If you have no clue about Linux, you're best starting point is to get a RedHat distribution, as they tend to be the most end-user friendly for those unfamiliar with Linux. You can easily download the install pieces (a whole CD, or enough on floopies to do net install) from www.redhat.com, or you can usually purchase the whole thing in the store for around $30.

As to what distro is better, there really isn't that much of a difference in terms of running perl. Most of them have perl officially supported up to 5.6.0, you just might need to grab the latest packages for that.

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Dr. Michael K. Neylon - mneylon-pm@masemware.com || "You've left the lens cap of your mind on again, Pinky" - The Brain