total linux newbie / advice appreciated

[ccos]

hello,

i would like to install a linux distro
onto a g4 867. just wondering what advice
people might have as to which one to go with?

suse looks kind of nice, i was thinking about 
debian, but i'm not sure anymore.

basically i would like the system which will
run most smoothly with the least installation troubles
from the get go. i'll eventually want to learn to tweek the system,
and try out different distros, but a lot further down the track. 
i need to learn a great deal and i would like
to minimize the frustration of not being 
able to even install the thing.

things i'll eventually want to have working:

gnu-step
gnu 3dkit (obj-c opengl lib)
gcc
ruby and ruby opengl
gimp

i assume all distros come with the gcc and gimp, 
what about gnu step though, will it work on top
of all distros?
what about open-gl and opengl dev in linux?
are the cocoa obj-c opengl classes functional 
through gnu-step in all distros?

what about sound support?
i have a motu 2408 sound card.
are there drivers out there for stuff like that?
if so do the drivers work with all distros, 
and cross platform?

i'll eventually be using supercollider3 ( www.audiosynth.com ) which
has not yet even been completely ported to linux.
the coreaudio stuff is being reimplemented w/ jack: 
http://jackit.sourceforge.net/
would this indicate that i should pick one distro
over another? is there a difference betwen the way
different distros handle audio?

please be gentle, i know nothing about linux,
and am just a fledgling programmer at this stage.
thanks much,
c

g4/867 + Debian

[ccos]

hello,

does anybody have debian running on a regulation g4/867?

if so, do you have sound and/or openGL running?

thanks,
c

g4/867 || iBook + Debian || someOtherLinux

[ccos]

hello,


OpenGL support is a matter of the graphics chip rather than the machine.
Shouldn't be a problem with a Rage128 or Radeon, but there might never
be support for nVidia chips.


why do you say there may never be support?
is apple planning on switching chips again?

does anybody have opengl and/or sound running smoothly on either:

an 867 with a rage or radeon chip?
an ibook/600 (dual usb) w/ an Aty, RageM3p29s display card?

what about other distributions?

thanks much,
c