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[Eso]

I'm rocking Vista / Ubuntu 7.10 dualboot on my laptop. Just make yourself a partition (I set up a "system" NTFS partition of like 20gig for Windows, 10 gigs for the linux OS, and then the rest of the drive for "data files", formatted as NTFS (I think it's easier to get linux to mount a windows volume than it is the other way around).

I installed Windows first, then just booted from the Ubuntu LiveCD and installed from there. It automagically configured the bootloader to give me the option of booting to Windows with zero fucking around on my part.

[MiG]

Try the Kubuntu and Xubuntu live CDs as well.  I personally don't like Gnome very much.  I've been installing Xubuntu a lot more recently.

[orangetang]

Linux doesn't have an issue reading and writing on a NTFS partition? If that's the case, I'll probably just create a 50GB partition for linux, and keep the other 200 for windows. I've got external storage for backups and such.

Downloading Kubuntu and Xubuntu live CDs... Any love for Mandriva or Fedora? Or is _ubuntu my best bet for getting started with Linux?

I'm going to want open office, firefox, and gimp.

[hitest]

Downloading Kubuntu and Xubuntu live CDs... Any love for Mandriva or Fedora? Or is _ubuntu my best bet for getting started with Linux?

I'm going to want open office, firefox, and gimp.

I think Ubuntu or Kubuntu is your best first choice for Linux.  They have exceptional hardware detection.  Mandriva is also good although I haven't set-up a dual boot with it.  Fedora is also a good choice.
But, again for a first distro the buntus are it.

Edit: added later:  the buntus all come with Fire Fox, OO, the GIMP and a dump truck load of other cool applications in the repositories.

[Eso]

Linux doesn't have an issue reading and writing on a NTFS partition? If that's the case, I'll probably just create a 50GB partition for linux, and keep the other 200 for windows. I've got external storage for backups and such.

Downloading Kubuntu and Xubuntu live CDs... Any love for Mandriva or Fedora? Or is _ubuntu my best bet for getting started with Linux?

I'm going to want open office, firefox, and gimp.

I've personally grown to like gnome over kde, but it's not a big deal either.

Anyhow, I really recommend *buntu, just because, especially on a newer laptop, driver availability out-of-the-box is a pretty big issue. I also found throwing queries at Google often landed me with a solution from ubuntu-forums.org if I had any problems. I haven't used Fedora since it was first splintered from Red Hat, and never used Mandriva so I can't attest to them.

And yeah, I think just about any modern distribution will be able to read and write to an NTFS volume without any tweaking. And the gimp rules.

50GB is probably far more than you'd need for a linux install. I gave mine a 10GB partition on my laptop, and have used maybe 3GB of it after a month.

[MiG]

The last two servers I installed (including HTMF) were both Xubuntu.  Just 'cause I need a gui for VMware and NoMachine, but don't want a lot of bloat.

[hitest]

The last two servers I installed (including HTMF) were both Xubuntu.  Just 'cause I need a gui for VMware and NoMachine, but don't want a lot of bloat.

I absolutely love XFce, it is what I use on my Slackware stations at home.  On my one Debian box I'm running Gnome right now.  On Ubuntu if you're running GDM (the default) you'll be able to switch between KDE, Gnome, XFce or what ever environment you want.  With the buntus (using synaptic in Ubuntu or Adept in Kubuntu) you can use the repos to download and install your DE of choice.  Similarly on my Slackware box I can switch between a whack of different environments that I've got installed.  Linux is all about choice.  No limits:-)

[Eso]

I absolutely love XFce, it is what I use on my Slackware stations at home.  On my one Debian box I'm running Gnome right now.  On Ubuntu if you're running GDM (the default) you'll be able to switch between KDE, Gnome, XFce or what ever environment you want.  With the buntus (using synaptic in Ubuntu or Adept in Kubuntu) you can use the repos to download and install your DE of choice.  Similarly on my Slackware box I can switch between a whack of different environments that I've got installed.  Linux is all about choice.  No limits:-)

Yep

apt-get ubuntu-desktop
apt-get xubuntu-desktop
apt-get kubuntu-desktop

Then at the login screen you can select your window manager.

[hitest]

One of the many strengths of the Debian derivatives (Debian, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu) is dependency checking.  That is, if you use apt-get, aptitude, Adept, Synaptic to pull a program down from the net the package manager will automagically check for dependencies and prompt you to download, install other applications, libraries that the selected program needs to function.  apt-get is amazing.
I hate to admit it ( as I'm a Slacker) but apt-get is the best package manager in my opinion of all of the versions of Linux I've used.

[RR]

Wow you folks are way over my head! I do have an interest in Linux and Ubuntu but almost no understanding. Would you care to throw in some little words for the digitally challenged?

I have an old Pavillion with a fried hard drive that I'm going to replace. The processor is 1.3 gig P4 and I'm thinking about dedicating this unit to Ubuntu to avoid doing any issues to my other two computers. (both are 2 gig AMD's for work and play)

Any insight from the wizards posting is most welcome.

[Eso]

Wow you folks are way over my head! I do have an interest in Linux and Ubuntu but almost no understanding. Would you care to throw in some little words for the digitally challenged?

I have an old Pavillion with a fried hard drive that I'm going to replace. The processor is 1.3 gig P4 and I'm thinking about dedicating this unit to Ubuntu to avoid doing any issues to my other two computers. (both are 2 gig AMD's for work and play)

Any insight from the wizards posting is most welcome.

1. Download Ubuntu ISO and burn to a CD.
2. Boot from the CD and run Ubuntu "Live" without installing it.
3. Make sure all of your shit seems to be functioning.
4. Install Ubuntu.
5.
6. Profit!

[herbie_popnecker]

Yep. Get the regular Ubuntu.
You can mess around trying Kubuntu and XUbuntu later if you want. The normal one has everything you need.
When it boots up, you can run it right off the CD to see if it finds everything.
If all is okay, click install and just say yes to the defaults.
No geek knowledge required. Any questions later, just ask.

[RR]

1. Download Ubuntu ISO and burn to a CD.
2. Boot from the CD and run Ubuntu "Live" without installing it.
3. Make sure all of your shit seems to be functioning.
4. Install Ubuntu.
5.
6. Profit!

I'm waiting for the Shell Busy tag line ... "It's just that easy." 

When I run Ubuntu it ought to be as easy as Widows, just different? Kinda like the difference between Firefox and IE???

BTW, thanks Eso.

[Eso]

I'm waiting for the Shell Busy tag line ... "It's just that easy." 

When I run Ubuntu it ought to be as easy as Widows, just different? Kinda like the difference between Firefox and IE???

BTW, thanks Eso.

Yep. There'll be a shortcut to Firefox right on the menu bar. If you use "Ubuntu" (which comes with the gnome window manager by default), it'll actually resemble a Mac more than a Windows computer out of the box, but if you're capable of burning an ISO to a disc, then you are capable of figuring out the basics.

For any other stuff, feel free to post here, or else there is an extremely helpful community at http://ubuntuforums.org.

[hitest]

Further to the other very helpful posts here.  You can order Ubuntu CDs for free on-line.  That is, totally free, no shipping charges.

https://shipit.ubuntu.com/