I have a little problem, in the form of a really old computer.  It has a Pentium III processor with just under 1 GHz, 256MB RAM, and a rather large HD.  It does not have any internet access, as my parents do not want me to have an internet-accessing computer in my own room (understandable.)  I am using one of the family computers, so I am able to download and burn a CD with a distro.  Any suggestions on what distro to use?

Oh how I love this question! This all depends on you, and how far into it you want to get. What do you intend to do with your computer. Is it just for school work, or do you intend to play any sort of games on it (Mind you, you won't play much beyond a GBA emulator and Dwarf Fortress)? Do you want to learn how Linux--and computers in general work? Have you used any sort of Linux before?

If you really, and I mean really want to know everything there is to know about Linux, from the kernel on up, and you have a lot of free time (really, a lot), and don't plan on using your system for homework, you can do Linux from Scratch, which will have you download, configure, and build your very own Linux kernel for your specific computer. It will be very time intensive, and may not even work the first time, but you'll learn a lot about your computer, and be leagues ahead of the other kids in school.

If you want a distro works, but requires manual configuration then you should try either Arch Linux or FreeBSD, the latter not being Linux at all but a completely separate (though binary-compatible) UNIX based operating system. Both make minimum installs that drop you into a command line interface (Think DOS, if you know what that is, or cmd.exe). You can compile and install X and a graphical environment if you want, and your system will be pretty fast, because it only runs programs that you want to run. If you need a graphical interface (And you probably want one) then you should look at Xmonad, Blackbox, or even twm, which are all extremely light-weight window managers. You should note that even though these operating systems are fairly well supported, and pre-compiled for you, each one is still pretty much unique to your system, so you will need to understand (or learn) how to solve problems on your own. In both instances, each system has a very dedicated community that is willing to help new users, but they have certain rules about asking for help that you'll need to abide.

If you want a very light-weight, but pre-configured operating system, you could try DamnSmallLinux or Puppy Linux, the latter being a bit easier to use. They are both well known for being extremely small, lightweight and fast distros.

If you want a somewhat light-weight, but easier to use OS, you might could try Xubuntu, an Ubuntu derivative, or Linux Mint Debian Edition with XFCE. These are more resource hungry, but should still work on your system, but they will be a bit slower than something custom tailored to your system.

You could also look around DistroWatch to see if anything there catches your eye. There are a tonne of distributions there, all ranked on their various strengths and weaknesses, and maybe that could help you decide. Anyway, there's a huge world of wonder just waiting for you to read the man page of it, so go out there, and download a bunch of ISOs, and report back with your findings! And remember, when in doubt, RTFM!

pi0x : might be able to offer some advice, too.

Thank you for the information.  I have been using Fedora Core 5 with WINE installed for a long time, but due to an unfortunate accident, I kind of deleted the entire system.  So I decided to look for something new.

I think I'll try the LFS (if I can get it to work, the last 5 systems just wouldn't work at all) and dual boot it with a more user-friendly system like Mint for school purposes.  Thanks again.  I don't want this closed yet though, due to the high probability that this won't work.

The most user friendly distro, in my opinion, is plain ole' Ubuntu. If I ever want a Linux distro for a computer I just have laying around and want it for practical use, I will install Ubuntu. Most of the stuff will work right after installation, except certain formats of music like mp3's, and certain video formats like Avi's. Those can just be downloaded off the Internet, just say you need Internet access to update the system to allow formats like those. It's very irksome when you can't use mp3's or Avi's or other popular formats. Other than those little things you have to do manually, it's very user friendly. I would recommend version 10.04, it should run on your computer without a problem.

Like lazlo said, if you want to learn how computers work, fully, use one of the distros like LinuxFromScratch or any of those that he mentioned.

Sadly I don't know too much about all the different distros, for I've only used Ubuntu extensively. Hope I helped a little bit.

pi0x : Ubuntu is good, but Linux Mint is pretty much the same as Ubuntu, but it has proprietary formats already. And newer versions don't use that Unity crap by default.

Lazlo Falconi : Oh, man don't even get me started on that stupid Unity crap... Unity is easily one of the worst "innovations" in Ubuntu. I feel that Unity makes everything slower, more complicated, and more cramped.

Do not use Ubuntu with Unity, which I believe is 12.04 and up.

I didn't much care for Linux Mint when I tried it. Felt too Gnome 3-ish to me.

pi0x : Perhaps, I haven't even used Gnome 3 yet. I've been using much leaner window managers since well before it was finalized, so I wouldn't know anything about it.

Lazlo Falconi : Gnome 3 is what is used by default in Fedora 15, 16 and 17. Even though I'm not a fan of Gnome 3, I'd still much rather use it than Unity.

Actually Linux Mint 12 does use Gnome 3... haha. Derp.

The Cinnamon desktop actually looks kind of cool. I just saw it on the Mint website. Might try it. Although it might run a little sluggishly on my desktop.

pi0x : Thank you for the help, but the network is the problem.  I'd have to spend my own money (which I don't have) to get something to wirelessly connect to the home network (they won't let me run wires 20 feet, up some stairs, and 20 more feet), find a way to monitor everything done on the computer remotely,  and instantly shut off the internet at 10:00 PM EST.  All that, and then they might let me have internet in my room.  Which is a big, fat maybe.  So it's unlikely that I'll ever get internet in my own room.
   In the meantime, Mint didn't work.  I'll try DamnSmall next and see what I get.

wakka432ya : It may behoove you to do initial set up and installation downstairs so you can use the internet to get everything up and running, because you can't just go to a site and download linux games, (Well you could, but) it's much easier to use your distros package manager.

   Again, as I said, it doesn't just behoove me, it's simply impossible due to lack of funds and parents who think at the first chance I have I'll go on a porn site (which I won't, but they can never be too careful.)
   DamnSmall runs with slight problems, I'm away from my own home (at grandparents' house) so I can't access my computer for a few days. 
   Until then, I have to wait.  I'll look at a few more for one I like.

wakka432ya : No, no, you don't understand. Bring it to where your parent's computer is set up, and set your computer up there (Just for a minute to get all the stuff you need--they can watch if they want) so you can set up everything and get a few games and stuff. I'm sure they'll understand you putting it down there for an hour or so to get things usable.

pi0x : There's no space for it.  I can set it up anywhere no problem, as long as I have space for it.  The computer room/office is set up with literally three computers on a long desk where there's no space to actually put it.  I could probably find a way, but it would have to be before anyone wakes up as to not interfere.  Wait a second, I just realized something.  After this upcoming weekend, my parents have free time.  If I can get help from my step-dad and get it set up into the network, I could do it!   Thank you. 

wakka432ya : Good luck, man. Linux is such a neat operating system with loads of stuff you can do. I love it, haha.

You're welcome.

pi0x :   Lazlo Falconi : I finally have my computer in the office right now.  It's running, but not well.  Nothing seems to be working right.  I'll keep trying, though.  I will get this working somehow...

What distro did you decide on? What's wrong with it?

I tried Lubuntu, followed by Xubuntu.  Both locked up after a while, so it just wouldn't install.  I don't know what to try next, but dernit, I'm getting it working and I'm getting it working soon!

Hmm, it may be a problem with your hard drive, or maybe you're choosing some weird setting with your installation that isn't quite compatible with your system. You should carefully review all of the options you're presented with, and if you don't know what something means, either ask about it or leave it at default. Maybe run fsck and try to figure out what's going on with your drives, if anything.

If Ubuntu and Mint refuse to install, I don't know what to tell you, other distros are only harder to get working.

I've used GParted and it seemed fine, but I'll try it.

If you want to try FreeDOS you could also attempt an Arch Linux installation. It's a command-line only distro which is extremely small, and works on most systems--since it's basically Linux the way Linux was in 1995. As I said before, it could be a gateway into learning much more about your computer. The installation process is a bit more in-depth than that of the Ubuntus, but if you carefully read everything it asks, it's pretty self-explanatory. And if you don't get something, you can always check their wiki, which is fantastic!