Mike Marlow wrote:
If it's an old slow machine, most folks recommend Vector Linux, a
repackaged "friendlier" Slackware.

I haven't tried it yet, but intend to. I installed the latest Mandrake
on my old 233mhz Pentium, and it runs like molasses pours.

I did use Slackware in the past, but I was a professional programmer for
45 years or so. And I still did a fair amount of head scratching (and
shaking) before I got it to work.



Thanks Larry and everyone else that replied. I was a Unix analyst for a lot
of years, a long time ago and always loved the environment, but for the same
reasons that I loved it, I'm somewhat reluctant to dabble with Linux now. I
just don't really care, or have the time to devote to messing with a machine
all of the time. I'm hearing that the Linux environment is not much better
than any of the Unix environments were 10 years ago - driver issues and all
the fun of searching around, finding them, debugging them, etc., much
smaller list of available applications, patch issues that rival Microsoft,
etc. It may well be a more secure environment, but I'm not sure I'm hearing
that Linux has really made it yet as a full featured environment.

The last few versions of Slackware don't seem to have that issue.
Version 7 was a little frustrating.

The current version - 10.1 seems to slick as a gooses' ...

Older machines can often be easier -- since the drivers are now well
understood. Even the AMD64 based server was not that bad though. Linux
on the AMD64 was a lot simpler than Windows Server 2003 (64 bit). It
runs Linux all the time. Easier install, fewer hassles.

Been in the tech business quite a while. Linux seems to be just fine
now. Five years ago Linux was pretty flaky. I am still more used to
Mainframe systems and their Multi-user OS than these new fangled PC's.

Each to their own.



--
Will
Occasional Techno-geek