Is any Linux OS an option for me - help!

I have previously used Red Hat & Mandrake, but only as a user. I am currently participating in a progam that supplies computers to community groups & non-profit organisations, but rely on donations. As a result we may run short on Windows liscences, and are interested in looking into Linux systems anyway. Are there any stable versions of Linux needing minimal, free/cheap or easy to find support that will run on a system with the following specs, aren't too resource heavy with gui?
500-800 Meg HD
54 Meg RAM
CD drive
Modem

If so, please advise on system, version & where I can find it/them.
Any and all help will earn eternal gratitude,

Meowkins

Red Hat will do the job and you can download the install disks from redhat.com - they come as 3 ISO images, plus another 3 for SRPMs, so you can burn them straight onto CD. It's all free and the install process is stupidly simple.

go for it!


christo

u can probably use any distro of linux, just use a desktop environment thats not resource hoggy like gnome.

Thanks guys, a few more questions,

1. If Red Hat is the go, considering the computers will be sent out to schools & community groups so usability is an issue, should I be looking for a previous release, or current?

2. If gnome is out, what else should I avoid, and what is recommended?

3. If Red Hat doesn't end up suiting, any other distribution worth looking into?

4. Almost fogot, usually running on somewhere around pentium II

I personally run RH7.3 on a 350 MHz pentium II with KDE as the desktop and have done so for a couple of years now (have upgraded the version of linux a couple of times but that is it) and don't really have any problems with it. RH, SuSE, and Debian are all pretty user friendly for just a regular desktop is concerned. At least as user friendly as Linux can be at the moment anyway.

I personally use Mandrake 9.1 but I also run a 2200+ Athlon XP with 512 ram and a 64meg video so my system is a lot quicker than what you are doing. I think pretty much any Linux release will run OK if you don't install everything that is available. I won't recommend Mandrake for a machine of that caliber though. As far as the user friendly aspect of it goes I think it depends on how scared the destined users are of computers. Either way they should know that you can't break a computer by using it, they can just make it do something they don't want it to do. Well good luck!!
Tux

Use a distr that is easy to maintain and upgrade when needed.

Install only the bare minimum of utilities and applications. Say, base, X-window, a lightweight window manager, networking, a browser, and mail chat & text editing apps. Oh, and Perl for admin purposes.

Do not install a desktop, a nice WM is fine-- I like Icewm.

If you think you need a real word processor, use Abiword. Otherwise, an app called Cooledit is very user friendly, small, and a good admin tool to boot.

For the distr, I favor Debian. The main reasons are apt, the package management system (kills RPM), and Debian policy. See www.debian.org/ for more info. You will not find a distr that is easier to manage and update. I have gone through three major upgrades that were transparent and required no shutdown.

cheers,

gary

if ur target is an easy alternative to windows that any end user can sit down and use without having some hacking skills then i would recommend the Lindows distro of linux. it tries to be the same as windows

So, what you are saying is you want to give away computers with a linux distro on board?the fact is if you do that the average "user"will crash the box within a couple of days.to use linux is not to "point and click"like windblows heaven help the poor individual who comes across a full blown"linux Box"trust me i tried to teach my missus linux and im sick of reloading the box

reaper44au,

you're problems sound extreme to say the least.. don't frighten people off like that. To install redhat or mandrake is easy, and a basic user should have no problems clicking around and using word processors, browsers, mail clients etc.

What distro were you using? What were your problems?


christo

Actually, a Gnu/Linux box is at least as easy to use as Windows. Everything can be simply point and click. And you don't have to reboot in the middle of a session. If the "missus" crashed the system, maybe she shouldn't have root privilege. Or, maybe she needs a better administrator.

cheers,

gary