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Looks interesting. Thanks xthx1138x.
Do you think Elyssa would be right or maybe Gloria is better?
Because of your older hardware you should use the Xfce- or Fluxbox edition of Felicia.
The Xfce version of Gloria will be out in a few days.
Of course you may try the main edition of Gloria, might be the best as long you are a beginner with linux...
Quote:
Originally Posted by turboscrew
Does Elyssa run on machine with VIA chipset and S3 Graphics UniChromeTM Pro IGP?
Is the compatible hardware the same as for Ubuntu?
Yeah, the same as for Ubuntu (Mint is based on Ubuntu)
Another distro you might have a look at is Puppy: http://puppylinux.org/
It runs completely in RAM (only 128 MB required) and is fast as hell.
Thanks again xthx1138x.
Looks so interesting that I guess I have to try puppy myself.
(I'm trying to find the distro for someone else
who is fed up with windows problems and wishing to
switch to Linux.)
Thanks mcnalu.
Slackware seems like a bit complicated for a total Linux noobie to whom I'm searching a distro.
However, I'll remember this in case I can't find any "easier" distro that works.
I guess that the lad is sooo sick of windows problems that he'll learn if that is what it takes.
I'm not a guru myself either, but I have used BSD unix, RedHat Linux (before Fedora) and Debian (now)
to some extent. Even wrote a couple of special HW drivers for HardHat, so I guess I can manage the
system installation. It's the installing of application SW that I'm more worried about.
The guy I'm hunting a distro for lives about 300 km from me, so trying out different distros
might take a couple of years (that's why I'm asking, not trying).
Thanks mcnalu.
Slackware seems like a bit complicated for a total Linux noobie to whom I'm searching a distro.
However, I'll remember this in case I can't find any "easier" distro that works.
Sure, I completely understand. Slackware does take a bit more upfront reading and setting up, but it's probably less fearsome than you think, it has a superb forum here on LQ and there is a payback down the road. I speak from experience as I switched from windows XP to slackware linux 18 months ago and haven't looked back. Have a read of this post if you're curious.
Quote:
I would suggest tinycore/microcore 2.1
screenshots here of jwm tinycore 2.1
I have also become very fond of tinycore, but my advice is to start with a wired ethernet connection. Wireless took quite a bit of work on all my laptops.
PS @linus72 - I've noticed that we both frequent the LQ slackware and tinycorelinux.com forums
And one more thing - the memory of the laptop can (and probably soon will be) updated to 1GB.
Does that change the situation?
With 1 GB RAM you can run every Edition (Gnome or KDE), which are easier for Linux Newbees.
Quote:
Originally Posted by turboscrew
About mint - I think there has been problems with ubuntu on a machine with VIA/S3.
The display seems to give people hard time.
Just try any Live CD. As you run into any Problems in Live Mode and don't find a solution, try another Distro.
Quote:
Originally Posted by turboscrew
What do you think of DreamLinux or Debian?
(At least Debian Lenny is quite easy to use.)
I tried Dreamlinux Xfce some Months ago, it seemed pretty similar to Mint Xfce and worked out of the box on my older machine.
I tested Debian last year and as i remember correctly, it has no live CD, you have to install it (btw: Ubuntu is a fork of Debian) which i didn't.
Try the search function on this website, maybe you'll find something you like: http://distrowatch.com
I run puppy on my own laptop witch is an older laptop with similar specs except 1GB of RAM. Fast! But when I checked the SW offered by the installer... remember, for a noobie...
Quote:
With 1 GB RAM you can run every Edition (Gnome or KDE), which are easier for Linux Newbees.
Just try any Live CD. As you run into any Problems in Live Mode and don't find a solution, try another Distro.
Funny, when I once tried Ubuntu on my older desktop it run OK from live CD, but installed system didn't work. I guess you can't always trust the live CD.
Quote:
I tried Dreamlinux Xfce some Months ago, it seemed pretty similar to Mint Xfce and worked out of the box on my older machine.
I tested Debian last year and as i remember correctly, it has no live CD, you have to install it (btw: Ubuntu is a fork of Debian) which i didn't.
On the same oldish laptop of mine Mint main edition is a bit slowish and Dreamlinux with Xfce kinda fast. I guess Mint with Xfce is worth trying.
BTW, it said on Ubuntu pages that the VIA/S3 problem is fixed.
How well do the application programs run on Xfce?
Is it all about libraries, and the desktop environment just about the desktop itself?
Yep, Debian has no live CD, but the installation is quite easy
with the new installer - I have Lenny amd64 in one of my desktops.
I wonder if I ever had any problems installing Debian.
Quote:
Try the search function on this website, maybe you'll find something you like: http://distrowatch.com
I have tried searching here with quite a many keywords - also searced Linux forums, Ubuntu forums and Packard Bell forums.
I guess the next thing to do is to check Mint with Xfce and Dreamlinux with Gnome.
Last edited by turboscrew; 07-11-2009 at 04:25 AM.
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