Now that my N800 has opened my eyes to the world of Linux, I'm thinking of installing some variant of Linux on my old (700MHz) desktop PC once I buy a new one for the kids.

Question is: Which flavor would be best?

The main purpose of the Linux box would be file storage for my home network (storing audio and video files as well as other file backups, accessible by the new PC or my N800 or work laptop when logged onto my Wifi router) but I'd also like it to be an alternate browsing platform. Because I'm not a Unix expert, I need a reasonable GUI, too.

Deeper questions:

Would Debian be a good choice since I could also install Debian on the IT?

There is a variant of Ubuntu called Xubuntu which specializes in better performance on old slow systems. Can this flavor be used for my purposes (network server)?

I'd appreciate any comments.

Thanks,
DF

Last year, I would get old, scrapped PCs from a recycler, put a larger (but still recycled) hard drive in them and load Mandriva Linux 2006 on them. They preformed just fine. Nothing screamingly fast, but they worked faster than when Windows was loaded on them.

My personal preference is for Mandriva Linux. The 2009 version was just released.

But I've also played with Ubuntu and found nothing to turn me off with it.

You probably don't need something like Xubuntu unless you were trying to load Linux on a really small, very low powered system.

I like ubuntu, it is very easy to use and ubuntu is based on debian so everything you can do with ubuntu is possible in debian. There is also a server varsion of ubuntu

If you fell like making your own ubuntu i would start with the 9.7mbs iso cd and build your own OS from the command line up as that will always be quicker then a stock ISO. But if want "out of the box os" i would try out TinyMe

I'd like to make two points about these threads.

First, we have several already, so they're redundant. Maybe we should put the main points from them in the wiki; a flamewar in a stasis field, so to speak...

Second, I really don't think they do much good. Everyone's biased to their favorite distros, so unless you really want to simply choose the most popular choice, it seems like a waste of time.

Oh, and I use slackware, and if you're decently cool with Linux overall from the tablet, you shouldn't have any problem, but Debian might make sense to keep the same distro, or if you are (wrongly) intimidated by the famed "difficulty" of slackware. I don't like Ubuntu, and I developed a passionate hatred for Mandrake (haven't used it since before it went to Mandriva, but I'm real good at holding a grudge), so there. Now I've done my share of time-wasting advice-dispensing.

I personally am running Fedora on all systems that are not compiling code for the tablet.

But I am not a big ubuntu fan. The main difference in Fedora compared to a debian OS is that it uses rpm's not debs. Basically the same concept though, not much of a learning curve compared to any other linux distro.

This has nothing to do with why I do not like ubuntu though. Fedora is just more polished and intuitive in my opinion. This could stem from the fact that I have been using RedHat since 5.0 (the first 5.0 that is), but who knows

But opinions are like a55holes, everyone has one.

How much disk space do you have, maybe you can install both, and see which you like best.

Unless you have less than 512 Megs of RAM, normal Ubuntu will work fine and is the easiest way to get into Linux, I think. The Ubuntuforums are excellent, getting help is really easy and there's a wonderful selection of various how-to's for common stuff. I sugggest you get the normal Ubuntu version (next one will be out end of month, Hardy is current) to get full GUI, not server version, and then lookup how-to's on the forums for whatever you want to do with it.

Ubuntu is really, really good and easy to use and setup. In addition to my own machines, I've put it on my parents computer (web and email use, they love it, comparable machine to yours) and my wife's laptop. Everybody's been happy with its ease of use and speed. Can't recommend it enough. Remember the forums - they might be Ubuntu's best feature and the one thing that really sets it apart from other distros.

Based on your requirements you dont even need to think about which linux distro - if all you want is to turn it into a file server for your local wan try an appliance called "freenas"...

I have an old sony viao pc running it - upgraded it to a 1gb net card - and everything in the house (pc/windows, pc/ubunto, imac, n800) all work with it.

Simple cd boot, install and fconfigure/format drives with a web gui and you are on your way. 1/2 hr investment tops...

My 2cents.

(oh yeah - and its still unix - just bsd under the hood and you never need to see it if you dont want to).

I'll just throw my two cents in:

I don't like Mandrake. Far too heavily changed from any normal standards so far as File Locations (like the FHS) and doing anything except the Point and Click with it was a pain. I prefer Mandrake's business model over Red Hat's though.. (offer 3 discs and primary OS for Free.. keep 2 "special" software discs available to "Gold"/"Silver" subscribers.)

Fedora is decent.. but, like mandrake, I got turned off it when I tried doing more advanced things. Red Hat modifies a lot of locations and uses custom config stuff that is unique to them... I like being "cross-platform" and "cross-distro" aware.

Ubuntu variations are my favorite for desktop use. You mention Xubuntu, that is Ubuntu that uses the XFCE desktop - used to be my Favorite setup because I like the Lighter-weight desktops vice Gnome or KDE.. even on Top End systems. I prefer my computer reserve it's resource to doing actual work.. and not painting pretty pictures for me.

Debian is my favorite for Server systems (short of Openbsd). No particular reason why except I'm most familiar with it.

I've bounced from Debian, Slackware, Gentoo, *BSD's, LFS, Arch, etc.. and most of those are pretty "standard" in setup and configuration files and locations.. you can move from one to the other and the most difficulty you'll have is learning the new package management system.

Anything Red Hat based (CentOS, Mandrake, SuSE) is (slightly) different.. and you'll notice it pretty quickly after dropping to the CLI and trying to modify stuff. Because of that I just use them and go "meh".

This has just been my experience.. YMMV.

Distantfire take a look at this thread http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...ad.php?t=23786

That said Xubuntu should run fine on older computers, and the community is newbie friendly. It is just regular Ubuntu with the lightweight XFCE desktop environment instead of Gnome, but it looks pretty much the same, and you can use it as a fileserver/mediaserver/ whatever by installing the right packages. There isn't much advantage in choosing Debian over Ubuntu/xubuntu unless you want bleeding edge/experimental packages. Ubuntu is kind of like a newbie friendly version of Debian. For connecting/accessing the n800 any desktop linux distro will work.