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Thread ID: 38799 2003-10-18 23:43:00 What Linux to put on slow computer? mejobloggs (264) Press F1
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184578 2003-10-18 23:43:00 I have an old 300mhz computer that I want to try Linux on.

There was something in the latest PC World, about some linux erm.. interfaces? not being very fast or something.

It has 128mb ram, and a 4mb creative graphics card or something.

What Linux will run best on it?

Oh, and a 20gb hard drive, or maybe 10gb, but nothing under.
mejobloggs (264)
184579 2003-10-18 23:46:00 Try mandrake linux 8.1, or 9.1, download them, don't buy them.
Kde should still run. if not, use a nother window manager.

For the best linux on it? well that is just trial and error

BTW: Good on ya for going to linux!


Ilieklinux
ilikelinux (1418)
184580 2003-10-19 00:02:00 Ha. Its not going to happen too soon. I think I better buy another hard drive, because all my Dads old work is on that one, and if I format it, then he will definately need it :-)

Im not going to download them. I would rather pay $5 per cd or whatever, than download it. Even though I have jetstream. I only have 500mb a month, and we use that anyway.

Will I have to get drivers for everything? I guess I would have to get another graphics card then, since I would probably never find linux drivers for the thing I have.

I thought maybe a geforce 2 mx would be good, because nvidia has linux drivers.

Just looking at nvidia drivers. If I get Mandrake 9.1, what driver would I download?
Linux IA32
LinuxAMD64
LinuxIA64
or FreeBSD

What on earth are all those?

I have a pentium 2 i think

I will have to check all these things some day. I think the harddrive is screwed, and it runs sooo slow.

Maybe I am just used to faster computers.
mejobloggs (264)
184581 2003-10-19 00:07:00 I would suggest that you go to the library and get a Linux book out AND READ!!!!!
Linux is far more difficult than install and play.
The_Banned_One (4744)
184582 2003-10-19 00:35:00 Don't start with the attitude "I probably won't find Linux drivers for . . . "

Video too . The older the better . And it would be a stannge video card which wouldn't work as a standard SVGA . Find the actual description of anything, type that and "linux" into google, and you'll probably find the most up-to-date information . Also any problems people have encountered, and usually the way the problems can be fixed .

Check the Hardware-HOWTO . . .

If you get Mandrake or Red Hat, you'll probably have almost all the devices you need . The only exceptions are hardware whose manufacturers won't release information .

But it's a good idea to read a book . Or have a look at FAQ80 here . :D
Graham L (2)
184583 2003-10-19 01:29:00 I think I will load it on, and then read a book if problems happen.

Hopefully nothing goes wrong.
mejobloggs (264)
184584 2003-10-19 02:29:00 > I think I will load it on, and then read a book if problems happen.

You probably could get away with doing that, but I found it pays to do a little reading first. Unless you have heaps and heaps of time to waste trying to figure out why something very simple will not work. ;-)


> Hopefully nothing goes wrong.

Famous last words. :D
Susan B (19)
184585 2003-10-19 03:34:00 Of course nothing can go wrong. This is a computer thing. ]:) Graham L (2)
184586 2003-10-19 04:01:00 Gentoo.. It's nice and quick!

And very pwetty too.

And I'm biased...
Rank32 (3732)
184587 2003-10-19 04:53:00 small(hdd installs on about 200megs with gui)- RH 8 runs fine on my P200mmx with 128 megs of ram and 2 meg of video ram. Between 800megs and 2.5gig install depending on the packages selected. You may be lucky to find it at a library. In fact RH8 version of Gnome/Sawfish" target="_blank">www.damnsmalllinux.org/ or Red Hat 8. RH 8 runs fine on my P200mmx with 128 megs of ram and 2 meg of video ram. Between 800megs and 2.5gig install depending on the packages selected. You may be lucky to find it at a library. In fact RH8 version of Gnome runs faster than the RH 7.3's (who'd figure updated software would run quicker than older stuff :)) but I run WindowMaker as my default user window manager. Or go have a nosey at linux.org. Oh yes, and read read read!!!! mark.p (383)
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