On Tue, 26 Dec 2006, Randy Clarksean wrote: > So ... I am looking for a release that is stable, has good drivers, and > has plans to be around for awhile - or has been around for awhile ... i > do not have time to install several distros and see which one I like > either. I'd highly recommend either Debian Etch (pre-release, or wait until it comes out), or Ubuntu. Either distro ships with recent kernels (so good hardware support), and will be around for awhile, with easy updates to any new versions. Etch will also have reasonably long-term support for the current distro. > 4 250 GB SATA drives (need good drivers for these) > - want to have them in a RAID configuration What level? Raid 5, RAID 0+1? > - currently using software raid - not happy with it In what way? > - probably will go to PCI slot card for RAID I'd highly recommend 3ware's 9500SX line, and Adaptec's 2?20SA line. (where X is 4 or 8, depending on port count.) Areca's cards are also supposed to be great, but I have no experience with them.. support for these is included in the 2.6.19 kernel, which unfortunately isn't in Etch yet. > USB and SATA issues SEEM to be my main issues - based on what I can see > in my log files or in terminal windows. I haven't had any problems with either of these devices on recent kernels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | nate carlson | natecars at natecarlson.com | http://www.natecarlson.com | | depriving some poor village of its idiot since 1981 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------