i just like to start a debate in here. which do you think is the best linux distribution out there?

I'm using Lindows 4.0 and like it better than about 6 other distributions I tried. Mine installed in less than 10 minutes and is easy to use. Like all Linux ditros, the language is different and there are confusing things that are a part of any new and different operating system but Lindows is the best. I really like the click and run feature which makes installing software so easy. The support team is a little weak on something like telling me how to install Word perfect office 2000 for Linux. Haven't got an answer to that one yet

The easiest : Redhat the best : probably Debian but it is also the most difficult to install.. A good alternative can be knoppix, a distribution that you can run from the cd ( no installation required) so if you like it you can install it on your hardrive, it is a very easy installation procedure ( and this is what I am using) and it is a Debian too.

i have only tried red hat 7.1 and Mandrake 9.0. i no longer have red hat in my system now. i am having a difficulty configuring my sounds though in Mandrake but i do think mandrake is still really good. wait till i am able to fix my sound problems and i will turn my mandrake from a computing os (i do my programming in there) to a powerful os that can also serve multimedia as well as xp (i hope). by the way, what is the connection between Mandrake and red hat? My source said that Mandrake is an offshoot of the red hat distribution. what does that mean? i haven't used slackware, can anyone tell me about it? my only fear is that it is really good but too bad, it isn't available here in the Philippines yet.

I started with RedHat 7.3 I am using RedHat 9 now. I tried SuSe 8.2 it was very good distro power managment was broken though.(It would not power down the monitor). I have Slackware 9 on another PC I like it is fast but not very user friendly. Power Managment is broken as well. Have to insmod apm just to get to shut down. I say redhat if you want something easy to use and yet still be able to learn linux. You get all the software you need with RedHat or SuSe without having to pay 99$ a year for clicknrun which is really just apt-get. I was able to get debian installed but could not get X configured and all of the packages are old. Good Luck Ron

The best "distribution" is Red Hat. Lots of extras, lots of drivers, very easy to install, (automated like windows). Good support if you register, even if you only register as "demo" you still get auto update notification on patches to security holes, etc. As to which is the best flavor of the Linux OS, now thats a different question.

@ ectoplasme, Debian is easy to install compared to Gentoo, but with gentoo, you get complete controle! I'm using SuSE on my server. I used Mandrake before (7 or 8, can't remember). I too had problems with sound, so moved to suse, which I find a lot better. @ Janus the vampire, Mandrake started as a redhad-clone, but then choose it's own path... As soon as I have time for it, I'm going to install Debian, because I like the easy packagemanagement! lots better than rpm. it installs everything you need, compared to RPM, it just gives you which libraries you need, and you have to find out for yourself where to find it or what you exactly need to install. If you use yast in suse to install software, it is almost the same as in debian, but in debian you can use both cd's and a debian mirror at 1 time to install software. I tried gentoo once, succeeded in installing the base system, but I got tired of waiting while new software was being installed. everything had to be downloaded first and then it had to compile everything from source, which can take very long to install for example KDE3... for the moment, I prefer SuSE 8 Johan