linux on an old lappy?
 

Howdy!

I just picked up a laptop with the following specs:

Processor : P120
Display : 11.3 Active Matrix
RAM : 16 EDO
HDD : 1.3GB
CD-ROM : 10X

I do plan on adding some more ram via ebay, but first stop will be a nice.

Right now it's running win2k. Depending on how that runs, I've considering exploring linux with it. curious, given the specs on the lappy, which distro and enviroment would work best??

how nicely will linux network up with two other pc's running winxp?

thanks!

tom

win2k?
 

:confused: Well if you say it is running win2k then well... ok.. I did not think that the minimum specs were that low. I could swear that it would not install on a 333mhz x86 machine. :confused:

Linux? Ok well, I would suggest debian woody for linux cause it is light, but if you want somthing even more solid I would go with fbsd miniroot. I have fbsd miniroot on a 133 with 8mb ram and it runs like a champ with x and fluxbox. when i had debian on it with x and fluxbox it was like a slug. Also the fbsd kernel has the wifi drivers ready to go. I do not remember if I had to compile them into the kernel or not on the debian mini woody.

Here is the debian link.
http://www.debian.org/CD/http-ftp/

I would just download the mini cd distro, do not worry about that jigdo bullshit. I have never been able to get the fuckin thing to make a cd correctly.. the files always come out corrupted.

Here is the fbsd link.
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO...rrors-ftp.html

Good Luck.

thanks for your advice. I was just looking at a single disc install of woody and think that's the way I'll go.

I havent yet recieved the laptop, although I purchased it off a forum i spend a lot of time at. no promise how well win2k runs on it, just that it runs.

Also, I recently picked up a wireless access point and a wireless card for the laptop. any thoughts on if it'll run with woody using dillo?

thanks

well, i mean ... um... ok...

dillo is a webbrowser... my fave as a matter of fact. it is like lightning on older systems and UNBELIEVABLY fast on newer systems. Plus as they version up, it keeps getting better and more stable.

the wireless card and AP? support is there for most any wireless card on the market with linux/fbsd. just make sure that you do not have to use cardbus. ewww yuck. pcmcia is much cleaner and less hastle in what i have delt with. and the AP will work cause' it is well... not attached to the lappy, so that has nothing to do with it. i am using dillo on the fbsd lappy right now and it is fine.

ciao,

dave

Re: win2k?
 

Not to stick up for M$ (Never! Agh!) but my co-worker is running Win2K on her P233 with 64 Megs of Ram. A network guy here keeps offering to put it on my laptop for me (a PII 333) to make it "run like a dream"...

Considering the laptop is windows-free, running Mandrake 9.1...I see his dream as more of a nightmare!

As for the laptop mentionned above...well I'd give Slack a try for best performance, although Mandrake 9.1 does run nicely on my friend's p90 (128 Megs of RAM tho) so there's definitely room for choice.