Sounds like a perfect match between you and Mandrake 9.0, although with RH 9 you get apt-get-rpm.
 
I had to do many installs before I came up with a combination that I felt comfortable with. I think it just goes with the territory..

Quote:I want to learn Linux, so I don't really need all the problems I have had in the past year or so. (Most have been due to installations.) Will you guys help me out?

sure will

Quote:I don't want to compile anything right now – maybe a year or two down the road, but not now

get red hat 9, u have to compile just few things and that is according to ur requirements depending upon what u want ur computer to do for u, otherwise its not necessary.

Quote:I need a fullly functional installation program

sure red hat 9 gives that.

Quote:I need at least graphic based programs, development programs, game programs, audio programs, CD programs, internet access programs, and lots of documentation

u install red hat 9, u get graphical based development programs (software development, web development, then there is GIMP, a thing like adobe photoshop for images and graphics creation). u get graphical based audioprograms to run audio cds plus xmms, a thing like winamp for mp3 files. in internet access programs u get kppp to dialout then there r lots of internet browsers (i use mozilla firebird), programs for chat and etc. for documentation, www.google.com is always there incase if u dont find anything on linux documentation sites

Quote:I also need some gui window managers (as many as possible so that I can check them out

yep u get the windows managers to browse around ur data/hard drive. same as u get windows explorer in windows or when u double click my computer and get a window manager to browse around.


Quote:What distro will have as much of the above? (It has to install correctly and create a dual boot system.)


sure red hat 9 includes it all

I installed RH9 like outstream said and i love it, it is my first install of linux and it is awesome, i couldnt ask for anything better, if you install all of the packages you get like 3 or 4 browsers, about 2 or more things for anything you could possibly wanna do and you dont have to pay 600 dollars for it to bad RH is canceling free updates
 
good luck

Well, I was using Mandrake 9.0 because I couldn't get Red Hat 9.0 to install. I suppose I will try again. (I do have Mandrake 9.2 on discs.) I will have to redownload Red Hat 9.0. Is there any major difference between it and Fedora core? 8)

RH 9 is not putting you on the outside of the cutting edge like Fedora, so you can count on it being more predictable. I will go to Fedora, but not now. There are things to work out with it, so I'll wait a few more months and do an apt-get dist upgrade. RH 9 is doing everything I want Linux to do for now, so I'm a happy puppy..

Thanks to all of you - I'm gonna give Red Hat one more try - if it works this time, I will wait a few months or so to try Fedora. If Red Hat doesn't work, I will try Mandrake 9.2 (already got the discs). If none ofe these two work, I will go back to Mandrake 9.0 - assuming I can find the iso's... 8)

I tried all kinds of things and I finally got something that works! 8)
 
I used a Morphix LiveCD, installed it to hard disk and did an apt-get update then upgrade. As far as I can tell, I now have Debian! Is there any way fairly simple to change the login screen to replace the Morphix one to a Debian screen? I can't find the way in the KDE menu to put the display of the four desktops on the panel. I need to find the posts that tell how to set up my fstab and/or mtab so that I can access my fat32 disk. I'm working on it! (I need to get back to learning Vi...) :x

Is there anyway I can buy redhat without paying the money for it at the site?