Is there a browser only distribution of Linux that will work on an older iMac?
Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
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.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
Is there a browser only distribution of Linux that will work on an older iMac?
Just curious. My main goal here is to have a version of Linux that will boot up to a browser (Mozilla or Firebird, most likely) so that it's easy for someone to turn on the computer and start browsing the internet. I'd really like to have something that would run Java/Flash/Shockwave as well. It would be nice, but not 100% critical that it plays sounds as well.
My problem is that it's an older iMac, so I'd like something with as little overhead as possible. Another problem is that I'm still a Linux newbie. I've installed Red Hat/Yellow Dog/Mandrake, but they're good for holding your hand while they install. I've never built a system from scratch. The iMac currently has Yellow Dog 3, but found it dead slow and unresponsive, so I'd be taking that off but still want to have the capability of dual-booting.
Is this a job for Debian, or is there another distro that I should look for?
It's very easy to set up the automatic loading you've described with any Linux distribution, so you can choose whichever distribution you like best out of those with Mac versions.
Very few Linux distributions of any kind come with Sun Java, Shockwave and Flash simply because these are proprietary products. Unfortunately because the code is proprietary only the manufacturers can compile versions that work for Linux/Mac, and I don't think that they support anything other than Linux/PC. You will probably find an open source version of Java, but that's not an area I know much about.
Well, I'm really trying to get at least Java. Flash and Shockwave are very important, but at least Java should work.
I never thought about the proprietary part...duh.
For a small quick distribution without a lot of bloat, it's looking like Debian is at least the front runner. I wonder how hard it will be to install...
I'm fairly new to Linux and I got it to work fine. I like it better than any of the other Linux distro's I've tried, but I've never used the Mac version.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.