some questions

[Hendrik <hendrik@example.com>]

Hello everyone,

as a new subscriber to this list i would like to introduce myself before i 
aks you some questions: my name is Hendrik, and i live in southern Okinawa, 
on Ishigaki Island.

9 years ago i worked with SUN(?) UNIX on a SUN server and SCO UNIX on 
several generic 386 based PCs, and 2 years ago i helped someone install a 
German version of SuSE LINUX on a Pentium based Notebook and a desktop 
machine, but beyond that i have no current experience with UNIX or LINUX. 
In the past i have also worked with OS/2 based networks and DOS based 
workstations attached to a UNIX server (this required a great deal of DOS 
batch file writing, something i still do once in a while when i get my 
hands on an 80x86 machine). In addition, i was once thoroughly familiar 
with Windows 3.0 and 3.1 but have completely given up working with 
Microsoft software since.

At home i use several (officially obsolete) Macintosh computers with MacOS 
7 as a small LAN, using a software router and ISDN, and at various work 
sites i have set up office networks and various servers, using hardware or 
software routers for ISDN and cable - all using Macintosh computers and 
MacOS 7, 8, and 9 (English and Japanese).

Since my encounter with UNIX happened in the rather distant past, i am not 
at all familiar with the currently available flavours of UNIX and LINUX, 
but i will be working for someone in the near future who would like me to 
set up some servers (SMTP/POP, HTTP, and FTP) with LINUX. Therefore i would 
like to ask you for your recommendations and advice on the following:

1) I would like to set up a machine with a flavour of LINUX that is common 
enough, so that it is not too difficult to find information and support on 
the internet (after all, i live on a small island, and there may be nobody 
else here who uses LINUX). To keep my stress level manageable, i would 
initially like to use English instead of Japanese in the human language 
interface and switch to Japanese later, if that is possible at all (maybe 
everything IS only in English anyway? i don't know that).

2) I would also need to know where i can get an affordable CD of the 
recommended flavour of LINUX with an installation program - if such a thing 
is available - that "does everything" for me, from doing the hardware 
analysis to installing the necessary components based on choices it 
presents me with. The reason for taking this "lazy" approach is that i 
would like to get one machine up and running without too much delay so that 
it can be productive (after all, this will not be my own machine where i 
can tinker as long as i like but someone else's server). But on another 
machine i would like to do an installation "manually", so that i learn more 
about the steps that are involved in an installation, the options that are 
available, and the various issues i need to know about (safety, security, 
interfaces, devices, etc.).

Finally, i would like to know whether this mailing list is the appropriate 
place for the inevitable detail questions such an adventure will produce or 
whether there are other lists that might be better suited for that, 
considering the particular flavour of LINUX i would be using.

I hope my wishes are not too far off from what can realistically be done 
and am looking forward to your suggestions.

Thanks & regards: Hendrik

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