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Hello im thinking about running a 2nd machine with linux any recomendations
on versions. keep in mind i have never touched linux so the easier the better atleast till i get some experiance

Yeah, try Mepis, or another version run by KDE(K Desktop Environment). Mepis is based off of debian, which is also another great linux distro. I've heard that slackware and fedora are ok for beginners too, though i've never run them myself, so i can't be sure. http://mepis.org

well, I think for beginners the installation process is the biggest problem, so it should be an easy to install distro like Fedora or SuSe, RedHat is very good too even when the support has been ended. I havn´t worked with Mepsis yet, but I wouldnt recommend Slackware because without some background knowledge it can be very annoying to install for a beginner. the best method for beginners is to setup a Linux-only system first, because then it´s safe to keep the default settings, when you want to setup Linux on a box where XP is installed already make sure to backup all important data first!

Well, it's funny, i have my linux distro on a hard drive i pulled out of my OLD (9 years old) computer that' is a 6 gig hd, and works still, so yeah, either use a old hd, or use a diff computer without windows, or you might end up screwin urself over.

yeah its on a second old pc that i have

Yeah, again i suggest mepis, or debian or some other thing that uses KDE as their main visual desktop, because most others can be frustrating if you're not experienced with setting up linux, and sometimes don't work. I know slackware, ubuntu, fedora, and mandrake linux all don't work on my comp.

well, imo it don´t depend on the desktop, Gnome is fine too (many distros have both so you can even switch between them if you have them both installed), and "the good stuff" is done in a shell anyway. but beginners should stay away from desktops like Fluxbox because they can be very confusing when you´re used to Windows...

and Boogieman, it´s no problem to use older hardware, my home server which runs on RedHat 9 is a Pentium2 with a real old 4GB HDD and it works really fine...

MEPIS is best for linux start. Easy instaliation and Live-cd in one CD, lots of aplications...