I would suggest, if you're comfortable with building your own computer, doing so. It is usually better than buying a pre-built system for more than one reason. First, before you buy any hardware you can compare it to the Hardware Compatibility HOWTO: http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/ Second, it means you know every piece that has been put in your computer. and Third, it means you are able to go out and select good quality parts to put in instead of hoping that the manufacturer had quality instead of price in mind. I can't count how many times I've replaceed POS parts with something that is of better quality and had that fix problems I was having. For a distribution to start out with, it depends upon your background and how much you want to learn before your system is actually usable. For something that's easy to get into, I would suggest one of the newer Redhat releases. If you have previous UNIX experience and/or want to really get into the thick of things right off the bat, you may want to try something like Debian (my personal preference) Slackware, or Gentoo. I have heard very good things about all three of those selections, but also have heard that none of them are really meant for newbies. Hope I have been helpful. > I could use feedback or advice on where to proceed - what > distribution(s) of Linux to look at, a suggested place to get my > machine, issues I should be aware of before or after I buy. I've done > some nosing around online and have some ideas, but I could use feedback > from experienced users. ------------- Justin Kremer <kremer at ringworld.org> "One likes to believe in the freedom of music, But glittering prizes and endless compromises Shatter the illusion of integrity." - Rush "The Spirit of Radio" (1980) _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list