Hello,

I have just recently aquired an ageing Compaq Armada M300 (333MHz/128Mb RAM, and decided to install Mandrike 9.0, (yes I know it is and old distro). I am having difficulties playing encrypted DVD's with Xine. I have installed lidvdcss via K package installer, (or whatever it is called), but they still do not play.

Should I install under the command line? If so what are the commands and sequence etc?

I have a copy of VLC from a cover disk of 'Linux User & Developer' magazine (April 2010 edition), and would like to know if this version of VLC is compatible or with Mandrake 9.0 and/or Xubuntu 6.01.

As the laptop is 'old' I cannot install the latest "whizz-bang bloated" distro, or afford a new "whizz-bang laptop with extra toppings etc". (I apologies if this upsets some of you). The reason for going for the older ones. I just want a 'simple' mutimedia machine.

I have various other 'old' distro's too, (Fedora 1/4/7; SUSE, (the most recent one being Xubuntu 9.10), and would like to know how to install VLC on these too, though Xubuntu 9.10 is slow).

Thank you in advance for the advice.

Try Bodhy Linux. That is a new distro aiming to old computers. Here is their web site link
http://bodhilinux.com/
Download the iso file and test it in your computer before you decided to install it.

Good luck to you.

Yes, you can. You just have to leave out the "bloated" part. On a machine like that I would try antiX, Vector, Tinycore, Slitaz or Puppy. All of them are (at least somewhat) aimed at older hardware, but run up to date software.
You can also try Debian, Arch or Slackware with a more minimal setup, may be with one of the WMs or Enlightenment or LXDE for the graphical environment.

Both approaches will give you an up to date and supported system to use on that machine.