LinuxQuestions.org
Visit Jeremy's Blog.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Distributions
User Name
Password
Linux - Distributions This forum is for Distribution specific questions.
Red Hat, Slackware, Debian, Novell, LFS, Mandriva, Ubuntu, Fedora - the list goes on and on... Note: An (*) indicates there is no official participation from that distribution here at LQ.

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 07-12-2005, 07:13 AM   #1
Megahurts
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Jun 2005
Posts: 1

Rep: Reputation: 0
Question Distro for use by the kids


Hi,

I'm looking for some advice as to which distro to use on a older IBM Thinkpad 600x (P3 500mhz, 192mb RAM, 12GB HDD)

It's mainly going to be used by kids for web surfing, IM, playing MP3s etc and if possible watching the odd DVD or AVI.

I'm considering either Ubuntu or Mepis but any other suggestions would be appreciated.

The main requirements are:

Easy to install: I want the kids to get an understanding of non-MS OS's and how to install them, so something like Gentoo is just going to bore and/or scare them.

Easy to use: Easy to add shortcuts to the desktop or launcher bar.

Thanks

Paul
 
Old 07-12-2005, 07:37 AM   #2
J_K9
Member
 
Registered: Nov 2004
Distribution: Slackware 11, Ubuntu 6.06 LTS
Posts: 700

Rep: Reputation: 30
Ubuntu is a great distro but the installation might be a bit frightening as it's text-based, no fancy GUI like in other distros. You may want to browse through the top distros at Distrowatch, and look at some screenshots. Really, this boils down to personal opinion. SUSE is quite nice, and it's installation is very simple and easy to follow. Fedora has a pretty installation, but I would advise you to avoid the distro like the plague!

I would go for either Ubuntu or Kubuntu. The apt package download system is amazing, and if you don't want to use the command-line, Synaptic is a great front-end for it. They both have great hardware recognition (Ubuntu's is better), but you may find that KDE is slightly more 'kid friendly'. For menu editing, a simple "sudo apt-get install smeg" in the command-line, and then selecting "smeg" in "Applications --> System Tools" is as easy as pie. It's up to you. Some people also like Kanotix, which is also based on Debian. You'll be able to find more info on all of these distros at Distrowatch - best of luck!

Last edited by J_K9; 07-12-2005 at 07:39 AM.
 
Old 07-12-2005, 07:41 AM   #3
Pete M
Member
 
Registered: Aug 2003
Location: UK
Distribution: Redhat 9 FC 3 SUSE 9.2 SUSE 9.3 Gentoo 2005.0 Debian Sid
Posts: 657

Rep: Reputation: 32
Megahurts

One word Suse

Not sure how well it will run on your hardware but for ease of installation and use don't think you can beat it

Every time I've installed it on different machines it just works

My distro of choice is currently Gentoo but as you say it's not for the impatient

Pete
 
Old 07-12-2005, 07:54 AM   #4
eBopBob
Member
 
Registered: Jan 2004
Location: Europe.
Distribution: Windows XP, openSuse 10.1
Posts: 215

Rep: Reputation: 30
There are many distributions you can choose from. If you're looking for a nice graphical installer, then I wouldn't advise Ubuntu - Because it isn't graphical; although I don't think you should really take the installer too much into account, since honestly, how often do you install your operating system?

I would recommend any of the following: SuSE, Ubuntu, Fedora Core or Mandriva.

The reason being they are all easy to install, have decent hardware detection, and are easy to just get into without too much hassle. Your kids shouldn't have any problems on any of those.
 
Old 07-12-2005, 04:44 PM   #5
XavierP
Moderator
 
Registered: Nov 2002
Location: Kent, England
Distribution: Debian Testing
Posts: 19,192
Blog Entries: 4

Rep: Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475Reputation: 475
Debian Jr is designed specifically for kids.
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Looking for a distro with kids games that would run on older computer Silly Burrito Linux - Newbie 2 10-13-2005 11:15 PM
best linux distro for kids aged ~3-5 chess Linux - General 11 10-03-2005 01:32 PM
Best distro for a 450mhz, P3, 32 mb ram computer? For kids? stalefries Linux - Distributions 11 07-08-2005 06:13 PM
Distro for kids? mhelliwell Linux - Distributions 10 03-06-2005 05:10 AM
linux for the kids dr_zayus69 Linux - Distributions 6 12-14-2004 09:05 PM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Distributions

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:24 AM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration