7 cd or somethign???

anyways. mandrake 8.0 is smooth as well.... 7.2...
hehe... a little cleaner i guess...

the new hardware support built into 2.4 kernel and x86 4.02 is wonderfull!
ie: my radeon, and promise ata100 controller were autodetected
and i needed no command line to install...
in fact, its so easy, anyone that can install windows could've installed 8.0
which i cant say is always true for linux

 

[Innoka]

Looking around it is hard to see a reason why I should put a lot of effort into learning Linux just to do the same things I do already. However if someone knows that it will work under the authority of my boot manager(s) I may have a look around.

 

[littleprince]

a boot manager should work with ANY OS.
it shouldn't matter if its linux, 2000, OS/2 or what...
as long as the os is configured properly...
the boot manager only tells your computer which partition(ie.which os) to load...

as far as why you wanna install linux, its a question of what do you wanna do??

programming...
stable system
memory management
free software
ftp/file/email server
or just in general, learn more about life(aka. computers)