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Locke141:
I prefer lubuntu over the standard ubuntu. If your running an older system it is the superior choice as it is the same underlining system but is optimized to run much faster by using lighter faster defaults in the software distabution. A prime example of this is the choice of LXDE over Unity as its GUI. It uses the same repositories, the trade off is the look of the OS for better speed. I prefer the look of LXDE any way. It's windows xp like, but better looking.

I just did an install and added mame last night, here is how I did it.

* Go get Lubuntu at http://lubuntu.net
* Choose a 64bit or 32bit ISO and download
* Burn to a disk
* Install it on your PC
* Click on the icon in the bottom left corner, where the start icon would be in XP
* Go to system tools
* Open xTerm
* Type with out the quotation marks "sudo apt-get install updates" then hit return and let it do its updates
* After updates finish type "sudo apt-get install mame" and hit return
Once installed it will be under games. When you click on the start like icon, games should be second from the top.

Don't fear the command line. If your using a Debian based linux I.E. buntu, Zorin, Kbuntu, Ubuntu GNOME, raspbian, and you know the name of the program you want and its in the Debian repositories "sudo apt-get install (name of the program here)" is all you need to get started. I would recommend you stick with Debian based distributions I.E. any thing Ubuntu related for now.

The great thing about Linux is its free so you can try lots of different distributions.

j.fitzenr:
+1 For Lubuntu. Ubuntu with Unity is way more 'slick' and fancy looking and honestly even more user-friendly than Windows (My parents are retired and like nothing more than to complain about how awful their computer is... I did a clean install of Ubuntu about a year ago and they haven't had a single issue since, and my nephews are obsessed with SuperTux now) but Lubuntu is where it's at for slower, older hardware (I run it on my primary, general-purpose laptop atm. Thing is probably 5 years old and it's still nice and snappy) It's very similar feel-wise to XP as Locke said, but still has a pretty accessible software manager to download what you need without much or any venturing into the big scary command line.

I messed with Puppy Arcade for a bit on an ancient machine (laptop with Win 2000!) and it worked surprisingly well, but I don't really have enough experience to go further than that.

knave:
Any of the Ubuntu distros work very well.

You don't need to use the command line in it any more than you use the command prompt in Windows 7.

Steps:
1. go to Ubuntu -> Download the iso.
2. burn a DVD
3. install -> step by step process similar to installing any other OS

danny_galaga:

I'd be all over Ubuntu myself for mame as I have used it in the past. But in my opinion, mame on Linux blows ;D

nitrogen_widget:
I have a live custom .iso of PClinuxOS LXDE with mame .157 no-nag/highscore compiled in & attractmode 1.4 set to run at boot.
It also has Timothy Lotte's crt shader configured & is 64 bit.

I can provide a link to the .iso on my g-drive.
I did however forget the highscore.dat file. whoops :)
I put the gridlee rom on it so you can at least see it work from a live environment.

i'm currently working on a 32bit version for older hardware that will use fluxbox and have most non-essential stuff turned off so it'll run on as little as 512mb of ram smoothly.

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