Recommend a Linux version

[Kenazo]

Ok, so I'm interested in running linux on an old Celeron 400 machine I have, what version of linux would you recommend, I'm planning on using it to run apache, for internet sharing, and possibly try and figure out how to set up my own email server eventually. I don't have much for hard drive space though, maybe 3 gigs total.
Recommend to me, oh gurus of Linux.

 

[Spyro]

Debian, mostly because of a great selection of packages, apt-get, and stability.

 

[cleverhandle]

...or Slackware, because you're running simple services, and it's good to learn on.

 

[Vadatajs]

Debian. It's very easy to set up, if you have a little linux experience, and once set up, it's very easy to maintain. Unlike Slackware, it has a package management system (apt) that calculates dependencies for you.

Edit: WooHoo! I'm platinum now. When did that happen?

 

[Nothinman]

Debian.

 

[krystalogik]

Gentoo for its BSD-like ports system (easy installs!) and if you're new to linux, it'll ease you into linux (my opinion), but you'll learn a lot in the process. Also, im sure that other distros do this, but you can set gentoo to build packages optimized for your processor (it makes a big deal out of it). whichever one you choose, enjoy!

 

[Tiger]

Debian 3.0 (stable) for a server. Built like a rock and reliable.
Gentoo or Knoppix for a desktop system. Up to date software and in the case of Gentoo blazingly quick.

 

[Nothinman]

Gentoo for its BSD-like ports system (easy installs!)

You mean long installs. Compiling X on my Dual Athlon 1.2 machine takes ~45 minutes, how long do you think it'll take on a Celeron 400?

Also, im sure that other distros do this, but you can set gentoo to build packages optimized for your processor (it makes a big deal out of it). whichever one you choose, enjoy!

There's a huge sugar pill affect with Gentoo, but the speed increases will be hardly noticable. The real speed increases are probably from Gentoo's heavily patched kernel and all of those patches can be added to any distro if you want.

 

[RevoluChe]

I like Ark Linux. Haven't really used many other versions, so I can't wait to hear why its not as good as others. But I fount it easy to install and use. Although it does seem to lack in power, ie. no compilers included. But things like that can be easily found on the net.

 

[calvink]

Debian

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Gentoo for its BSD-like ports system (easy installs!)

You mean long installs. Compiling X on my Dual Athlon 1.2 machine takes ~45 minutes, how long do you think it'll take on a Celeron 400?

Also, im sure that other distros do this, but you can set gentoo to build packages optimized for your processor (it makes a big deal out of it). whichever one you choose, enjoy!

There's a huge sugar pill affect with Gentoo, but the speed increases will be hardly noticable. The real speed increases are probably from Gentoo's heavily patched kernel and all of those patches can be added to any distro if you want.

Gentoo isn't good because it is easy or cool. Debain isn't either. In fact, the reason I love Gentoo so much is because it was Fing hard as hell compared to any windows work.

Once you get used to it after the install, you'll have a linux system that you'll SUCCESSFULLY be able to TROUBLESHOOT.

 

[Nothinman]

Gentoo isn't good because it is easy or cool. Debain isn't either. In fact, the reason I love Gentoo so much is because it was Fing hard as hell compared to any windows work.

Once you get used to it after the install, you'll have a linux system that you'll SUCCESSFULLY be able to TROUBLESHOOT.

Same with Debian, although part of the reason it's cool is because once you know how to use it, it's so easy and it does probably 80% of the work of installing and configuring packages for you most of the time.

 

[pitupepito2000]

Go with Debian. It is very easy to maintain and once you go Debian you are never coming back. I haven't used Gentoo nor Slackaware, but I have heard that they are not as nice as Debian, or easy to maintain.

Is there a CD based Distro like Knoppix based on Gentoo or Slackaware, so I can try either of those distros?

I hope this helps,
pitupepito

 

[BmXStuD]

slackware is hard to setup and gentoo also and gentoo takes like 123124 days to setup. (complile and compress crap)