Suggestions for the most suitable Linux OS for my old CF29 Toughbook ?

Drive · 05-22-2017, 05:32 AM

Just found this forum and signed up. Have been steered to doing my first post so here goes and apologies if i could have found this information another way.

I have a circa 2006 (?) CF29 Toughbook that still has the original XP OS complete with a wopping 1.2ghz Centino processor & 512mb of memory topped of with a 40gb hard drive

It has sentimental value to me but has remained unused since the demise of XP.

Cutting to the chase:

I want to put it to use (if possible) for my Radio Ham activities running applications such as FLdigi.

I intend to upgrade the memory to 1GB if i decide to progress with this machine.

I have managed (somehow) to install Ubuntu 14.04 via a USB stick (no CD drive) along side the original XP but it is painfully slow.

SO..... IF i upgrade the memory to 1GB, will Ubuntu 14.04 still be usable or is there a lighter version of Linux that i should be considering.

if i proceed, i would also look to do a solo Linux OS install combined with upgrading hard drive to a larger & possibly SSD format.

I am completely new to this as I've only ever been a average Joe Windows victim

Many thanks

Drive

hydrurga · 05-22-2017, 06:26 AM

Hi Drive, and welcome to LQ.

You want to look at some of the more lightweight distros e.g. Lubuntu, MX, Anti-x...

Have a look here for some options: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightw...x_distribution

You should definitely see some speed difference with SSD, and upgrading your RAM to 1GB is a good idea.

Drive · 05-22-2017, 07:03 AM

Than you for your reply. I will take a look a that.

Thanks

Drive

DavidMcCann · 05-22-2017, 11:57 AM

I'd go for AntiX. That actually gives you a carefully-selected set of software from the Debian Stable repository, from which you can get more if required (and Debian is huge!) — it definitely has FLfigi. 512 MB will be fine for AntiX: the basic requirement, before running programs, is less than 60 MB.

pholland · 05-22-2017, 06:55 PM

Puppy linux is another lightweight linux distribution. The W1HKJ ham software suite is available for it.

http://www.w1hkj.com/flpuppy.html

rokytnji · 05-23-2017, 09:44 AM

Just to add what was said earlier. My Panasonic CF-48 . Way way older than a CF -29. Is a test bed for AntiX to make sure new Releases are OK running on older gear.

Edit: My panasonic specs

Code:

 inxi -zv7
System:    Host: bikertest3 Kernel: 3.3.3-antix.1-486-smp i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.6.3)
           Desktop: IceWM 1.3.7 dm: slim
           Distro: antiX-M11- Jayaben Desai 12 April 2011
Machine:   System: Matsushita product: CF-48V4HLUQM v: 004
           Mobo: Matsushita model: CF48-4 v: 001
           Bios: Phoenix K.K. v: V4.00L13 date: 12/12/2002
CPU:       Single core Intel Pentium 4 Mobile (-UP-) cache: 512 KB
           flags: (pae sse sse2) bmips: 3190 clocked at 1600 MHz
Memory:    Array-1 capacity: 1.25 GB (est) devices: 1 EC: None
           max module size: 512 MB
           Device-1: Onboard size: 256 MB (Double-bank) speed: N/A
           type: SDRAM (Synchronous) bus width: 64 bits
           manufacturer: N/A part: N/A serial: N/A
           Device-2: DIMM size: 1 GB (Double-bank) speed: N/A
           type: SDRAM (Synchronous) bus width: 64 bits
           manufacturer: N/A part: N/A serial: N/A
           Device-3: Flash ROM size: 512 kB speed: N/A
           type: Flash (Non-Volatile) bus width: 8 bits
           manufacturer: N/A part: N/A serial: N/A
Graphics:  Card: ATI Radeon Mobility M7 LW [Radeon Mobility 7500]
           bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 1002:4c57
           Display Server: X.org 1.11.1 driver: radeon
           tty size: 80x24 Advanced Data: N/A for root
Audio:     Card Intel 82801CA/CAM AC'97 Audio Controller
           driver: snd_intel8x0 ports: 1c00 1880 bus-ID: 00:1f.5 chip-ID: 8086:2485
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: 1.0.24
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL-8139/8139C/8139C+
           driver: 8139too v: 0.9.28 port: 4400
           bus-ID: 02:02.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8139
           IF: eth1 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Intel PRO/Wireless 2915ABG [Calexico2] Network Connection
           driver: ipw2200 v: 1.2.2kmprq bus-ID: 02:03.0 chip-ID: 8086:4223
           IF: eth0 state: up mac: <filter>
           WAN IP: <filter> IF: eth0 ip: <filter> ip-v6: <filter>
           IF: eth1 ip: N/A ip-v6: N/A
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 100.0GB (23.0% used)
           ID-1: /dev/sda model: FUJITSU_MHU2100A size: 100.0GB serial: NQ07T572F3DK temp: 32C
           Optical: /dev/sr0 model: MATSHITA UJDA340
           rev: 1.50 dev-links: cdrom2,cdrw2,scd0
           Features: speed: 24x multisession: yes
           audio: yes dvd: no rw: cd-r,cd-rw state: running
Partition: ID-1: / size: 29G used: 4.2G (16%) fs: ext3 dev: /dev/sda3
           label: N/A uuid: 3fe7d362-f455-43a0-9eb6-d60231f24be2
           ID-2: /mnt/hda1 size: 15G used: 9.2G (62%) fs: fuseblk dev: /dev/sda1
           label: N/A uuid: 1A20A02E20A01335
           ID-3: /mnt/hda6 size: 7.9G used: 3.3G (45%) fs: ext3 dev: /dev/sda6
           label: / uuid: 93317189-8b9c-440a-9224-0799fa567f9b
           ID-4: /mnt/hda7 size: 41G used: 3.5G (9%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda7
           label: /Data1 uuid: 4B5F-B945
           ID-5: swap-1 size: 1.55GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda5
           label: N/A uuid: 38d34375-a4c6-4fda-bcc7-736eeb487061
RAID:      No RAID data: /proc/mdstat missing-is md_mod kernel module loaded?
Unmounted: No unmounted partitions detected
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 56.8C mobo: N/A
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 97 Uptime: 8 min Memory: 114.7/1262.7MB
           Init: SysVinit v: 2.88 runlevel: 5 default: 5
           Gcc sys: 4.6.1 alt: 4.4/4.5
           Client: Shell (bash 4.1.51 running in roxterm) inxi: 2.2.3

Having said that. Your CF -29 has the horsepower to run MX Linux if you wish to. So you have a choice.

https://mxlinux.org/download-links

Before you get started. May I suggest a youtube channel to help you decide whether AntiX or MX is the right choice for you.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFW...KlXW5uE9opXukQ

Be nice and give his videos a like when you watch them. He is a compadre of mine.

justmy2cents · 05-23-2017, 09:46 AM

xubuntu or lubuntu

ondoho · 05-23-2017, 10:39 AM

i just installed bunsenlabs on a similarly encient device.

one caveat: what sort of GPU doe it have?
i was so unlucky with that machine becasue it had a savage gpu which is totally horribly almost unsupported under linux...

Code:

lspci -k | grep -A5 VGA