Recomanded Linux for a computer noob on old hardware

[Dark06]

Ok so i have these 3 or computers that im really sure i could turn into at least one or 2

these computers are WIndows 2000 era

I would like to put Linux on them and give them away on craigslist or Freecycle to anyone that needs a computer for basic surfing

but im not sure which distro to use for a linux noob and maybe even possibly a comp noob

I want to put linux on them cause lets face it windows 200 cant do shit

and I get less support questions on linux than windows from computer noobs since you are not infected by adware or viruses

even if they click those annoying "Your system was infected by a deadly virus click here to scan now" ads

they wont do shit in linux so yeah its less of  a hassle

linux just works

I normally use Fedora or OpenSUSE with a mixture of Vista ( Designer if adobe ever gets official support in linux bye bue WIndows)

So can anyone help me pick out a distro?

If needed I will post specs on computers later but i'm at school

I want something small that a small kid can get online write a small paper (email it to school so he can printed there)

Listen to music (preferably on songbird since it resembles Itunes a bit and its awesome)

and please dont say Ubuntuu cause i hate Ubuntuu

Any other suggestions are welcome

[mudmanc4]

Here's where i check often, http://distrowatch.com/there's so may, it's really depends on what you want to do. But for your situation i would have to say open suse, or fedora.

[Dark06]

I was thinking Opensuse I like that better

but will that run on Old hardware fine

Or should I install a mini Linux Distro

Such as slax or Puppy?

[mudmanc4]

I was thinking Opensuse I like that better

but will that run on Old hardware fine

Or should I install a mini Linux Distro

Such as slax or Puppy?

  Get to small, lose most the good stuff. At the same token, an older system obviously won't have the best hardware. I've run Linux on some damn old machines, getting rid of windows does wonders for older box's that didn't have the fastest chips, and the mosty memory. Best thing to do  is just pick one, and run with it. Pay attention to the minimum instal size, and go from there.  Let me know what you decide on hey ?

[NErancher]

I haven't used Windows myself in 2.5 years.  I run Fedora now, but definitely not for something older.  Opensuse, not bad, but not for something older either.  Ubuntu isn't very good, I ran Kubuntu for 6 months.  Pclinuxos for months..., not bad.  I like Puppy, installing more stuff might not be as easy/not as big of a selection.  It includes about every basic thing though.  DSL or maybe Mepis Antix.

Based on my use of one that "just works", at least for me, PCLINUXOS, for something lighter, maybe this.  Nice control center, synaptic, easy to install more stuff.  Haven't tried it myself though.

http://tinymelinux.com/doku.php/latestrelease

http://tinymelinux.com/doku.php/minspecs

http://www.thecodingstudio.com/opensource/linux/screenshots/?linux_distribution_sm=TinyMe%202008.1

[NErancher]

http://antix.mepis.org/index.php/Main_Page

[Dark06]

I will have to look at both Anti X and MiniMe

im thinking i might just go with the full PCLinuxOS and then uninstall as much stuff as I can

both Minime already does that its a strip down version where there is nothing install then all i would have to do is install FF, OOO(if Possible), Fspot, Songbird.

perfect computer for a small kid that will more than likely never see a virus or adware

Gotta love that part of Linux

I started using linux to watch movies online using a live CD so my system would not catch anything.

Now its mostly what i use aside ffrom my designer stuff.

Man I tried fedora with this new released I like it but Im sorry OpenSUSE seems more appealing to me

[NErancher]

PCLOS is a good choice.  The next version will be out sometime, as you probably know, but not a big deal, the beta is out, but they say not to use it except for testing, as it probably won't upgrade to final.  There is also the community Gnome edition, heard good things, Gnome is better than it used to be.  I was thinking with Tinyme (which is different from Minime, Tinyme is also a community remaster specifically for lighter installs on older hardware), you'd have a very simple, light, fast window manager to start with, but with the same PCLOS tools (and access to all their repository (and KDE later too).  It would run faster on an older machine, but if you have enough ram on them, KDE should be ok.  Antix is sort of the same type of thing, but Debian based, should be solid, newer kernel if I'm remembering right.  If I was on an unlimited account, I would try more of them out.  Can't say which you'd like better, so many choices....

I tried Opensuse at the 11.0 release in June.  Worked fine, fast, I just didn't stick with it.  Went back to Sidux for a while, but quit again after remembering why I quit the first time (too many updates, having to keep an eye on my download meter).  Then Mandriva 2009, but that release was too buggy, I fixed everything, but things kept cropping up.  Anyway, I got Fedora 10 at the last testing release, upgraded to final, and haven't had a single error of any kind.  I found Autoten to automatically install things (not that I can't do it by hand).  A week or so ago I installed the beta of KDE 4.2, I know some people don't like it, but aside from a couple minor glitches, they are about getting the 4.x.x series figured out.  It's been stable, and speed is about the same as the 3.x.x series, even with the 3d "junk" turned on.  And they got it so you can save things to the desktop like "normal" again.  I'll probably switch to something else, but it's staying for a while.

Good luck.

[Dark06]

I like the 4.1 version of KDE yeah it has bugs and a few glitches but hey tell me a piece of software that doesnt

But hey if u need someone to make u linux cds let me know

I will mail them to you

I have an "unlimited account"  that im trying to max out and see how long it takes me to get a letter from the ISP

[NErancher]

Thanks for the offer!  I hover within a few hundred megs of my limit as it is most of the time, and have to "save" in order to be able to download cds as it is.  I've ordered a few before.  Every time I get  a new one though, then I have a bunch of things I need to install.  Darn WB.  I don't even watch videos.  They are putting up an Alltel tower about 10 miles away (finally getting usable cell service, maybe), hopefully something will be available through that by the time I get around to trying something else.  If it works this far away that is.

I used KDE 4.1.2 on Mandriva.  4.2 is a fair leap forward, faster/smoother, more features but still missing some.  No freezes yet, a couple minor crashes but no logging out or anything, just ok the error box and it's like nothing happened.  The only thing I've noticed "wrong" is when I go to the menu and click on a menu item to have it add that app icon/plasmoid to the desktop, then delete that plasmoid and restart.  The plasmoid sort of comes back, but a blank icon, no name, and it no longer links to anything.  If I don't delete them the first time, they work ok every time, and none of the other plasmoids do that.  Being beta, I am not worried about it, plus it didn't come from the regular Fedora repo.