Best distro for Thinkpad 600 with dial-up modem enabled ?

mjwraw · 07-14-2011, 06:42 AM

Help please, my ageing parents have got hold of an old Thinkpad 600, which they've asked me to 'get working'. They don't have broadband, so will be using dial-up. My question is, which is the best installed distro for this task, (I don't want to use a 'live CD' distro as this would be too complicated for my parents). I tried Zenwalk 7.0, which runs lovely on it, but I just couldn't get the modem working on that distro. They'll only be using it for net surfing and email, so I need a nice simple light distro that is relatively easy to get working with the MWave 3780i DSP modem in a Thinkpad 600. Thanks

michaelk · 07-14-2011, 06:59 AM

Maybe mint or a lubuntu. The module mwave should be in the kernel sources and the support program is called mwavem.

dEnDrOn · 07-14-2011, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjwraw

They'll only be using it for net surfing and email, so I need a nice simple light distro that is relatively easy to get working with the MWave 3780i DSP modem in a Thinkpad 600.

my personal recommendation is lubuntu.....
you should read this to get a thorough idea !

0men · 07-14-2011, 07:14 AM

Mint would be the way to go

rokytnji · 07-14-2011, 07:47 AM

There are Numerous IBM 600 users running http://antix.mepis.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

and are on dial up also.

Same for http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=51474

mjwraw · 07-14-2011, 10:12 AM

Lots of interesting options then ! Antix, Mint and Lubuntu look favourites at present

cascade9 · 07-14-2011, 10:22 AM

I'd avoid lubuntu, if only due to nagging 'do you want to upgrade' pop-ups.

You really dont want mum + dad upgrading to the newest version then getting all the problems that can happen when you do that.

Not that it matters much anyway, unless the old Thinkpad 600 has had a major upgrade, none of the *buntus will install. Neither will mint (*buntu based or LMDE) or antiX.

Quote:

Overview - ThinkPad 600

IBM's ThinkPad 600 is the perfect balance between GREAT MOBILITY and PERFORMANCE. The most notable feature of the ThinkPad 600 is its THINNESS. The thin and light form factor of the Thinkpad 600 gives you substantial computing capabilities wherever you are -- at home, in the office or on-the-go. At only 1.4-inches thin, and weighing less than 2.2 kg or 5.0 pounds(1) with the weight saver bezel, the ThinkPad 600 delivers the processing power and screen size expected in a notebook.

THE LATEST INTEL(R) TECHNOLOGY: Models feature the latest Mobile Pentium(R) II processor at 266MHz(2) or 233MHz and the Pentium 233MHz processor with MMX(TM) technology, plus:
o 512K L2 cache
o Large 3.2 GB(3) or 4.0 GB HDD
o Designed to use the new fast 144-pin, 64-bit SDRAM SO DIMM, 3 V, non-parity memory(4)
o 32 MB SDRAM of memory standard

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...IK-3TQG38.html

32MB, thats not going to be fun even with the lightest of distros.....

rokytnji · 07-14-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

32MB, thats not going to be fun even with the lightest of distros. none of the *buntus will install. Neither will mint (*buntu based or LMDE) or antiX.

I agree with above statement also. All I can show is latest forum member with a 600X and his specs and testimonial.

http://antix.freeforums.org/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3242

mjwraw · 07-15-2011, 10:54 AM

I think this 600 must have been upgraded at some point then because it has 128mb memory. Definitely a 600 though - model number 2645-510. I've also fitted a much bigger (40 Gb) hard drive, so hopefully I'll still be able to try out the various distros.

Having said that, just cut an Antix M11 live CD, and it hangs as soon as it starts booting off the CD with the following:

Missing parameter in configuration file. Keyword: APPEND
gfxboot:
Could not detect available memory size
boot:

I know the CD is OK because it loads fine on a T20 I have, so must be something up with the 600 and Antix (the reason I say with Antix M11 specifically is because I've already installed Zenwalk on this 600 fine, but gave up on it because I couldn't get the modem to work with Zenwalk).

rokytnji · 07-15-2011, 02:00 PM

Sometimes the cd itself is the issue ie brand or type on some boxes. (For example on an old laptop I had, cdrw would not boot, but cdw would) is all I can think of for your

Quote:

Missing parameter in configuration file. Keyword: APPEND
gfxboot:
Could not detect available memory size
boot:

Ran into something similar with cdrw disk that would boot on my IBM T23 but not on my IBM A22M.

anticapitalista · 07-15-2011, 04:09 PM

You might need to try the 486 version rather than the 686 one.