Linux for Pentium I

depam · 02-06-2006, 12:26 AM

Ey guys, I currently have Ubuntu installed on a P3 700 Mhz with 256 Ram. It works fine. can someone tell me what's the minimum requirements of Ubuntu? Is there a Linux Distro which will run on a Pentium I 133 Mhz 32 MB ram with X-Window and with an acceptable speed? Thanks.

amosf · 02-06-2006, 01:05 AM

The distro isn't that critical. It's what packages you install. Some distros default to more than others, but they all trim down fairly well... Slack tends to default a bit smaller, so it would be a good start. Use a light wm with only 32 meg ram... With 64 meg you could do a bit more and even run a trimmed down kde...

So for god speed, minimal services, light wm... Blackbox for example. Or icewm...

depam · 02-06-2006, 01:11 AM

Ok..someone told me to install vector linux 5.1 Standard. They told me it will run on P 166 Mhz with 32 MB ram and on a X -window. My requirements are:

1.) X-Window
2.) Acceptable speed
3.) Equipped with Open Office, Web Browser and Mail Software
4.) Can run on P 166 with 32 MB ram

How will I change my display manager? THanks. I'm really in desperate.

amosf · 02-06-2006, 01:24 AM

Well, vector is made for that sort of thing. I don't know what desktop it uses.

The CPU speed will not really be the issue here. It's the ram that decides what will run.

ie a p133 with 64meg ram would run much better than a p166 with 32meg ram...

depam · 02-06-2006, 01:46 AM

Thanks so much man...Ur really a kind person for answering basic questions like mine. Is the Vector equipped with IceWM or other lightweight display manager? Or do I have install it? I used Red Hat before and tried installing IceWM by unpacking the package and editing the Xdefault session. By default, the X-Window is IceWM but it is not included in the list of Sessions when I boot up.. Thanks again.

guedellas · 02-06-2006, 01:50 AM

I got to run a DSL on a computer the same as yours (Pentium 133 32MB). It runs with fluxbox at 800x600 (I've not tried a higher resolution). I don't know what is for you reasonable speed, but I could surf the net (firefox) with my xmms running at the same time and a xterm. It's not a lighting, but it goes.

Now I'm trying with slackware. When I get it to work I can give you feedback if you want.

By the way, my disks settings are:
hda1 => swap => 64 MB
hda2 => ext2 => 1GB

depam · 02-06-2006, 01:54 AM

I believe that the Damn Small Linux doesn't have a installed Open Office. I tried the DSL live cd..Okay if you're kind enough, can we exchange mail addresses so we can discuss this one. I will try Vector Linux. Have you tried it?

amosf · 02-06-2006, 02:11 AM

Looks like vector standard has a default icewm, so that should work well...

As a comparison, I run mandrake 10 with KDE on a p188 with 64meg ram...

So you should be fine.

depam · 02-06-2006, 02:16 AM

Thanks again man...Ur d best! I'll try to install the Vector first and then Mandrake 10...I really need to use those old machines as an alternative to Windows. You know high cost software licenses really suck! The hardest part is convincing the users to use linux on their old machines cause I tried RH 9 on P3 Machines but its just way too slow.