Good free Linux for an old computer

[cuog]

I plan on getting one of my old computers back up and running to use with linux but i am unsure of which ones will be able to run on it with the old hardware:

400Mhz AMD K6 maybe as much as 256 MB of RAM but at least 128 10 gig hd and an old S3 graphix card(AGP)

Since i havent used linux too much(i ran mandrake 10 b4 loosing the CDs) so i will need one that is fairly noob friendly thanks.

[Panama Red]

Ubuntu has a "Live" disk download that you can use to make a cd. You can then run off the cd and try Ubuntu without loading it to the hard drive.

[Kareeser]

Your hardware may be a good pair with Xubuntu. It was released about a month ago, and uses the same packages as Ubuntu/Kubuntu. It is built with efficiency in mind.

Check it out here

[glc]

I'm running Kubuntu on a K6-2/500 with 256 ram and a 4 meg Matrox PCI video card. It runs fine.

[flcpge]

Ubuntu and Kubuntu are too slow because of fatty Gnome and KDE. Xubuntu is better with Xfce. Even better would be any Linux distro (Ubuntu is fine) with a light window manager like Fluxbox.

[faulkner132]

For something designed to be lightweight and work on older hardware, you could try Damn Small Linux (Google it).

[cuog]

Thanks for the tips I am looking into D@mn small linux and xubuntu at the moment but i will likely go checkl out ubuntu as well.

[cuog]

Ok so i downloaded Xubntu and DSL the xubuntu will not boot from the CD it says it needs a BIOS update to do so. I dont think that there are still BIOS updates for the old motherboard. The DSL when i run it i get the little splash screen that says press enter to continue then the CAPS lock and scroll lock lights just blink. does anyone know what is wrong? did the cds burn bad or are they just not compatible with so old of a system?

[old dog 2]

Go to www.on-disk.com and get "PCLinuxOS". You will be very happy.

[glc]

There may be a way to create a boot floppy that will load CD drivers and let you install from CD. Nonbootable CD drives are common with old machines.

[Parangles]

Cuog- I tried DSL- and many others- didnt like- Go with Xubuntu.
I had the same problem with getting it to load. First, check the boot sequence
in BIOS. Must have CD set before hard drive.
Are you sure you got a complete, clean download ?
You can do a checksum . Also, are you sure you selected ' bootablecopy'
when you were burning the downloaded file onto CD?
Did you download the correct version for your hardware? Intel vs AMd etc.
The LiveCd can also be used to install it on the HDD-thats not a problem.

Stay with it. A very nice looking and running OS. I love it.

PS EDIT- just saw glcs post- there is a sbootmgr.dsk available somewhere.
Didn't work for me , but try it if everything else checks out OK.

[old dog 2]

Go here "http://btmgr.webframe.org/index.php3?body=about.html". Don't forget to try PCLunixOS. Sorry I just think it is great!!!

[cuog]

Thamks for the help but the computer just took a crap, i think it was ready to die anyway. i have used every CD drive i own, the problem isnt that it doesnt boot to the CD the problem is that when linux is loading before it goes the the text that its configuring for all my hardware, it just dies, gives a weird colored screen and thats that. The reason i think it is completely dead is because with no cd in the drive it will not try to recognize HD or CD drive durring post and it wont give me its usual no OS warning.

Edit: the DSL cd will boot with a celeron 527 Mhz Laptop(its running on there now) and it will boot on the rig in my signature

[glc]

I wasn't referring to just the drive - the motherboard bios has to support it fully too.

[cuog]

Thanks but the the motherboard has completely died now. good news is i may be getting an oldish system so i will play around with linux on that, thanks for the help tho.

[faulkner132]

You could always get an old hard drive (or a new one for that matter as they are $30) and give it a shot on your current machine. I promise it will be well worth your time if you give it a fair shot.

[2GNUBY]

I am able to run SimplyMEPIS 3.4.3 on my P2 400mhz w/512mb mem but has an 80gig HD... it's a bit slow with KDE but flat cruises with Fluxbox. 2GNUBY
PS I did have to change the boot sequence in Bios for the install CD to work and then change back after installed.

[Kareeser]

You don't really have to change it back

---

I also installed Xubuntu onto an AMD K6... It ran at about a third of the speed of Windows 98, but what can I say, Windows 98 was made for computers built in that era

However, it could just have been old equipment.

[cuog]

Actually the only thing stopping me from running linux on my main computer is that i game and use other apps that are windows only, but if anyonw knows of any VM type stuff that will allow me to run windows on Linux w/o dual booting i would love that

[ghost2003]

Check out VMware. The basic VMware player is free. Take a look at the *BSD's. You wont regret it. They are sure to run on an old computer with no problem too.
Just btw, you can use cedega to play windows games on linux. I never tried it but it is supposed to work well.

[Computer Hobbyist]

I have a question I haven't seen asked.

Why do you want to load Linux?

If it is just for fun, figure out how to dual boot on your fastest machine. Linux is a modern operating system. It's gui front ends demand ram. Just like Windows XP won't work very well on an older system.

That said I am currently running Ubuntu on a 900 mhz Celeron with 512 mg of ram. and an old video card. It runs great. It handles the internet like a champ and does just fine with office applications. It remains, however, limited in just the same way as any similar computer running WindowsXP. It vomits on video games. It is slow, slow, slow when I am trying to edit photos. Video editing? Forget about it. Why would you expect. The processor is a 900 mhz Celeron built in the Pentium III era.

If you want to know what Linux is capable of doing, run it on your most powerful computer. It has very serious advantages over WindowsXP. I haven't compared it to WindowsVista so I don't know about that. The biggest advantage is the way Ubuntu (and Debian) handle software upgrades. The synaptic package manager is excellent. You have over 16,000 software packages to choose from. Some better than others.

It handles CD recording and video downloading flawlessly. It works well with the other computers on my home network. Unlike some older versions of Linux it has no problem recognizing any of my equipment.

Now if you want to create a server with a gig or more of ram and honking big harddrive using an older machine. Go for it. All a server needs is a good network card or two, a lot of ram and a big harddrive. Linux can handle all your needs very well with an older processor. When I replace my old server on my office network I am going to use Linux instead of the Microsoft product.

[ghost2003]

CH, ubuntu uses apt-get (with a fancy GUI front-end (yuck!)). The *BSD use package and ports systems that are much better and easier than apt-get.
I looked through the thread again and in the first post you said you were new to linux and wanted something "noob friendly". I can honestly say the only thing like that are docs. Read documentation and you will know your way arrouns a unix system in no time. Being pampered by ubuntus graphical configuration apps and gnome (double yuck!) will do you no good in the end.
Trust me, look arround at the different OS's available, look at what they have to offer and try different ones in a VM. Thats what I did and finally settled on OpenBSD (unfortunatly though my huge NTFS partition and the unwillingness of transgaming to release a BSD port of cadega is preventing me from switching to it.).
I'm sure it wont take you long before you despise ubuntu (I know I do and im certainly not the only one).
Anyways wether its in a VM or if you do get that old PC running (or another one) good luck in the wounderful world of unix/unix-like.

[cuog]

Thank you much, when i say i am a linux n00b i dont mean that i know nothing i mean that i have little experience with it, about 2 years off and on, i ran mandrake a while ago and loved it the only reason i using it is because the CDs got lost and the computer it was installed on got fried, and windows is all i had, i have been using knoppix and DSL boot disks to play eith linux and i have been doing this so that when i have my main comp running linux i dont get lost and need to boot into windows to get something done.

I don;t like dual booting because it involves alot of wasted time, i want one OS that will do what i need,
I have also become fond of KDE so i am now looking for an install linux that uses the KDE as an option for my main computer, this last virus attack has made me dispise windows, does anyone know a good install that uses the KDE and will be compatible w/ my main rig in my sig?

Sorry about the spelling i am typing in the dark. And thanks for the help

PS i am typing this from DSL because windows wont let me on the internet

edit: i have used vista and it is too bloated for me, way too much uneeded ui stuff
edit2: does anyone know how good wine is of an emulator?

[ghost2003]

Whatever distro you use KDE will be an option. If the installer doesnt install it then you can just add it seperatly. I think its kdebase that will install the basic kde components although im not sure. (kde comes in multiple packages of apps) One thing I do recommend if you use KDE, learn how to do everything the KDE apps do (such as file manipulation, extraction,etc...) in command lines. If you like it good for you but dont become dependant on it or it will bite you in the butt one day.

[Computer Hobbyist]

Ghost

There have been a number of distributions that have not been very compatible with my computer. BSD (not Linux, but close enough for this purpose) doesn't do well at my house. No matter what I try whenever I install any version of BSD my network card can no longer become part of my local network. I have spent hours, and hours messing with BSD. I have the same problem with Gentoo. It is kind of sad actually, but there you are.

Funny I haven't had that problem with Ubuntu, Mandrake, Red Hat, Fedora or just about anybody that doesn't use the package and ports system. If a distribution can't find its way to and past your network card, it is useless.

[faulkner132]

Originally Posted by cuog I don;t like dual booting because it involves alot of wasted time, i want one OS that will do what i need, I have also become fond of KDE so i am now looking for an install linux that uses the KDE as an option for my main computer, this last virus attack has made me dispise windows, does anyone know a good install that uses the KDE and will be compatible w/ my main rig in my sig?

Try Kunbuntu.
http://www.kubuntu.org/

[cuog]

ok i downloaded kubuntu for my main computer and tried installing it, it states that it is unable to mount any of my 3 drives,(fujitsu 4 gig, wd120gig ide, and my wd80gig sata, it sees them but gives an error when it tries to mount them) so i need to reformat them so that they are not running NTFS or is that not the problem


I am also running the check on the CD to make sure that it is undamaged since my CD burner doesnt seem to like me

EDIT: no problems found on disk, i then rebooted and tried install again and it seems to be working(its now copying files)

EDIT2: It installed and told me to reboot to use the new install when i do so my BIOS just says "missing Operating System"
Do i need to reinstall the bootloader, or something like that?

[faulkner132]

Did you let the installer configure GRUB for you?
If not, you will probably need to configure the Windows bootloader (ntldr) to dual boot.

[cuog]

no it didnt say anything about GRUB but i am trying to get rid of windows, so would a reinstall that completely overwrote the windows partition work for what i need?

[faulkner132]

Since you want to get rid of Windows completely and you are starting with a new Kunbuntu install, why not 0-write your hard drive first and then install Kunbuntu. This way you are assured of a clean install.