I have a perfectly operating , mechanically,Toshiba Satellite with an AMD Turion 64 x2 T-58, 1.8Gz and the original 160GB HDD. It has , currently , the completely up to date WinVista x32 SP3. It works, but all i do is to turn it on, let it run to do the updates and run the virus scan since i have it wired into my router. do not do much of anything else on it. far too slow.
i have held back changing over to a 128 or 256Gb SSD, prices have become almost attractive enough to experiment but am wondering if the Toshiba able to handle the drivers for Linux apps like the AMD x1200 integrated graphics side or the audio component and LAN? It has never allowed any normal download/install of standard software and drivers directly , for those thing. all were proprietary Toshiba. And,whether any real speed gain can be achieved by doing so. It is about $100 to $150 for a SSD if there is one that will fit Samsung, maybe crucial marvel based, i found searching,so far
I just dont know about how bios in this can deal with achi,if it even exists, and how LINUX not Toshiba fits in with this mix
I am fairly sure i can get the appropriate hardware and make that work, now, can LINUX Ubuntu 14.04LTS and/or Mint16 Petra work with this Toshiba?
Thank you
John

Install a linux on an USB, boot from that USB (no install, only for testing purpose).
You should see if the PC is working fine.
Or brun diverse CDs with different linux live. And test.
Then, install the best linux in your opinion.

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Thank you for the help, I have done that much, got the Mint16 and Ubuntu 14.04LTS on my flash drives. that works but i was just wondering about the associated drivers now forced to be Toshiba only and available only via toshiba.
How the bios might effect the permanent linux only os?
Or, is a dual boot method a better or useful option. I know i can make the mint work, so far, but that is from that slow flash/thumb drive. I have searched the available sites that come up, toms,toshiba forum, etc but cant find any matches that apply to linux, toshiba a215, ssd. not all 3 fields.
Thanks , though. I will ultimately find out,just waiting to spend the $100 more or less , on the ssd. just not up to putting out much, yet.

Isn't Mint 16 a non-LTS version? wouldn't you be better with Mint 17?

I can't see an issue with drivers occurring but that is why you would test it with a LiveUSB or LiveCD. Just make sure you enable non-free or whatever Ubuntu and Mint call their equivalent to non-free. That way if the drivers are in non-free you can get them and they will update when they are available.

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Thanks for the update,didnt know there was a 17 lts for mint, i will do so. i have run it and think it will work, just cant tell the speed boost using the slow dvd drive or usb drive in this laptop. that is my major, if not only concern. is that speed going to compensate for the old turion 64x2 T-58 Taylor chip at 1.9gz? I dont want to put $200 into the thing or $150 on the compatible ssd, samsung 830, or one that might not be as useful in my newer desktop builds i make for myself and family. the laptop is my oldest dinosaur (future doorstop) around. but it is cool running, not including the fact it takes a minute to do 2 things at once on it now. once it gets fired up, then it can do one thing at a time ok and much is due to OS/slow drive but the rest is cpu/ x1200 radeon . too.
thanks for your response though. i will go look for mint 17 now , and yes it will be better should i put it in the laptop for ssd use. cant really tell using it in the dvd ,still very slow but this is the Toshiba original,2nd one, CD/dvd drive and 8x max i think. I have run Ubuntu 14.4 lts , i think is its designation a well as mint 16 Petra and the load times for the CD are better than the Vista sp3 but really hampered by having to use that type of drive to access the whole package. i can imagine that the ssd would be a whole different experience. I believe it will be worth it, and thought there may have been other laptop users with old dell, gateway, Toshiba units with a proprietary bios designed solely for that brand and look to see what,if any , problems there may be.
john

The liveCD will tell you if the graphics, LAN whatever work.
Marvel used to be a problem years ago, but again, the liveCD shoulld show whether the drivers are ok - as they should be. Toshiba laptops are a PITA re the proprietary drivers, but that is basically a windoze issue not Linux.

Can't see why you are considering a SSD for such old kit - how much RAM do you have - that is likely to be a bigger concern with Ubuntu/Mint. If the liveCD is slow, might indicate you don't have enough RAM. They (Ubuntu and Mint) are by default quite "heavy" resource pigs - particularly the video which could be a concern.
Maybe try something lighter - I like Bohdi which is also a Ubuntu derivative for older/underpowered hardware.

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Mint 17 Qiana was released on May the 31st Just over a week ago. It's an LTS version with 5 years support. Mint 16 Petra is a normal one with 9 months support which will expire in July.

I'd probably recommend the Mate edition of it to you. It's friendlier on the hardware than the Cinnamon edition which I'm using

If you try the live DVD version of it, then you can check if your hardware is fully supported by Linux. It's old stuff, but only one way to find out. Good thing you can test it before installing it

Good luck

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I always had maxed out ram in this Satellite, 8gb ddr2 800 i think it was. maxed it despite only being 32bit. didnt know better and thought i could easily change it to 64. it was my first 'PC' microsoft venture. had been a mac/apple only for 12yrs before from mac classic.
but, it still has plenty of ram. whatever max was, i filled it.
i have heard in each post Live-CD and will have to look . i do not know what that is, exactly.
I downloaded the ubuntu and mint and burnt a cd/dvd as well as loaded on individual usb drives to test out Linux in my desktops, i am building another one and was thinking about avoiding windows 8.1 and older 7 altogether and only Linux from day 1 on this new build. i like how it performs in my reasonably fast desktops i built with the amd FX chips and ssd 'c' drives, but have used a dual boot at most since i have the win7 x64 ultimate functioning smoothly and apps already in there and used to, etc. So, this laptop became a thought. it was a bit confusing regarding all those Linux choices, which might be better and for which application, all was brand new to me, just didnt know where to go for a first try. that was why the mint and ubuntu self made cd, dont know if that is equal to Live CD that has been mentioned or not.
thanks again for the support. helps to make up my mind faster and less $$ risk,albeit small risk
john

A live CD/DVD is a disc of which you can boot into Linux (just like Mint). It will allow you to run Linux off the DVD to check if your system is supported without messing with the current hard disk layout. If it doesn't work you can just reboot the computer and back to your old system (Vista in your case).

That's the nice thing about live discs. If you did boot to Linux succesfully from the Live DVD, then you have the choice to start the installation from there.

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I have done that with both Mint and Ubuntu 14.04 LTs i think were the numbers with each. both were successful.. i just didnt realize that was the nomenclature. Thought it probably was that.
I have gone that far. I am sensing that the only way to find out will be to get a compatible SSD that will fit into the Satellite and also be useful in a new one without being too far backward. I have only gotten basic ideas on which ssd models will fit or work in the Toshiba. only,the ones I might otherwise select for a new build, or even with a year old desktop,will be the latest releases from Crucial just reviewed. no flash 16nm,something. fastest yet and lowest pricing yet.
Oh,well, the price of trying to keep from contributing to the totally disposable society. Makes it tough sometimes. Not just to recycle, just keep a perfectly maintained and operating machine going.
John

Check. Will go to the Qiana version Mint 17. I had been confused as to prior suggestions of just what Mate would do. I just decided to try Linux in the old laptop and the ssd/linux was next idea. I will be downloading and burning the one you suggest
thanks again
John

MATE is a fork and improvement on the old Gnome 2.32. The MATE devs have made it much lighter than it was under Gnome. It is a Desktop Environment (meaning the thing you see on your screen) without all the hard coded dependencies that Gnome had in Gnome 2.32. It is my main DE, I do use others but MATE is the one I use for everyday working, which I have been using since early MATE 1.4 through to the current MATE 1.8 (Just as an aside MATE 1.8 is now fully incorporated into Debian Testing and Sid and is available in Wheezy-backports as well which tells me it is no longer considered a hobby DE).

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