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Thread ID: 72387 2006-09-11 05:01:00 Which Linux version should I get PeterA (8057) Press F1
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483894 2006-09-11 05:01:00 I feel like tinkering with Linux but wonder which is the most like windows and the very very simplest to get to work. Also how much ram will I need. I have an old PII with only 48Mb. Is it a goer or just a dream?

Peter A
PeterA (8057)
483895 2006-09-11 06:12:00 The most like windows is Xandros and a CD will set you back about $8.00
and you can decide if you want to progress to a full paid version with backup and updates at about $150.www.linuxcdmall.com Auckland is a good starting
point.There are also distros that run off the CD and do not install on to yr HD while you have a "play" Knoppix is one.Same supplier.
kjaada (253)
483896 2006-09-11 06:25:00 Like kjaada, I use Xandros. You can find it for cheaper than $8 if you search for Xandros on TM. There is a person in Palmy who sells quite a range of Linux distros (downloaded versions) for around $5. I would have some concern about the amount of RAM that you have. 48 megs might just be bit on the small side.

Kjaada mentioned Knoppix as a live CD that you can try without installing anything on your machine. Another that works the same way is Mepis. With that one, however, you then get the option to install it after you have tried it. Another possibility that IMHO is not as like Windows but is very slick is Puppy.

Some others that I have had no experience with are PCLinOS and Linspire. One of the Xandros users here in NZ has spoken highly of PCLinOS.

Hope this helps. There is, however, no best solution. It all depends what you want to do. I still like Xandros best because I am used to it.

Jim
Hhel (8073)
483897 2006-09-11 06:34:00 I feel like tinkering with Linux but wonder which is the most like windows and the very very simplest to get to work. Also how much ram will I need. I have an old PII with only 48Mb. Is it a goer or just a dream?

Peter A

If you want "Windows-like", the best OS is Windows.

As for Linux, look at Distrowatch ( The list on the right hand side is roughly a popularity list. Try the top 5, as well as PC-BSD (http://www.pcbsd.org/" target="_blank">distrowatch.com/). The list on the right hand side is roughly a popularity list. Try the top 5, as well as PC-BSD (http:). However, all of them will choke on 48Mb of ram. You need at least 128Mb nowadays for a friendly desktop distro, as the top 5 are all lard@sses - some will be slower than XP. The bottom 5 can all be configured to run on those specs, but they are not beginner-friendly.
vinref (6194)
483898 2006-09-11 06:48:00 With those sort of specs, I would look at possibly Damn Small Linux (distrowatch.com)
I haven't tried it, but have heard it is quite good for older hardware
Myth (110)
483899 2006-09-11 18:04:00 You will be beginning to see the draw back with linux.There are just so many good distros and users praising their preferences.I have to go along with all above.Be prepared for a bit of a learning curve getting in to working mode
and do not give up when the quirks get frustrating.
I have left a message for you in yr PF1 inbox.
kjaada (253)
483900 2006-09-11 19:49:00 some good advice here

faqf1.net.nz
beama (111)
483901 2006-09-12 01:10:00 Realistically any easy to install linux distro wont run on that PC, anything designed to run on low spec machines will likely require some linux experience to install.

Up until recently i was running Xubuntu on a P3 450Mhz with 256mb RAM and it was boarderline acceptable. (Xubuntu is a slimmed down version of Ubuntu). You could consider using an older distro such as an early version of Redhat, might have the best combination of usability and low resource usage.
Pete O'Neil (6584)
483902 2006-09-12 01:43:00 Hang about:Xandros 3.0 will run and Damn small linux will run.I do not know about any others but I have run both these with only very minor problems. kjaada (253)
483903 2006-09-12 01:47:00 Realistically any easy to install linux distro wont run on that PC, anything designed to run on low spec machines will likely require some linux experience to install.

Up until recently i was running Xubuntu on a P3 450Mhz with 256mb RAM and it was boarderline acceptable. (Xubuntu is a slimmed down version of Ubuntu). You could consider using an older distro such as an early version of Redhat, might have the best combination of usability and low resource usage./me has Gentoo installed on a 433 Celeron with 128MB RAM and a full KDE desktop, works fine. It hasnt really been optimised either
Myth (110)
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