how do I install linux on a hp compaq t5520?

billfolkerts · 06-20-2009, 04:48 PM

I have HP Compaq t5520 that has windows ce installed.

How do remove ce and how do I install Linux?
tks
bill

palisetty_suman · 06-20-2009, 05:25 PM

Hi you first make the backup of your drivers and prepare the system restore cd. Then you need to format the disk and create two partitions. in the primary partition, install windows and the second partition install linux.

My advise is to keep as it as and don't format and use live cd's by which you can run virtually. without installing. there live cd's for fedora, xubuntos, knoppix etc. All the best.

explodingzebras · 06-20-2009, 06:16 PM

Well this is a tricky one, i myself wished to install Linux on one of these. The only way i see to install linux is by not actually installing it on the internal storage, as its way too small, and would be worn out if it had swap written to it too much. You can install a small distro onto a usb stick e.g Puppy, DSL, or Slax. One suitable distro you could use is Webconverger a Kiosk distro that gives just a full-screen web browser which you can install to usb stick: http://webconverger.org/usb/

The other possibility is by using it for it's original purpose - a thin client - by installing Ubuntu on another machine setup as an LTSP server.

Tutorial here:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ub...SPQuickInstall

okos · 06-20-2009, 06:29 PM

Welcome to LQ.

It will take a while to become conformable with linux. It is very different then windows.

As suggested by palisetty_suman, try a live cd first. Ubuntu is the most popular distro. The ubuntu cd will both run as a live cd and has the option to install if you so choose.

Knoppix is meant to be run solely as a live cd. It is NOT meant to be installed on a harddrive.

If you like the live cd, I suggest to try a dual boot first. You will have windows installed on the first partition and linux on the second. (Provided you have hard drive 60 gigs or larger.)

It gives you the option to go back to windows if you need various things or if you run into problems.

If you decided to install both, there is a wealth of info available for you here.

EDIT Please excuse my ignorance. I did not realize that it was a glorified PDA. Perhaps something like DSL would be your best bet. You can install linux on an ipod so there is probably no reason why you could not install linux on one of these machines.

explodingzebras · 06-21-2009, 03:14 PM

well i wouldn't call a thin client a glorified PDA, its just a low power 'terminal' to access the OS through a server. An a live cd is not really an option as it has no cd drive, so a usb boot or network boot is the only option, unless you have a usb cd drive plugged in all the time, which kinda increases the machines footprint somewhat.