2.0 GB drive

[Zenara25]

I'd like an easy Linux for a beginner. Which one should I get. I only have a 2GB hard drive.

[Damien019]

I would recommend Mandrake or RedHat, personally i like RedHat because,.... well i don't know, just personal preference. But as for a Linux newbie i would suggest either one of those, or if you don't want to get a seperate computer for Linux try using any of the bootable flavors.

All linux isos can be found at http://www.linuxiso.org

[dunbar]

That is quite tiny... The rest of the system (CPU and RAM) will also make a difference.
So far, there are still some candidates, but you'll have to run what is called expert installs in order to trim out the less used packages. Do you want to actually commit to a hard disk install, or can a Live CDROM get you by? The Live CDROM does not need hard disk space, unless you deliberately set it up to use hard disk. The Live CDROM distribution I'd suggest is Knoppix, but Slackware has an affiliated Live CD as well. But again, what is the systems CPU frequency and how much ram is in it?

[dunbar]

Originally posted by Damien019
I would recommend Mandrake or RedHat, personally i like RedHat because

Do you think the recent releases will install onto 2.0 gig - with a swap file?

[Zenara25]

I have an Athlon 1700 with 512mb PC2700 Crucial memory. I have 1 drive with XP and I was hoping I could get Linux on the other drive.

So my problem is getting something that will work on only a 2gb hard drive. Even if it is an older version I don't care as long as it works. I'd like to play around with it a little.

[Buzioid]

Knoppix??? load from CD!

[Damien019]

dunbar without a doubt it will install, you'll just have to cut a few of the packages out, most of which i am SURE he will not use, he could do it no problem

[hulkMAD]

isnt OpenBSD or whatever its called not a very large linux-type OS. i heard its more confusing to use, but if ur really into linux stuff, try it. im sure theres other really small linux OS's out there though.

[linux_guru]

For a 2 GB drive, I would recommend a slim distro, like Peanut or Vector-Linux. You could even fit a trimmed down Slackware install, although I wouldn't recommend Slack for a newbie.

[nukes]

If you want to learn, stick slackware or debian on it. The initial slackware install is ok, debian is a bit harder.
Most of the stuff in Slack works out the box, and a full install is just short of 1.2gb, which is great for you, although there will be a few packages you don't need so I wouldn't bother installing them (such as PCMCIA card services if you're on a laptop, or various servers that you won't use)
Debian is a bit harder to install, but the default install is really, really minimal. You will have to set up lots of things manually, so I wouldn't reccomend this as a first distro unless you want to jump in the deep end.
I suggested these two assuming that you want to learn about linux and how to set it up rather than just use it. Most things in Slack work right off the bat, but it will still require some fine tuning.
OpenBSD could be an option, but the installation is much harder than that of most linux distros. Also the BSD aren't as well suited to desktop systems as linux is now (I know they can be used and work ok, but that's not their purpose, they aren't generally as flexible and kernel configuration is nowhere near as user-friendly as in Linux) don't try that if you're new to unix-like systems.