Best Ubuntu recording setup.

[NoSmokingBandit]

I have an old dell that i plan on turning into a box just for simple recording, not anything professional, just if me and my friends are bored some day with instruments and decide to jam. I want to use ubuntu, but after i install im taking everything out i dont need (games and stuff). Should i be looking at KDE or Gnome, or something less popular like xfce? I dont know the specs of the machine because i only have room for one pc on my desk and if i hook it up i dont have the patience to get my other computer back on so i can ask this question. I do know that it has 512mb ram since i just put that in it, and a pentium 3 of some sort (its kinda old).
Ill basically be using audacity with a few pluings. I dont want a completely bland gui, since thats just not fun, but i dont need crap like copmiz fusion or pointless stuff like that. Whats the best way to get my old beast set up?

[Dragonbite]

I have 2 Pentium IIIs at home and only 1 is able to handle 512 Ram (a Dell Dimension 4100 running @ 1 GHz). The other (Sony Vaio running at 500MHz) is maxed out at 256 Ram.

The weaker one is running with Gnome in it and while it isn't a speed demon it does work. I am NOT trying anything like Beryl .. that would just be insane.

Chances are you can probably work with either Gnome or KDE and you just have to understand that it isn't going to be a speed demon or as fast and responsive as your main computer (which is probably newer and more powerful). The less glam and glitz you have running, the better but you shouldn't be stuck with bland-and-white.

The times the slower system rears it's ugly head is when it has to run anything intensive.

On my 500MHz system I took off Open Office because it's too much of a hog. Ironically Blender does seem to work (so far) but I haven't really tried it yet or tried rendering anything.

[NoSmokingBandit]

I finally plugged it in, its an intel 933mhz processor. I also found some more ram laying around my house, so its up to 768mb. That should be enough to record simple stuff in gnome i assume.

[Dragonbite]

I finally plugged it in, its an intel 933mhz processor. I also found some more ram laying around my house, so its up to 768mb. That should be enough to record simple stuff in gnome i assume.

Plenty. My Dell is a 1GHz that reads 933 or something (shows 1GHz in some places, 933 in others). Unfortunately mine maxes out at 512 Ram

[NoSmokingBandit]

I hate not being able to put more ram in. My main box only has 2 ram slots which are being used by a 512 and a 256, but the old pc im fixing up has 3 slots which each have 256, so they are even, which sucks, i want more ram.