Debian Linux Install

Neat, thanks... not sure how I missed that in my searching. I'm going to download it, burn it, pop it in and cross my fingers, I reckon.

you don't even need an iso, you can do it with two floppies. get the ide-pci version (unless you need scsi) for max compatability with normal hardware.

I'm installing on a laptop, though: no floppy drive. Which is quite annoying sometimes.

The truly minimal way to go is knoppix, which is based on Debian, and contained entirely on the CD itself. You don't even have to install it. That said, it's really taken for granted that everyone who uses Debian (and Linux in general) has the same goals that you do. Support for their hardware, minimal install, then you get whatever else you want on a case-by-case basis. The basic Debian install will hold your hand through partitioning the drive, and installing the boot loader, the file system, and one of the generic kernels (2.4 I think, maybe 2.2), and will run tasksel, which you use to get your staples, like the X window system. After that, just use dselect, aptitude, or synaptic to find whatever else you need. Don't forget about 'apt-cache search' and 'apt-cache show'. Floppy drives are obsolete, and there's no shame in not having one.