Linux needed

[Doorbasher]

Once my new mobo is up and running, my P2s will be clocked down to 266 for peace-of-mind (I'm not sure if they're 100% stable at 300), and begin full-time Folding. An MS OS won't cut it for this job. Win98 uses only one CPU, and XP pro takes up waaay too much numbercrunching power. I need Linux here. My requirements:

*It must be free.
*It must have SMP support.
*It must take up the smallest amount of system resources possible.

Can someone recommend a good version for this job?

PS: I have never worked with a *nix OS, so I may be asking stupid questions.

[JC Denton]

Linux can support "hundreds" of procs, so no worries about SMP, just make sure it's compiled into your kernel. All the Linux distros are free if you're willing to take the time downloading the ISOs and burning them. You can always "buy" packaged sets with manuals, posters, etc. Linux From Scratch (LFS) (http://www.linuxfromscratch.org) can run on 2MB of RAM.

My Recommendations:
Debian - Stable, and Smooth (http://www.debian.org)
Gentoo - Bleeding edge, but Powerful (http://www.gentoo.org)
Slackware - Nice Lightweight System (http://www.slackware.com)
LFS - Can We Say LIGHT? (http://www.linuxfromscratch.org)