Which distro for i686 architecture?
 

I recently "inherited" an HP ProLiant ML570 G2 rack server. I would like to repurpose this machine for use as an "ultimate" PC if possible?

The specs include: 4 Intel Xeon MP 2.5GHz/1MB CPUs, 2 600w redundant PSUs, 8GB RAM, PS/2 keyboard/mouse inputs, ATI Rage embedded video controller with 8MB video memory VGA.

I recently tried Ubuntu mini and it wouldn't install because it wasn't i686 architecture.

I would like to use this machine to browse the web, install a torrent client, and possibly as a media center with multi-monitors.

Which distro should I use and why?

This seems be sort of a duplicate of http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ry-4175574804/

Most distros offer downloads for 32-bit and for 64-bit architecture. Some distros have started to cut back on 64-bit architecture support, because it's aging, much like me.

You need to pick a distro that supports 32-bit architecture. If the download is identified as "x?86," it should support 32-bit.

"AMD64" commonly indicates support for 64-bit architecture, whether it's AMD or Intel.

MX - 15 32 bit iso

md5sum

Cuz I and others think it is the bees knees. That is why. Plus newbie friendly with a friendly community

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/mx-15.html
http://www.ocsmag.com/2016/03/09/the...little-distro/

I gave you the direct link so you do not have to over think anything.

md5sum = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33QT7xohUvI

install video and other useful videos from the same authour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwyzTloPyP4

The forum members at Mepis forums are tolerant and friendly towards new users and the waiting time on answers there is not bad at all

http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/

Happy Trails, Rok

Oh yeah. If only a cd drive is bootable. Make a PLOP cd.

https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/plpbt.bin.html#runcd

Install thew Mepis iso using unetbootin onto a pendrive.

https://unetbootin.github.io/

Use the plop cd to boot the pendrive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q3zsYCE5gA

I have done these above steps myself on a regular basis as a distro team member on older gear not supporting usb boot options in bios.

Later on, you can run a pae kernel after the install. Like I do on my 8 gig ram ram Dell laptop.

http://forum.mepiscommunity.org/view...p?f=95&t=39499

Edit: I think I covered everything for a new user just learning the ropes. I think my work is done here.

So if I understand you correctly, there's only two architectures...32-bit or 64-bit? i686 = 32-bit?

The only x86 architectures are those two, and many Linux distributions support only x86.

Linux runs on many other architectures (not x86). But consumer desktop and laptop computers are almost all x86.

The naming of the two choices varies: Anything like i486, i586, i686 etc. is a name for the 32-bit x86 architecture. AMD64 is the common name for 64-bit x86. But x86-64 is also common. Intel official names for it are "EM64T" and "Intel 64". But those names are rarely used in Linux. "IA-64" is the name of an Intel 64 bit architecture that is not x86, not usable on ordinary consumer computers, but is available (useless to you) from some Linux distributions.

I'm sorry...I'm not exactly sure of the architecture of the 4 Xeon 2.5GHz processors of this particular machine (but believe they're i686 or possibly even "primitive" IA-32 <---if there even is such an architecture) and am getting conflicting information. I have tried installing SEVERAL Linux distros on this machine to no avail. These distros include: Archlinux, Manjaro, Trisqueli686, Ubuntu, Haiku, CentOS, Lubuntui386...MX - 15...and more. I've used PLOP to boot from USB (since there's no option to boot from USB in Bios) for larger distros which seems to work until the actual operating system begins to install.

Each time, regardless of installation media or method, ultimately I get nothing except a blinking cursor which doesn't even allow me to enter text.

Someone told me that all Xeon processors are x86_64...

MS Server works amazingly well but...it's not what i'm interested in using for more reasons than I care to list and than you'd probably care to hear...

There is a setting in the BIOS which allows for OS choices...Windows, Linux, and some others...I have Linux selected.

I'm so stumped...

In the MX video tutorial. There are F key options for types of boots you can select. Safe graphics is one of them.

We are stumped also. You say the Mepis installer works. You then leave out what happens later. Like partitions made during the install. Did you install grub bootloader to mbr like the video shows. I am not really sure what to say to just a "blinking cursor" with no details on what was going on before reaching that state.

It makes me think the hardware (servers) you picked up are junk (hard drives maybe?). Till you say Windows server works just fine on them.
If so. Linux should just fine on them also.
Did you follow my md5sum instructions also. Because right now. There is a big black hole (details given) between "try" (insert distro name here) and "blinking cursor".

I get the feeling the issue may be that you have that stupid server ati chip. Might have to boot to safe mode or vga.

Intel site will tell you exactly what processor you have but for full 64 bit you'd need to have chipset support and bios support. Generally HP will have archived information of what they offered as OS. I'd run Suse/OpenSuse as that is what HP should have tested that system with.

I don't know either, but the google results related to your reported results imply i686 is correct. Then the total amount of ram implies quite advanced within the range of 32-bit x86 cpu's.


IA-32 is any of the 32-bit x86, including some too primitive for current Linux, but you do NOT have one too primitive for current 32-bit Linux.
That tells me there is no problem with the CPU, but there is a problem with the display adapter. Many Linux distributions have trouble with many display adapters. In person, with a little experimentation (and some cursing etc.) a semi-expert such as myself can kludge the install of almost any Linux on almost any display adapter and get it all running perfectly smoothly (all the pain on initial install: not on continuing use). But I don't really know/remember enough to talk someone through that kind of thing remotely.

I have read that a lot and argued the point with people who think they are experts. In my vast experience (across a wide range of computer purchases by my employers and others) I have reached the opinion that "Xeon" is just a marketing buzword telling you basically nothing about the CPU. Some Xeon CPU might be all but identical to some non Xeon CPU (no difference other than price). Some other Xeon CPU might be totally different, not even 64-bit and no relevant similarity beyond being somewhere in the wide family of x86.

You really need to get the actual CPU model number. Can you go into the bios and grab that information? "Xeon MP" doesn't really help.

It could be that it doesn't support PAE, which will really cut back on your available options, as almost all 32-bit Linux distros use a PAE kernel.

That's incorrect. This page has the most comprehensive list of all of the Xeon processors I know of:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...icroprocessors

You can see that none of them supported "Intel 64" until ~2004, and after ~2005 all of them were 64-bit. So yes in recent history all of them are 64-bit, but that has not always been the case.

I can't even begin to understand how x86_64 processsors are i686. I think they ought to just be x86_32 to make my life easier...especially since they're only 2.5GHz anyway. Shouldn't this server already have the chipset imbedded (Intel) to exercise the potential of the XEON i686/x86_64? processors that I think I have? I have done extensive reasearch about architectures and am still learning...

To say the very least.. the ATI RAGE b.s embedded GPU is garbage but it's more than capable of being left with just a blinking cursor.

These are the supported operating systems that HP lists:

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (Standard and Enterprise Edition)
Microsoft Windows NT® Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers
Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Servers
Microsoft Windows NT
Novell NetWare
SCO OpenServer, UnixWare
Caldera OpenUnix®
IBM OS/2 Warp Server for e-business
Red Hat Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
SuSE Linux Enterprise Server
UnitedLinux
Sun Solaris Intel Platform Edition
VMware Virtualization Software

these are all server/enterprise editions, aren't they? Shouldn't Fedora x32 work at least?

Good thing I bought a stack of CD-R's haha

I thought 8GB of RAM would be enough for any preliminary OS and not be a bottleneck whatsoever.

All research heretoforth suggested that these processors are capable of 64 bit processing..

(IA-32)

How do you know this? Please explain? Especially the part about how you think that this legacy system isn't too primative (IA-32) for any current LINUX distro? Shouldn't any old x86_32 distro work then?