Linux - Laptop and NetbookHaving a problem installing or configuring Linux on your laptop? Need help running Linux on your netbook? This forum is for you. This forum is for any topics relating to Linux and either traditional laptops or netbooks (such as the Asus EEE PC, Everex CloudBook or MSI Wind).
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Introduction to Linux - A Hands on Guide
This guide was created as an overview of the Linux Operating System, geared toward new users as an exploration tour and getting started guide, with exercises at the end of each chapter.
For more advanced trainees it can be a desktop reference, and a collection of the base knowledge needed to proceed with system and network administration. This book contains many real life examples derived from the author's experience as a Linux system and network administrator, trainer and consultant. They hope these examples will help you to get a better understanding of the Linux system and that you feel encouraged to try out things on your own.
Click Here to receive this Complete Guide absolutely free.
I have an older Compaq Presario 1621 laptop that I would like to run
linux on. It is has an AMD K-6 233mhz processor with 32 meg of memory.
It has a 2 gig harddrive.
I'm still a novice linux user, though I've been expirimenting with it
off and on for years. I am running Slackware on my home machine but
find that it's just too big for this laptop. It will install, but it
doesn't give me much room to move.
I will be using this laptop for educational/expirimental purposes only
and am expecting a lot of trial and error. I'm not looking for anything
fancy, just command line stuff with the option to use X-windows. I
would like to be able to use the pcmcia card slots for use with NIC's or
maybe even wireless if possible.
Any recommendations on which flavor I should use? Any suggestions/comments/opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Slackware or Gentoo would go fine on that machine - you will need to install with a minimal set of programs. I'd also suggest using Fluxbox, XFCE or similar minimalist WM rather than Gnome or KDE.
Never tried it, but apparently Netbsd (at least I think it's netbsd - other 2 are freebsd or openbsd, but I'm pretty sure it's not freebsd) runs really well on old hardware - it's portable and requires very minimal disk usage. It isn't linux, but it uses X-windows. And slackware uses the BSD style init scripts anyway
Debian would be my guest. I have debian on my "router" and it takes less than 500 MB of space, so you should be fine to get a complete debian system (this include X and some very lightweight WM like blackbox) on your laptop.
Also, I once tried Slackware (it was version 8.0 back in that time) on a P166 laptop so you should be fine. 2GB of hdd is plenty, only your RAM is a problem to me)
Install any base system, Slack since you're familiar with it, and only add what you need such as a light window manager such as fluxbox, dhcpcd if you need it, etc...
Any Linux distro can be stripped down to easily fit on a 2G drive with room to spare.
KDE and Gnome take up a lot of space, leave them off.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.
