How Is Linux Good?

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There are hundreds of user friendly distros. Try distrowatch.com for some guidance. For the faint of heart try Mepis Linux (Debian based) or Vector Linux (Slackware based), Ubuntu is good also. If you don't want to install straight off, then try some of the live cds, many are listed on Distrowatch (Mepis also functions as a live cd).

Can anyone advise me on setting up a minimalist Linux install ?

Im going to dual boot it with WinXP. Ill be mostly using Linux for work - HTML, Graphics and WinXP for other stuff.

I want the smallest and fastest install of Linux. Last time i tried Mandrake, i found it bloated and actually slower to boot than Windows ! But Windows is incredibly messy and slows down over time, apps seem to eat memory while Linux apps run smoother.

Apps that i will require are a good office package (must be MS Word compatible), Desktop Publishing, HTML WYSIWYG editor, GIMP.

Can anyone recommend a Linux distro and apps ?

There is one called Damn Small Linux which I haven't tried, but it is supposedly only 50mb in size and very fast. I believe you can run it from a cd or from a usb keydrive, or install it if you wish. It is debian based so if you install it you can use apt-get to install debian packages if you find it is lacking some apps you might need. Another one to look into is Puppy Linux which is also very lightweight and fast... look on distrowatch.com to see these and others which may be to your liking.

As for apps, umm, there is Open Office, Koffice, Gnome Office, Star office, and maybe others. I don't know about Desktop publishing... as for HTML editors, I recommend NVU and there are of course others but NVU seems to be the best. and you already know about Gimp.

thanks Psychlone !

you just sorted me out