linux install (newbie here)

[dsr at tao.merseine.nu (dsr at tao.merseine.nu)]

On Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:32:16PM -0400, Laurence Guild wrote:
> 
> I am interested in installing linux on my PC and learning more about it. 

> I am running windows 2000 service pack 2, it shows Fat32 file system, 14 gig
> hard drive with 10 gig free space. 130,544 KB or ram and an AMD Athlon(tm)
> processor.
> 
> I'm wondering what size partition approx would I need for linux ?

To give you some idea -- my work PC uses 3.6GB in the root
partition; my main server at home uses 1.6GB there. If you felt
like devoting 5GB, that should suffice for quite a while.

The only problem I see with your machine is that it's low on
RAM. Odds are good that $40-50 invested in RAM would make it
much, much more usable.

> What linux distribution should I use or would they have something at the install fest ?

There will be several distributions at the install fest, but it's best
if you download and burn a CD with one on it and bring it with you. Which
one is best is a religious topic... I'll put in a plug for
Ubuntu, however -- www.ubuntu.com. Ubuntu is available as either
a LiveCD -- that is, a system which requires no permanent
installation to your hard drive at all, good for testing things
out and playing with it -- or as an installation CD.

> I would like to get Perl, C++, emacs would it come with those and x windows ?
> Java might be good also.

All of those are pretty standard. Any current distribution will
have a method of updating and adding software over the Net, as
well.

-dsr-