Linux and it's different models.

[o_O]

Ubuntu has <i>very</i> exhaustive support 'out-of-the-box' for hardware. Nearly all, if not all hardware you choose should be fine with it. You will need to note that the 64-bit install is different to the 32-bit install, and that you cannot use 64-bit on a 32-bit processor.

Gentoo is good. Ubuntu is better for newbies. Ubuntu's package manager, Synaptic, is extremely easy to use for newbies; you won't have to worry about dependencies with it. Gentoo's package manager, Portage, is also very nicely done, though much harder to read if you don't know what's going on.
Just a sidenote - Gentoo is notoriously hard to install for newbies. Having said that, the support provided is very good.

As bipper said earlier, Ubuntu (or Kubuntu, if you like KDE better) is very much based around the x window server, so you most likely won't be using a command line much. Gentoo is slightly less so, but not that much. One thing to notice is that Ubuntu uses Gnome; Kubuntu uses KDE.

If you want easy to use and learn on, I recommend Ubuntu.

[Drift]

i understand the 32bit to 64 bit, is that also backwards compatable? EG i wanted to use a 64bit processor but i install a 32bit linux OS on it...i know windows is okay(ish?) on that. not sure about linux.

[Samuraid]

Yes. You can run a 32-bit OS on a 64-bit CPU. (At least as far as windows and linux are concerned on x86 processors)

[Drift]

excellent.

[o_O]

You'll also need to make sure the software you use/download/install is made for your installation of Linux, not necessarily your architecture. If you install 32-bit Linux, don't install 64-bit packages, even if you have a 64-bit processor.

[Dr Unne]

You can run 32-bit programs inside a mostly 64-bit system. I run 64-bit programs for almost everything (including the kernel and all system libraries). But I run a pre-compiled x86 32-bit Firefox because the Flash player for Linux is 32-bit only. Same goes for movie playing software, if you want to use win32 movie codecs, which are 32-bit only.

You also have the option of running an entirely 32-bit environment "inside" a 64-bit environment using chroot. This page is interesting: http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_AMD64#S...ot_environment

Also http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/base/a...?part=1&chap=2

[bipper]

BAH! 64 bits - it'll never catch on

[Samuraid]

Already has.

[bipper]

joke

[Yamaneko]

Dual core is more important right now. 64-bit environments won't become mainstream until regular computer users start using more than 4GB of RAM. That's at least a couple years away.

Personally I recommend Ubuntu/Kubuntu. I've had a blast using it. I'm pretty sure Ubuntu can doing everything Gentoo can except for its robust Portage/emerge system. You'll be up and running Ubuntu in less than an hour.

[Dr Unne]

All Linux distros can do the same things. Well, assuming those things are open source, which means pretty much everything. It's only how you get there that's different.

[bipper]

All Linux distros can do the same things. Well, assuming those things are open source, which means pretty much everything. It's only how you get there that's different.

Cheers. There are a few specialized features which are key to each distro, but bottom line, the CAN be transfered - at least to my knowlage.

That is what makes Linux IMO.