Quake3World

I always try to learn a bit of something and I just wondered which versions of linux are out there.

I have a pretty old version of knoppix but nothing further.

Also, do you know of any good basic guides?

Check http://www.tldp.org/ for tutorials, docs, etc. Knoppix is nice because you can run it from CD. If you're going to install to HD, give Mandrake a try; very user-friendly and supports craploads of hardware.