An easy to install Linux distribution?

And Lynx = Python, obviously

http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/5504

Not to needlessly rehash a previous discussion, but the correct Linux really depends on two factors: 1) What you want to do with your machine; and 2) How much time you're willing to invest. http://debian.org is a fantastic server OS. It's installer, however, is terrible. If you're used to Windows, I would not recommend starting with Debian (or http://slackware.com%20 or any of the other numerous great-but-tricky distros). I'd start with a distro that places an emphasis on usability. Start with an "easy" Linux (http://redhat.com, http://suse.com%20, or http://mandrake.com%20). Based on what you've said I'd go SuSe with an eye toward eventually ending up with Debian. Disclaimer: I only used Debian variants in the past few years, so my information on non-Debian Linuxes is out of date. If it helps you, I started with RedHat, moved to Debian once I got my feet wet, and never looked back. A final caveat. Linux is not Windows. I'm not trying to patronize, nor am I trying to discourage you -- I just want to save you some pain. While some distros put Windows-ish dressing on their GUIs, Linux is fundamentally a Unix. Currently most Linuxes are created for programmers, sysadmins, and dyed-in-the-wool dorks. Windows is built for end users. Windows knowledge only takes you so far in Linux land. People think differently there. It took me an embarrassingly long time to really get this. Best of luck, and my email's in my profile.

If you want Debian with a decent installer, try http://www.knoppix.org/ Boots off CD, auto-detects all your hardware, if you like it you can basically just type "knx-hdinstall" and follow the prompts. If you'd rather have a RedHat-based distro, I've heard good things about Mandrake, but haven't tried it myself.

be aware that red hat is kind-of-weird at the moment. they're messing with the development/support/licencing balance. a few months ago there were all kinds of theories about suse becoming the new "default" supported officially by hardware/software companies. it all seems to have been a bit of a storm in a teacup, in that there has been no sudden shift, but it might be something to bear in mind in the long term. probably of no relevance, but worth bearing in mind if you were thinking of redhat because it's so widely known. incidentally, suse is the "european" linux, so probably has slightly better multi language support (inc spanish), which might be useful. to connect to a windows network you want to be running samba (iirc). i presume it works on any distro (i have it working fine with debian, although it took a fair bit of effort at first). it's probably worth paying for boxed software for your first linux - nice to have the paper documentation for the first install.

Or, your local bookstore should have a whack of 600+ page How-to-run-Linux books with included distro CDs. Maybe pick one of those up? Should be easier to find than a boxed distro these days...

Don't forget the BSDs. You get a bit more security, but the installers tend to be in the Debian/Slackware realm of difficulty. OpenBSD is my personal favorite, VERY well-documented, quite probably the most secure OS on the x86 platorm, and on the machine you described you can make a great small server/firewall. Be warned that while the BSDs offer GUIs, if you actually need or want one, you're missing the point - go to Linux if you need a free GUI.

Mandrake, Mandrake, Mandrake! I love that distro. Been using it since version 6.2 or 7.0, I think, several years back. Good stuff, easy to use, snazzy graphics, and worked on everything from my dad's old P200 (which I turned into a router and firewall for my off-campus house in college) to my IBM ThinkPad.

I found the FreeBSD installer dead easy to use. It was awful easy to install additional software, too, and the settings files are, on the whole, all gathered together quite nicely and logically. I've been playing with KDE3.2 on FreeBSD, too, and have found it to be very nice. I've tried a half-dozen Linuxes and always found them hopeless: too much to learn too fast, and can't use it usefully until then. FreeBSD was nowhere near as insurmountable: I got it up and running productively very quickly. I never have quite grokked the BSD variations. I thought FreeBSD was the ultra-secure one...