Hi,

First off I'm a newbie so sorry if this is in the wrong place.

I have an old PC and I want to know which Linux distro and version would be best to run on it now, and if possible a place where I can get the old version.

Currently running Win95
6GB Hard drive
64MB RAM
Pentium II processor

Ideally I'd like to run MySQL Query Browser on it and network it up with a WinXP PC. I'm not massively familiar with Linux, so the eaiser to install the better.

Thanks in advance,

Jake

Do you need a graphical user interface? If so, you might try Damn Small Linux. It will run good on the old hardware. But you might need to do some work to setup MySQL Query Browser (never used it, but I don't think it's a default package on DSL).

Otherwise, my favorite distro for old machines is Debian. Do a base network install (i.e. no graphical interface, just a bare bones system) and then add only what you need (which can include a gui -- just stay away from Gnome or KDE, they'll be too much for your machine -- Damn Small uses fluxbox).

also, when you get comfortable, you might recompile the kernel and cut out all the drivers you don't need. It'll help speed up your machine, but it'll probably take you two or three times to get it right... Alternatively, if you want to snap up your machine, max out your RAM to whatever the motherboard allows. RAM will really help with speed and isn't very expensive nowadays.

DSL (Damn Small Linux)

just to give you more choice i'll say puppy linux, which i prefer to dsl anyway.

With a 6gig drive and a Pentium II processor, you can really run just about any linux distribution...but having only 64megs of RAM will prevent you from using one of the popular desktop environments (KDE and GNOME).

You can start off with DSL to get a feel for how Linux works, and some idea of a reasonably "user-friendly" setup with a lightweight window manager. Unlike a desktop environment, there won't be anything cohesively tying everything together--you're just running a bunch of independent applications with little awareness of each other.

After you get the hang of DSL, though, I'd recommend starting over with its parent linux distribution--Debian. It'll take you more initial work setting up everything, but in return you'll have an easy time keeping it maintained and up to date. It'll give you access to a much larger selection of software (the largest software selection anywhere, really).

I don't recommend starting with straight Debian, though. It'll just give you a blank screen and a VERY basic install. At that point you'll be left thinking, "Ok...umm...now what?"

If you start with something like DSL, then you'll be given a fully configured and functional GUI. You'll get an idea what applications you can use, even if later on you try out alternatives you like better.

Here's a slightly outdated guide to installing and configuring Debian 3.0 (Woody), but the OSNews server seems to be down right now. Should translate okay to Sarge. If you like the look of Damn Small, change the line under the "installing xfree86..." section from apt-get install wmaker to apt-get install fluxbox, it's just a different windowing environment. Also, if you're interested in a graphical login screen, just apt-get install xdm (or gdm or kdm, I prefer gdm).

Installing Debian 3.1 (Sarge) is really easy compared to Debian 3.0 (Woody). Sarge's installer is pretty good at autodetecting most things. You do still have to manually tell it which video driver to use (it tries to guess, but offers the choice anyway).

On an old system, like my Pentium 120 with only 48megs of RAM, I simply go ahead and install the full Desktop Workstation software suite anyway, even though I'll never log in under GNOME or KDE. The default graphical login manager, gdm, is bigger than xdm and doesn't load as quickly, but it's fast enough for me and isn't hopelessly fugly like xdm.

Interestingly, I find that IceWM performs better on old slow systems than Fluxbox. So, what I do with an old slow system is I first install the full Desktop Workstation software suite, and then I log in (as root) to a text console. Then, I type in:

apt-get install icewm icewm-themes

The nice thing about Debian is that it will automatically configure gdm and/or kdm to offer "icewm" as a login session choice when icewm is installed. However, xdm doesn't have that functionality.

slax live cd

then choose to install it
but it is still in beta status

Thanks for all that guys. I'll digest it and no doubt get back to you at the next hurdle,

Jake

I use a modern Vector (Vector 5) on a Thinkpad that has a 266MHz Pentium 2, 2GB har disk, and 96MB Ram. Seems somewhat snappy, for that old thing. I just wish it came with KDE (but I may can fix that after ahwile ). XFCE isn't bad though.