Which Linux Distro to Try
So you have decided to try Linux, now you need to figure out which version or distro to use. Well here are a few tips, this is mostly second hand information because I haven't had experience with all of them. I invite anyone who has experience with the different distros to send me your comments to ad to this file, my e-mail link is on the main page.
Fedora is one I use alot. But it may not be a good choice for a linux newbie. Fedora is a test bed for RedHat Enterprise Linux, and as such it containes alot of cutting edge software that may not have all the bugs worked out yet. So sometimes things don't work as they should, which can be frustrating for the newbie. However if you don't mind fixing a few problems or enjoy the chalange of tracking down bugs then Fedora can be a very nice distro.
Vector is becomeing my number 1 linux distro, the more I use it the more I like it. It is newbie friendly, and good if you have limited space. VectorLinux installs from only one CD, which of course means it doesn't come with as much software as the others but you can add whatever you want after the install. Gslapt is a nice GUI app for downloading and installing software packages. VectorLinux is based on Slackware and is very stable.
Mandriva Linux (formerly Mandrakelinux) was created in 1998 with the goal of making Linux easier to use for everyone. At that time, Linux was already well-known as a powerful and stable operating system that demanded strong technical knowledge and extensive use of the "command line"; MandrakeSoft saw this as an opportunity to integrate the best graphical desktop environments and contribute its own graphical configuration utilities and quickly became famous for setting the standard in ease-of-use and functionality. (taken from DistroWatch)
Debian may be for the user with a little more experience but not to the point of being difficult to use, it has an ap-get feature for downloading and installing programs that is nice if you have a high speed internet connection.
An advanced Linux operating system, designed with the twin goals of ease of use and stability as top priorities, highly configurable and maybe better suited to advanced users.
I have heard a lot of good things about this one, easy to install, auto setup of a lot of hardware, lots of software, and good for the beginner as well as experienced users. I have been wanting to try SUSE again, it's been a long time since I last tested it.
There are several others such as Gentoo and Ubuntu but I know very little about them. There is plenty of info on the web sites of the distributors. A good bit of advice is try and get the latest version, and read the manual of whichever one you choose, the documentation is usually available for download if you don't buy a box set.