Version of Linux I should get...

I'm a CS major and I just realized something tragic: I know nothing about Linux. So, I've decided that during this summer, I shall reformat my hard drive and install a dual-boot of Linux and Windows XP (emoticon edition. Not to be confused with Windows XD). Anyhow, I need to decide what to install. I know some people who have had good luck with Debian, and I know a guy who has gotten insane errors with Gentoo that he claims nobody on the Gentoo message boards had ever seen before. However, Gentoo looks all pretty and shiny, but I'm pretty sure that I've read that Debian has a stable version out.

Anyhow, keeping all this in mind, I want to know what sort of Linux you of the 4chan programming board would advise me to get. I imagine that this thread will probably dissolve into a flame war about ephemeral characteristics about each version that make it "better" such as "Only noobs use Gentoo!" or "Redhat sucks!" or perhaps "Real men use Debian!" But! In the moment between the first posting of this and the eruption of a flame war, I imagine that information might be able to be gleaned upon the subject by me. So, thanks ahead of time.

There seems to be a lot of posts going towards Gentoo. Which is simular to Debian in a lot of aspects. How ever as an initial distribution I would recommend an RPM based distro. How ever when using an RPM based distro I would strongly recommend against trying to install anything that does not come with the box, mainly because RPM based distributions break easy. Probably Mandriva is the best. Then once you are familiar with a lot of the programs avaliable to you. That is when you move on to a more hardcore distribution.

Ubuntu is a nice distribution to install in an office or a machine that you are going to be doing simple levels of work, and is expecially nice for people who don't care about computer operating systems and just want to write documents, print, browse and use an instant messanger. How ever if you feal the need to use shockwave, Java or applications that aren't in the initial repository, perhaps it isn't a distribution to settle on.

Debian and Gentoo, use once you know the differences between KDE and Gnome, know what a shell is and know what a "ReiserFS" is.

Linux From Scratch, Gentoo, and that bunch.. Only if you have time.

Personally I would recommend installing a distribution every week or so, until you find something you _really_ like.. Plus if you really want to get the hand at linux, remove Windows (or keep it but only for games) and try complete all your tasks in Linux. It could take a fair bit of googling how ever. :P