[Cabhan]

While I understand that you want to put together your own distro (which you can do with LFS), us telling you what you would need is definitely not going to prepare you for that.

Ubuntu is a distribution that is particularly geared to new users, and can get you into the Linux world. Once you're familiar with Linux applications and such, you can move to a different distro and start playing with the kernel, playing with desktop environments, etc. Debian and Gentoo are both distros that for the installation throw you into a commandline and let you do it all yourself. So you can always try that once you're more familiar. Remember that you will probably change distros MANY MANY MANY times (I think I'm on my 7th, and people like techieMoe have tried probably over 20).

To answer some of your more specific questions:

The kernel is the part that communicates with the hardware. Drivers are generally either built-in (that is, hard compiled in) or are modules (can be removed from the kernel at will and re-added: this can help maintain a smaller kernel size). You will probably never need to actually go and download drivers except for ATI and nVidia, and wireless drivers. Everything else can be solved with a simple kernel recompilation or loading of an already-compiled module.

There are TONS of desktop environments, and each has its supporters. The two most common are Gnome and KDE. Ubuntu uses Gnome, SuSE uses KDE (or does openSUSE use Gnome now?), Kubuntu uses KDE, Knoppix uses KDE, and many distros allow you to choose. There are also many others: I personally use Fluxbox, there's Enlightenment, Rox, etc. The trick is just to try out as many as you want until you find one you like. All of them are simply a graphical layer on top of the raw shell. Remember that it is very possible to run and use a Linux system entirely from commandline, and some people do. The graphical environment is only for prettification and ease of use.

I've said this before, but the trick is to play with everything. Try different distros, different desktop environments, different software. This is the only way you will learn which is the "best" for you.

[Freston]

Originally Posted by Thomas.Clymer

LFS - sounds like EXACTLY what I'm looking for.

I do plan on familiarizing myself first, but I will definitely work toward my 'own special needs' (as it were).

THANKS!

I don't recommend LFS for you at this point. Please be aware that at first your Windows expertise is a handicap. Because you think you now how to do a certain task, but you don't. Install a driver? Different. Making a connection? Different. Filesystem? Different. Playing a DVD? Different. We don't change drives, we mount filesystems.
You need skills and knowledge to install LFS, and frankly you have non of that. Being able to communicate in one language does not enable you to communicate in another. But you also strike me as the sort of person that wants to gain them. You've shown a methodical way of thinking already. There is hope for you yet

People who know me (I don't mean on this board) know I almost never recommend Slackeware to anyone. 'cause with Slack, you're gonna have to get your hands dirty. Most people don't want that from an OS. Some people even laugh if they see me writing in Konsole. But make no mistake! The shell is a tiny bit more powerful tha t DOS 6.11. So if you're willing to invest building a fast, powerful and efficient box, I think Slack is what could get you started. That is, if you wish to understand the system.

if you want front rank development Debian will suit you better. My guess here, take it for what it's worth.

[smolloy]

I agree with the people who recommended LFS. It's difficult, and complex, but all the instructions are there, and if you follow them word for word, you'll end up with a working system. You might not understand every step, but most of it is explained, and you will definitely learn a lot from the experience.

And -- take this from someone who has done it -- it's quite a bit of geek-fun to do

[Freston]

I've always said, once I baked my own kernel I'm gonna install LFS and get it to run Beryl.

As for now, it's 2.4.33.3 and it will be for many years to come. Damn distractions

[Thomas.Clymer]

Well, I trucked through LFS for a bit last night.
Two words - LEARNING CURVE!

Freston and Calhoy, thank you for your posts. They actually gave me some good insite to some big differences.
I had to go back to step by step install 'thinkology'. Still, I didn't get very far.
Reminds me of when I first started back in the early 90s (DOS and Win3.0).

Anyway, I have posted my current situation in a different forum located HERE.