Linux on an OLD Computer.
 

Right now I'm looking to install a Distro of any *NIX system on a Packard Bell. This thing is quite old and can't handle anything graphically instense so I'm thinking a version of Linux that's pretty much all text. It's an i386 arch. It has 6GB HD and can barely run Windows 98. The graphics card sucks. So far I've tried running SuSE 9.0 Pro, but that's to graphically intense for it. I've also tried Knoppix 3.4 but I guess that's also to instense. It has very little ram as well. Basically, what I'm wondering is if anyone out there has any good suggestions on a Linux distro I can install on it that only takes up one cd (the smaller the better). The purpose for this machine is to just run Samba...that's it. It's just gonna be a server machine used to transfer small files between computers in a single household. Right now I have downloaded Gnu-Darwin, and College Linux and I'm gonna try an install to see how it works. if it works I post back.
:Pengy:

Best thing I can think of is to use Slackware. A full install should only be 3GB, and that's including KDE, which you can't run on an old PC anyway.

So install Slackware and tell it NOT to install KDE.

This works; I have Slack installed on a 2.05 GB HD with about 60% used.
And get this: THE GFX CARD IS ONLY 1 MB! :D

Try Vector Linux.

Vijay

Vector Linux used to be great for older hardware - I ran it on a p200mmx w/16 megs of RAM. I'm sure the newer versions are still just as good. Slackware would be fine, however I'd go with 9.1 rather than 10 for older hardware - unless you want the hotplug script (bootup will take a lot longer with it). For GUIs, go with Windowmaker or Fluxbox. IceWM might work ok as well.

I believe that the mandrake installer has an option where you can install a dedicated box package (from rpms) with minimal hardware capabilities & older driver modules and stuff. It's meant for old machines that can be used as routers and file servers and Bastion hosts and such. BTW NFS has better network perf than samba (unless you need samba bcoz some of ur clients in the network are windows).

The mandrake 9.2 distro has two versions of 'tiny' linux for such situations.
Also, if you go text only you an get all the functionality as a server, just a bit harder to configure.

I am running a full graphical install (128meg of ram) on an IBM p333. It runs the web server just fine, but its a bit slow for the few times I need the kde desktop.

Stuart

Check out the Knoppix cheatcodes.
"knoppix 2" will get you text only, "knoppix desktop=(fluxbox,icewm)" for a lighter GUI.
Good Luck.

D.S.L.
 

DSL is a nice distro for an old machine. I just recently installed it on an old 486 dx 50mhz Laptop. I did have to take the drive out and load it from another machine but it works great with Fluxbox. All apps seem to work fine.