Hi,

Looking to breath some life into an oooooold small laptop namely an Mitsubishi Electric CN2 (for specs see later in this posting) by putting linux on it and in the process learn more on linux.
Question right now is what distro to go for... ...at this time, just to start somewhere, I managed to get the latest version of Damn Small Linux up and running (not starting to tweak to many things, basically just managed do to the install and get it running).
Before putting to much work into DSL I would just like some advice on what distros to look at just so I won't end up trying to tweak a distro that might be "sub-optimal" for me.

*****
So what are the specs of the computer and what am I trying to accomplish?

Sepcs;
Processor: Intel Pentium MMX 166 MHz
Memory: 96MB
Cache: 256kb
HDD: 2.1GB (have a 6GB that I intend to put in...)
Display: max resolution 1024x768 (24bit)

Wanting (for starters);
- graphical desktop environment
- graphical browser (got the DSL Firefox browser running, looking for something similar)
- USB-support (for networking (wired and wireless) and external driver (external CD/DVD, USB memory stick, USB HDD))
- PCMCIA-support (networkcard)
- simple mp3-player program (similar to early winamp)
- simple 'word processing'

Am basically a Linux beginner but willing to learn (good documentation of the distro would come in handy to assist me in trying to learn things), don't see command line interface as an issue (as long as I will be able to read up on how to use it).
*****

As I understand it DSL could actually fit the bill but I understand it is essentially dormant at this time?
Any suggestions for other distros that could be interesting to look into? I have noticed that there are several that could (possibly) be gotten to run at the kind of low spec hardware I have but it is rather difficult for me to say which ones that are interesting to look into so...?

Thanks in advance!

Take a look at
http://distrowatch.com/search.php?ca...&status=Active

I would suggest a Debian/Ubuntu or Slack minimal install with
a lite WM like jwm, blackbox, openbox, fluxbox, fvwm, fvwm-crystal

I would stay away from firefox and go with iceweasel, iceape, midori or similar
lite browser

with these specs puppy, a minimal install of debian, slackware.
Puppy will probably be the easiest, debian, slackware, not hard just have to do some homework first. with 96mb stay away from gnome, kde, and xfce desktops. Lxde desktop might work, but not sure, have't tried it with that low of memory.

In my experience, DSL is a good choice. It is minimal, yet if you discover your machine can handle more, there are menu entries to help you almost transform DSL into an optimized Debian: first migrate to GNU tools, then install the APT system, and here you go!

Yves.

whoa there Yeti

Trying to upgrade/update DSL would only result in a broken system..even with an experienced user..

Also, DSL is quite dead, there wont be anymore and its already old
and NO flashplayer possible

I still think, for an inexperienced user, you cant go wrong with a minimal Debian install
and its very easy too, large repositories of software, etc

Unless you want to experiment, I would also stay away from Puppy
great distro, bad software support, limited repositories,etc

There's just no substitute for Debian/Buntu or Slack
though slack will be a bit more involved

Oh! That's bad news! My experience in transforming DSL into almost-Debian indeed is a couple years old, if not more. It's sad that such a nice distribution is dead! I completely agree with you that any other minimalist distribution is either too limited, or too peculiar, or too involved for a beginner.

In that case, linus72, you're right. For my “nomade” laptop, I haven't found anything other than Debian that would both be up-to-date, and run smoothly. And… you can't go wrong with Debian, they even have a software package that makes coffee… wait… they don't? it's just a matter of time!

Yves.

Thanks for all input so far!

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that I am wanting to make the whole thing a HDD install (either frugal install or complete HDD install, whichever is possible and most convinient for the system I choose in the end)


Based on your input I think I have one of two choices;
1) go for a lightweight distro (other than DSL) [easier escape]
2) build my own lightweight linux system based on Debian [the challenge]


For 1) I have done some more research now (based on distrowatch's result for "old computers") and think I have narrowed down the choices (in no specific order) to;
a) PapugLinux (seems to be a very lightweight distro?)
b) PuppyLinux (both recommended and not recommended by you)
c) DeLi Linux (seems to be good for my kind of limited hardware?)
d) VectorLinux Light (like the scalability it provides should I want to migrate into Linux also for my faster computers)

Any comments on what would be preferred/not preferred of the above ones?
I guess I can start working on any one of them but if anyone has any input to aid in selecting it would be appriciated.


For 2) I would guess that I would need to follow a similar process as described in http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/432 adopting the instructions for the latest Debian release?
...the procedure doesn't seem to difficult... (famous last words? )

The tricky part being me being a Linux newbie I am afraid I don't even know what kind of modules/application that make up a linux system (yes, shocking lack of knowledge there )

Where could I find a good description on what kind of modules/similar that makes up a runable Linux system that can perform (at least)the tasks I mentioned in my first post (and repeated below).
I definately do understand that I need to go for any lightweight applications where I have a choice.
Yes, I will do more googling to try to find out more on the essentials of a linux sustem but meanwhile if anyone could point me in a good direction (without too much work) it would be greatly appriciated too.

Thanks again!

***
Looking to trying to accomplish at least the following
- graphical desktop environment
- graphical browser (got the DSL Firefox browser running, looking for something similar)
- USB-support (for networking (wired and wireless) and external driver (external CD/DVD, USB memory stick, USB HDD))
- PCMCIA-support (networkcard)
- simple mp3-player program (similar to early winamp)
- simple 'word processing'

Hi jorbor, here is my opinion.

1. Learning Linux is challenging.
2. Installing any operating system on really, really old hardware is challenging.

Combine the two, and you have a very difficult challenge.

I would recommend learning Linux on a more modern computer (if at all possible), with a user-friendly distro (like Ubuntu). Check out classifieds, Craigslist, freecycle, etc. and I bet you can get an inexpensive or free Pentium 3 with 512mb of ram (or better) that would easily run a full-featured Linux distro. Just my 2 cents.

I'm gonna hook you up dude if you go debain/Slack/Ubutnu route

The problem with the lite distro's you mentioned was that they are of questionable
longevity or are already obsolete.

Debian, Slack and Ubuntu are stable, will be around for a long time, have great support
and great communities behind them

All that can't be said for most distros

And, lets go over some basics

1) Linux is really not that difficult once you understand that (a) its all text files really (b) the filesystem layout is almost the same between most distro's

2) The 3 distro's I mentioned, even Slack, are very easy to learn, if you get into it
anything in Life is what you put into it

3) I second snowpine's advice for getting old/free PC
Mine cost $20 and it runs everything I have
which includes almost all distros
Mine is a noname(really) with a Nvidia mx4000 or something
actually, evrything in its Nvidia?!
except its AMD XP 1.8ghz with 768MB ram, 2 hd's, 1 160Gb, 1 80GB

Graphical (light) Desktops
Easiest to Use- LXDE, fluxbox, blackbox,
I vote LXDE

Graphical Browser
Lite browsers include Arora, Midiri, Kazahakse, Uzbl, Iceape, Epiphany
all those can play flash

USB support, Debian/Ubuntu/Slack comes standard, wireless depends on software you get
the Big3 all have vast repositories and community contrib software

the other stuff is easy too

If you wanna do a minimal debian/buntu net install I can help you there too

I'm finishing up a new 9.10 lite distro now
and will help you thru whatever you wanna install

@snowpine
Appriciate your advice
Am aware that there are (huge?) difficulties involved in both getting such old hardware up and running and also to learn linux.

I tried to tinker with older windows OS:es (did I say that loud? ) on the machine quite a while ago - managed to get it semi-running but felt it wasn't worth the effort trying to go down that road at the time.
I do realize it might not (is probably not) worth the effort to try to get that old computer up and running at all but it is a bit tempting anyway due to its form factor (just slightly larger than an Asus EEE).

Since I am a newbie (my only similar experience having been a unix user (just user) in the end of the 90s) Linux feels like a challenge but I have been curius about to trying to learn it for quite a while.

Combining these two ideas (i.e. running linux on that old computer) might give me the edge to finally get the momentum to get around doing something about it
[also got a bit encouraged when I actually got DSL up and running on that machine ]


@Linus72
Thanks for offering your help!
Am now leaning more toward trying the Debian route, feel that I need to google around a bit and do quite a lot more reading up before I start off.
Will be interesting to see where this will get me

ok
some good advice:
if you wanna save a CD, instead of burning a debian net-install iso (50-180MB)
and do you have a usb?

does that computer boot from usb?
will it/does it have, a cdrom or floppy drive?

I can hook you up with a usb netinstaller,etc?

Guess you will shake your head now (and tell me I am in over my head...).


The computer doesn't have any built in optical drives, and have only the possibility (BIOS setting) to boot from either the HDD or floppy (floppy being an external unit connected via some parallel (proprietary?) cable).
It does have an USB connector though (its precessor the "Amity CN did not...) and two PCMCIA-connectors.

For networking I have a NetGear FA511 PCMCIA network card and I can confirm that this is operational under DSL.

I also have an external (USB) optical drive (DVDR) that could be connected should it help.


The way I managed to install DSL on it was by using a DSL USB boot floppy to be able to select starting booting DSL from an USB stick (on which I had put the DSL iso) and from there proceeding with the (frugal) install.

Without having looked into it yet I had an idea of starting the Debian (or any other) in a similar fashion (hopefully being able to use the same boot floppy). If the Debian installer can detect and use my netgear nw card with ease I guess making the net installation is the most convinient way to proceed?

I would stick with DSL if it's working well for you. According to the wiki, Debian recommends 256mb of ram for a command line only system and 512mb for a GUI desktop.

Frugal install of puppy can be done by copy vmlinuz, puppy-431.sfs, and initrid from puppy-431/inside-iso directory on a download site and make an entry in your bootloader. puppy will also run off usb stick. a light install of debian should work which consist of a base install and then , stay away fom ubuntu, even the light versions will be too heavy. However with a 2gb harddrive your best bet is either puppy are Dsl. A light install of debian won't leave much room to install any additional software or a swap partition or swap file which will help with the amount of memory you have.