Linux Server OS

I just received a new server and I was wondering if anybody knew of a Linux Distro that was orentaited for servers. I'm too poor for Windows 2000 Server and I hoping somebody knew of a Linux distro that comes with all the server stuff.

thanks,
golfing22

RedHat entreprise (http://www.redhat.com/rhel/details/servers/) ? Or do you mean a free (as in financially) Linux distribution ?

Yeah, I mean free as in I can download it and burn it to a cd and use it without paying money.

thanks,
golfing22

CentOS is exactly like RedHat enterprise but free, I would definitely recommend this server distro - http://www.centos.org
Another famous and free distro with millions of packages available and very live community around it is Debian - http://www.debian.org
I run a few servers myself. There isn't really best distribution if you ask. Get a copy of both and try how it works for you.
Some people run Fedora (free RedHat distro) on their servers, but I think this one is a good desktop linux candidate.

thanks,
Do you know if either of these distros come with the management tools that Windows 2000 or 2003 server comes with?

thanks,
golfing22

Well, not really... Put it this way, if you like GUI management tools, you have to go on the learning curve to work with Linux servers. I don't mean to discourage you but you don't get to manage as many things in the GUI in Linux as in Windows; and maybe that's why thinks usually work well in Linux servers.
If I were you I'd install CentOS and I'd make sure that Webmin package gets installed; this will give you a centrilized tool to manage everythin - it's web based. Install X window server as well and check out System and Utils menus.

thanks,
Do you know if either of these distros come with the management tools that Windows 2000 or 2003 server comes with?

There would be very little point in that, since those tools can only manage Windows stuff :p Linux is Something Completely Different.

Since you asked that question.. What is the server for? What do you want to do with it? You do realise that Linux is Something Completely Different and you will have to relearn most of the things you know about server software?

If you could actually specify what do you want to manage, then we might be able to tell you about some point-and-click interfaces to these services.

I would recommend gentoo for everybody, because of the very superior packet system. I started with debian like 6 or 7 years ago, and I've tested many different distros, but I've always liked gentoo best.

Debian's apt feels kind of crap after using gentoo's portage for awhile.
I've been searching for "the ultimate server distro" myself, but I havn't found anything much better than gentoo, so I'll stick to that untill I find something better.

For workstations I don't think there is anything better, though. Simpler and easyer stuff sure, but nothing that would be better, in my opinion.

Gentoo didn't even exist 6-7 years ago :p

Yes, of course, if you like compiling things for hours on end and trying to figure out what all those build options mean and do, then Gentoo is the only way to go :)

I'm not trying to diss Gentoo, but for a Windows person setting up a Linux server or touching Linux for the first time, something with 100% graphical point-and-click interface and lots of wizards is much better.

Gentoo didn't even exist 6-7 years ago :p

I said I started with Debian 6-7 years ago. :)
Well, the new gentoo installer makes it quite easy to install for people not really knowing what they are doing.