murrays 0 #1 April 3, 2006 So, in the not-so-distant future I will be retiring my old HP 2100 233mhz 160mb ram(the maximum ram that can be installed) , 6 gb HD Pentium laptop from business service as I transfer the few Windows programs I have to use to a newer laptop. I was thinking of turning it into a Linux machine just for something to do. Is this a bad idea? I know nothing about Unix/Linux except that my Macs run Unix under the hood...I occasionally open a Terminal window in OS X but I couldn't do anything in Unix to save my life. Is there a distribution that would be relatively easy to install without knowing a lot of Unix to start with? Could I install X11 and GUI type applications on a machine like this? Would it be a dog? Will Linux run relatively well on a machine of these specs or will this all be a complete waste of time? I'm open to suggestions and ideas for this machine. So, Linux guys and gals, what should I do?-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broke 0 #2 April 3, 2006 I don't rember the Unix varient out there, but there is now a version that will autodetect everything for you so the days of compiling your kernal are over. Also I hear its GUI is so streamlined that with the exception of a few minor differences you will barely tell you are running a Nix box. Go for it. If worse comes to worse get a GPS reciever from Radio shack. I believe they are about 20 bucks and use it as a navagation system for your car.Divot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
70sdiver 0 #3 April 3, 2006 try mandrake linux its a really good linux program .you should be able to run well faster than windows. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wlie 0 #4 April 3, 2006 Also consider NetBSD. You might find it closer to OS X in it's underpinnings. Then again, there's Darwin which is what's really under all that pretty Aqua UI.My other ride is the relative wind. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest 1010 #5 April 3, 2006 A painless way of learning Linux is to run a "Live" version, Suse has one ... download an iso disk image, burn it to, then boot it off of, a cd-rom. Itll find your hardware, create a 500 meg file on your C: drive that contains its file system (which is what you'll see when running it). The one I used left the 500 meg file, so it booted faster the next time. No need to tear apart your old system until you want to. You can have it good, fast, or cheap: pick two. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McDuck 0 #6 April 3, 2006 I agree with the suggestion to try a few "live" CD versions of linux. There are quite a few distros that have live CDs, and it lets you learn without committing to any one distro in particular. I run Fedora Core 5 at work, but the learning curve is a bit steep on that one. If you have someone in your area who can talk you through setting up your repositories and downloading/installing rpms (software packages), it won't be too terribly difficult to grasp.Kevin - Sonic Beef #5 - OrFun #28 "I never take myself too seriously, 'cuz everybody know fat birds don't fly." - FLC Online communities: proof that people never mature much past high school. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #7 April 3, 2006 I concur with what the other contributors to this thread have said; yet part of it depends upon how keen you are to jump in with both feet and mess with the brains, as it were. But not to worry, there are several very-friendly distros that will run on your machine. I ran Mandrake 7.2 on my Dell Latitude PII-233 (3.2GB HD, 64MB RAM) for years without a problem, and it even did Plug-n-Play for the PCMCIA modem and NIC I put in it. You shouldn't have any trouble downloading an earlier evolution than the current one if you want to run Linux on so-called "obsolete" systems. There are also several "ultra-light" (as opposed to "lite" [read -- crippled]) distros that will more than fit the bill. Consider Orange Linux, Dragon Linux, and Damn Small Linux. Dragon has a full-featured GUI (IceWM) that will run on a 120 Mhz Pentium I (I know, because I tried it on a CompaQ laptop)! Tiny Linux will run on even older machines (I ran it on a 486-33 laptop w/ 8MB RAM. No GUI, tho.). One of the coolest things is that the small distros can be downloaded quickly. You can start here, see also distrowatch. Your biggest hurdle if you with the smaller or older distros is getting all the info about your machine, especially the video and NIC chipsets. Aside from those, it won't be hard, especially if you go with a friendly distro like Mandrake (now called "Mandriva" for some reason). Your best bet for getting your feet wet is to go with a "live" (boot-from-cd) distro. That way, you can't possibly hose your existing system. Or you can just go for it and slog it out with the older or more obscure distros. Like they say at Suse: "Have a lot of fun!" HTH mh ."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jumpah 0 #8 April 3, 2006 I've been running a SUSE 9.2 install for a while and like it. Borders/BN, etc, have lots of getting started guides for Linux. If you don't want to commit to rebuilding your system, check out Knoppix (www.knoppix.org). Its a linux OS on a bootable disc. You even have access to NTFS file systems if they exist. SUSE 10 is out. Here's a link: http://www.novell.com/linux/ SUSE has been really solid. There are lots of great linux distributions. New OS's are fun...I did a job this weekend installing a new server for a company and bartered a Mac G4 with OS X. My first time with a Mac (I bought myself a case of beer). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeiber 0 #9 April 3, 2006 QuoteIs there a distribution that would be relatively easy to install without knowing a lot of Unix to start with? They're all pretty easy to initially install. Installing software after the fact, and applying patches/kernel upgrades is where it's tough. Without knowing what you're trying to do, it's hard to recommend a *nix to install. As you see in this thread, there are many. If you just want sometning to play with, any will do. If you're looking to boost your technical skills, I would suggest some of the major brands. Fedora, as McDuck mentioned, RedHat, and a number of other distrributions are fine. You also might want to look at OpenBSD, FreeBSD, and NetBSD. All similar, but with different strong points. QuoteCould I install X11 and GUI type applications on a machine like this? Would it be a dog? Will Linux run relatively well on a machine of these specs or will this all be a complete waste of time? Yes, you can install X11 on here, but it'll definitely be a dog. The OS itself will run on that box, no prob. It's the GUI that'll choke it. Depending on the type of install you do, you're probably going to be tight on hard drive space. Also, none of these are 'easy' to learn and work with. Documentation is usually sketchy, incomplete, or just plain errant in some cases. On the other hand, all are very powerful and flexible. Jeff ps- I used FreeBSD, until an upgrade hosed the whole system. Now I'm just trying to find time to reinstall.... Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #10 April 4, 2006 Quote Yes, you can install X11 on here, but it'll definitely be a dog. The OS itself will run on that box, no prob. It's the GUI that'll choke it. Not if it's a light GUI. Full-up KDE3 or Gnome is hopeless, obviously; yet there a LOADS of other GUIs to choose from that aren't top-heavy (like the above-mentioned IceWM). Quote Depending on the type of install you do, you're probably going to be tight on hard drive space. Not with the light distros like Dragon, Monkey, or Peanut. 130 MB for Dragon, btw Quote Also, none of these are 'easy' to learn and work with. Documentation is usually sketchy, incomplete, or just plain errant in some cases. On the other hand, all are very powerful and flexible. If you can read English and follow simple instructions, you can install a light distro. source"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTAVercetti 0 #11 April 4, 2006 Please note, I did not even read anyone else's posts: Run DSL: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/ It is 50 mb and is a live CD so you can run it right from your CD rom or a flash drive (linux at whatever computer you happen to be using). And still relatively fast. It can also be installed to HD later if you want. Most hardware is auto configured. It is not the BESt distro out there (and what is best is TOTALLY a matter of preference), but it is pretty cool to just see what LInux is like. And for being 50 megs, it does pretty well. Knoppix is another live Cd. If you want to just TRY linux without installing first, go with a Live Distro. They basically "install" (quotes since they actually run from CD) themselves as long as your computer does not have exotic hardware.Why yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jduebi 0 #12 April 4, 2006 FreeBSD is also realy nice. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #13 April 5, 2006 Guys, Thanks for all the suggestions. I've been exploring websites for many of the "flavors" of Linux mentioned and have to admit I am bewildered by it all. It certainly isn't a trivial undertaking! Hats off to all of you that use this software as it certainly takes a lot of acumen to do so. I like the idea of using a Live version to try things out to start. Can I burn one of the Live distros to a CD using my Mac....my laptop is so old I don't have a CD-Burner on it, just a read-only CD drive.-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeiber 0 #14 April 5, 2006 QuoteNot if it's a light GUI. Full-up KDE3 or Gnome is hopeless, obviously; yet there a LOADS of other GUIs to choose from that aren't top-heavy (like the above-mentioned IceWM). 'light' window managers are also light on support and documentation. QuoteNot with the light distros like Dragon, Monkey, or Peanut. 130 MB for Dragon, btw Yup, and he'll be getting exactly that... a 130MB operating system... If he's looking for something just to play with, those are fine solutions. If he's looking for something he can talk about in a job interview, I think the major OS's would yield more valuable experience. QuoteIf you can read English and follow simple instructions, you can install a light distro. Agreed. They're all easy to install. Now recompile the Kernel, install Apache with PHP and MySQL support. Oh yeah, lock it down while you're at it.Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DTOXX 0 #15 April 5, 2006 I like Knoppix (www.knoppix.com) Full autodetect live CD with easy docs on how to install on the HD. Full detect with a full suite of programs on the CD ISO file. ------- D.T. Holder SIMstudy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lummy 4 #16 April 5, 2006 Quote FreeBSD is also realy nice. Yeah, but not for a beginners desktop. IF he said he wanted a nice stable nix server to run apache and mysql and router, then yeah, Beastie all the way!!I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #17 April 5, 2006 Quote Agreed. They're all easy to install. Now recompile the Kernel, install Apache with PHP and MySQL support. Oh yeah, lock it down while you're at it. "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" d00d, plz see his original post: "I was thinking of turning it into a Linux machine just for something to do." He's just trying to get his feet wet - he isn't jonesing to be a Unix enterprise sys admin. mh"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
murrays 0 #18 April 5, 2006 Quote he isn't jonesing to be a Unix enterprise sys admin. mh Unix sys admin...omg no....I barely keep our little work network of 4 Macs and 2 PCs running and that is enough for me I just want to be able to check out the speed/stability of Linux while doing e-mail/websurfing...if that is possible on my old machine. I don't see why it wouldn't be possible but I guess that depends on how "heavy" a desktop I use on it. My investigations continue....-- Murray "No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeiber 0 #19 April 5, 2006 Quote "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" Quote"I was thinking of turning it into a Linux machine just for something to do." Yeah, you're right. I'm just thinking back to how I got drawn into the linux/unix stuff - same reasons as him. Heard alot about RedHat, so I installed it. Years later, curiosity still has me poking around, trying to make things work. I started trying to learn the stuff so I could just be more knowledgable in front of customers. I dunno if it worked or not! Shhh... you hear that sound? That's the sound of nobody caring! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydany 0 #20 April 5, 2006 Hello, as a beginner in linux too, I'd suggest you have a look at the ubuntu distribution. It's now 3 months i'm on linux and everything goes well. Easy to install easy to use an helpfull community...Btw i installed it for a friend on a compaq laptop which has almost same configuration as yours. Enjoy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GTAVercetti 0 #21 April 5, 2006 Try checking out this site for all the info: http://distrowatch.com/ particularly: http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=reviewsWhy yes, my license number is a palindrome. Thank you for noticing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #22 April 5, 2006 Hmm....thou intriguest me...I did an install of GenToo on a Mac G4 Sawtooth. Worked fine. Welcome to the Bright Side of the Force! mh"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #23 April 5, 2006 Quote I started trying to learn the stuff so I could just be more knowledgable in front of customers. I dunno if it worked or not! heh "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Broke 0 #24 April 5, 2006 Quote Unix sys admin...omg no....I barely keep our little work network of 4 Macs and 2 PCs running and that is enough for me I just want to be able to check out the speed/stability of Linux while doing e-mail/websurfing...if that is possible on my old machine. I don't see why it wouldn't be possible but I guess that depends on how "heavy" a desktop I use on it. My investigations continue.... I have a friend who was a IT manager at a local company. The first thing he did with the server was make it a unix box, and he said that fixed a lot of problems with the server they were having. He also had to clean up a bunch of stuff that outside consultants installed. Damn consulants. Hey look our product is working good bye.Divot your source for all things Hillbilly. Anvil Brother 84 SCR 14192 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisL 2 #25 April 5, 2006 QuoteAlso consider NetBSD. You might find it closer to OS X in it's underpinnings. Then again, there's Darwin which is what's really under all that pretty Aqua UI. OSX is a FreeBSD kernel__ My mighty steed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
