Which Linux is best for me?

[Klaus_J]

Hey guys,  I'm pretty new to the whole linux world... used to have unbuntu but lost it when i reformated and never really got back at it.  Anyway I want to dive back in it head first and am wondering which linux os is really the best for my purposes.  I'll mainly just be using it to surf the web and chat with friends along with writing c & c++ programs.  I'd also like to be able to host my own webpage if at all possible.   I already know html and  stuff... I just need to know how to set it up as a server.  I'd like to just have the server runnin in the background rather than dedicating my pc as a server.  If you think I should just start out with a normal desktop linux  then later move up to a more advanced linux feel free to drop the names.    I'm also kind of in the market for a cheaper/ older laptop with a p3 or greater for cheap, if i have to souly run linux thats fine by me.  If any of you know of any good sites for such a thing feel free to send it myway via computerhope.com or directly to my email: [email protected]                          
                                                                                                                                Thanks,
                                                                                                                                 Jesse Klaus

[Rob Pomeroy]

Ubuntu is a good choice of distribution - it is very full, active and well supported, and it's a reasonably "normal" Linux distribution.  All Linux installations run some kind of server program.  It's just a question of which server features you want to install.  I'm presuming you'd like to run a web server.

Setting up a web server is not an easy thing to do.  Apache is a very good choice for many reasons, and should work "out of the box", but it can be hard to tweak to your specific requirements.  Expect a bit of a learning curve.

Whilst we're on the subject of hosting your own website, look into Dynamic DNS: this will enable your visitors to "find you" without needing to look up IP addresses.  DynDNS is a good site to start with.  Basic services are provided free of charge.

In respect of laptop replacements, I can help you with this if you live in the UK; otherwise, why not try eBay?

[Peccavi]

Here is a nice story on Linux distributions.
http://linuxhelp.blogspot.com/2005/12/best-linux-distribution-of-them-all.html

I liked it.

[WinXP_Powered]

My advice is to Google on "Linux distributions" and go from there. You'll quickly discover that most of the popular distributions (RedHat, SuSE, Mandriva, Ubuntu, etc.) are based on the Debian GNU distribution.

For the value of the experience, I would recommend you start with Debian and go from there. Unlike the Windows world, most of us have tried a half dozen Linux distributions and learned something from each and every one of them!!

For a final production distribution, I would recommend SuSE. There are actually 2 versions of SuSE--the Novell SuSE Linux 10.0 and OpenSuSE Linux 10.0. The Novell version has been customized to be a little more user-friendly and it includes software with licenses other than the GNU GPL license. OpenSuSE, on the otherhand, sticks strictly to "open source" software!

Be patient and don't expect to achieve all your goals overnight unless you're a friggen genius at speed reading and learning. The reality is that you have a lot of homework to do to go from knowing almost nothing about Linux to running your own website.

Although you can find a ton of reference info on Linux online, 2 books worth investing in are: Running Linux - O'Reilly Press, and The Linux Cookbook (Tips and Techniques for Everyday Use), 2nd Ed., Michael Stutz, No Starch Press.  Both can be had from Barnes & Noble online at substantial savings.

You'll have fun learning and using Linux. I make my living off Windows, but for my own business and personal use, I run Linux and open source software (OpenOffice, The GIMP, and much more).

Regards,
John