I am new at this. I would like to install Linux by finding a 'free' version. Is there such a thing? if so, where? I plan to install it into a 486/66 with 8 meg of ram. Will this work?

Not much to work with there if you load a GUI it will be slow as all getout. The new versions will probably not work, check system requirements.

ftp.redhat.com/pub/redhat

don't use a browser to download files it probably won't work right after you get it.

download the iso files.

Check out www.redhat.com before you start anything.

any chance of getting more ram?

I had 6.1 on a laptop, 486/33 with 16M ram

I think the screen was 300x200 16 color.

virtual desktop works but that penguin would fill half the screen

I got frustrated with my 120 and built an 800, She's smokin now.

Getting another ram chip soon. Get er on up to 512.

Don't get 'free' confused.

I have been asked on several occasions how Redhat, Mandrake etc etc etc can charge for linux when it's supposed to be 'free'.

It's free as in freedom not as in free beer.

And yes you can get linux to run on a 386 with no HDD (forgot the minimum RAM) but for me personally it's not worth the effort when you can pick up a second hand a Pentium 100 with 32M RAM for about $80.

BTW That confusion doesn't happen when speaking french, the two are different words that both translate to free in english.

You might want to look at a local sunsite mirror - mine is at sunsite.org.uk or I often use mirror.ac.uk (http or ftp on both), you will find lots of distro's to download along with other 'free' (GPL or alike) programs.

As previously mentioned get the ISOs and burn them to a disk, I've always fround this easiest.

HTH

Jamie...

to get "free" linux you need to do some work.
First, download the cd image files from a distributions website (ie www.linuxmandrake.com, www.redhat.com). These files are called .iso files.
Second, you can burn these with a cd burner program such as adaptech easy cd creator ect.

if you dont have a burner or a fast internet connection, you can do some searching for a few sites that sell the iso files burned to a cd. these usally only cost about $5 or so.

you can also try downloading the files to make a bootable floppy. Then just download the necessary files from an ftp site while installing. check out the webpages for each distritbution, and they will give you more information.

If you are installing on that slow of a system, you want to make sure that you install only a few programs with the distribution.

you can always try http://www.freelinuxcd.org/
they give away free cd's that are donated from the community and stuff.
what distro are you wanting? with those specs you have, you might want an older copy of a particular distro.