>I have never seen Linux run let alone installed it. However, that being said, I am thinking about installing it on a computer and trying my luck with it.
>
>What installation package does everyong recommend?
>Any good web sites for information about installing it?
>
>TIA

Hi Ronald!

"Can anyone recommend a good wife to me?" :)

People have their own preferences (there are choices in Linux!) and because you can freely download "ISO's" from the internet, if your connection is fast enough, it is not uncommon for folks to try several. One can also buy single CD versions for less than a buck. I saw one site offering any distro (short for 'distribution') you wanted for 27 cents each. Because, these cheap or free distros are usually 'bare bones' console versions, and because top of the line Linux distros are so cheap, I find it easiest just to buy a commerical version of Linux. My favorite is SuSE, a well engineered product that can be found at http://www.suse.de/en/produkte/susesoft/linux/index.html. It has two versions, the cheap one (< $30 - street) and the 'pro' (<$60) one. Both versions come with four manuals, the biggest one being over 500 pages, but the 'pro' version comes with 6 CDs and 1 DVD (which contains all the other six), not just 3 CDs. The three extra CDs in the 'Pro' version have over 2,000 of the latest Linux apps in all sorts of disciplines, tuned to install automatically if selected. SuSE defaults to the KDE desktop, which is what I and 70% of the other Penquins around the world use. SuSE includes HD repartitioning software, allowing you to resize your WinXX partition and setup a Linux partition for dual booting, which is what I used to to do until 3 1/2 yrs ago, when I switched to Linux 100%.

I usually order SuSE from CheapBytes.com, but I've also ordered it directly from SuSE, and I've used their subscription service. The LATEST release is 7.2. The other more popular distros include Mandrake 8.0 and RedHat 7.?. In reality, there is little difference between them except their logos and small differences in install programs. Once the KDE desktop is up they can be mirror images. There is only one Linux kernel and all that varies is the version that your distro installs. To end users, except for those with SMP's, it would be difficult to tell the difference between versions- which dispells one common FUD about Linux (too many different kernels.)

Like most versions of Linux, you can install it on as many PC's as you wish, legally. You don't even have to own the PC! Each has graphical installation programs that recognize and configure hardware, etc... The install program may ask you which screen res you want as default, which desktop (KDE, GNOME or 20 others), what your login name and password, and the password for 'root' is, select your printer, etc... Then, all you do is insert a CD when asked.
This assumes, of course, that your hardware isn't WinSomething... Winmodem, Winprinter, Winscanner, etc., where the 'intelligence' has been moved from the peripheral to the OS. (One of MS's ways of maintaining a monopoly). SuSE has a hardware compatibility database you can check your hardware against:http://cdb.suse.de/cgi-bin/scdb?HTML=ENGLISH/cdb_listtemplates/menu.htm&LANG=ENGLISH, as to the other vendors.

I envy you... you are in for a lot of fun! Don't forget to install KDevelop and Glade. They are GUI-RAD IDE's that come free (GPL). KDevelop is the better of the two, IMO.

I recently installed Kylix, a POWERFUL GUI-RAD IDE from Borland which allows cross platform development of apps. More later!
Have fun!
JLK