Fedora

I dont know much about the available unix/linux OSs and there are so many that it is hard to research very many. I know this is a loaded question with so many devotees to particular OSs but I just need a good (free) OS that would work well for someone who learned some basic scripting in Mac OS X. Any help would be appreciated.

Also low system requirements would be a plus, (planning to boot from a drive on a variate of computers) but not essential.

Sorry one more thing, how much do I have to worry about viruses/malware/etc... when downloading and using free OSs

Thanks Again.

for a start go here:
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions - The UNIX and Linux Forums
Where do I download LINUX & UNIX? - The UNIX and Linux Forums

Be aware that any OS and software base unfamiliar to you has a learning curve, potentially a steep one. They're not Windows and won't be instantly familiar, you may need to change how you do a lot of things. If you install Linux expecting WindowsXPButFreeAndCooler®©™ you will be disappointed.

Gasp! You liar! <grin>

I am of the opinion that if two equally clever people were given access to two computers where neither of them have ever used a computer before, one given a computer installed with a Desktop orientated Linux distribution, and the other a Windows computer, then the one given access to the Linux computer would arguably be working efficiently in a shorter space of time.

I wonder whether it would be possible to conduct a study somewhere to test this...

In any case to the OP: Try Ubuntu Linux, if for no other reason than because it is popular. Its being popular means that you get easy access to a large base of software / programs and a huge community of people whom you can fall back on in case you get stuck.

Also: Trying to dual-boot an unfamiliar OS is a good recipe for disaster; if anything goes wrong, you'll have ruined two operating systems. Better to do it clean, if you can, maybe on a spare/throwaway computer.

Ubuntu's resource requirements are almost as ridiculous as Windows'. It's also the worst offender for overzealous autoconfig, which also makes learning difficult. I don't reccomend it.

How absolutely true! Amen to that!

On the other hand, if you are truly willing to learn and understand the tool - a computer and its OS is a tool, after all - you are using, you might be in for an amazing discovery which could well last a life. From washing machines to mainframes, from data base server to WLAN router, there is nothing you can't do. Yes, desktop PCs too - nothing special.

Windows is like a pre-built house. Move in instantly, but if you don't like the rooms layout, that's tough luck. Unix - every Unix and Linux - is more like a load of bricks plus some mortar. Build whatever suits you, but you have to DO it. There is a pre-built house included like in Windows - the distributions -, but what really sets it apart is the possibility to add, scratch and (re-)build rooms as you want until you reach your personal definition of "palace".

You will find an awful lot of things already built in other OSes lack, but you will have to learn how to use them, how to configure them and how to make them work together with other parts of the system. All this means you have to DO something to GET something. Still, the effort is both very rewarding and very satisfying to exert.

I work with Unix systems both professionally and for private use 25 years now - i couldn't say that i know everything worth knowing and still learn new things every day. And my curiosity still isn't satisfied. Not even by a wide margin.

bakunin

Sorry I forgot to mention this in the original question. What I am looking for is something that I can continue to write UNIX compatible scripts on, I write alot of small simple scripts at work in terminal (Mac OS X 10.5 etc.) but run Win 7 at home. I dont really need much in the way of GUI (it would be convenient but unnecessary)

I really appreciate all the help, and really good insights.