Need some help here install pc linux

brucek50 · 12-21-2010, 01:59 PM

Here's the info:
2200+ 1.8ghz amd athlon xp processor
512 MB ddr sdram mem
80 gig ultra dma hard drive
32 mb ddr sdram km266 graphics with 32 mb shared video mem
CD RW hp cd writer 40x10x40x max speed with seperate DVD rom drive 16x max speed
All this in a hp pavillion 523n with usb

this is what i would like to do
install linux pc or puppy or some other OS that will install with out space problems.

Why xp failed i'm not sure but first failure was a root sys 32 hal.dll missing or corrupt.
since that I have formatted C drive to 0 as far as i can tell but I think D: drive still has xp recovery files as but won't recover with out the root dll. Never the less I would still like to install linux OS amd erase windows complete. So far i have tried installing ubuntu, pclinux and puppy but when it comes to loading drivers it just keeps doing nothing. Failure on ubuntu was a bootarg
so i tried installing puppy with same driver load problem. Let computer run 10 hrs with no results just message saying loading drivers with blinking curser.
Need someone to help get this running or at least loan me a stick of dynamite. thanx for any help. Very new so commands are not my forte just a point and click windows guru. i can point and click very good.

bonixavier · 12-21-2010, 03:18 PM

Install Slackware. I have just installed it into an older PC than yours (Duron) and it works fine. Of course, don't try running KDE.

markush · 12-21-2010, 04:15 PM

Hi brucek50,

I second bonixavier, Slackware runs very well on older hardware and is easy to install, it doesn't have a guibased installer and you'll always know what's going on while installation.
Take a look at Slax http://www.slax.org/, a Slackware-based small distribution. It runs well on old computers. Boot Slax and check your system, if Slax doesn't boot be sure that you have a hardware-issue.
Slax is not installable.
If you've booted Slax, please post the output of

Code:

lspci

and

Code:

lsmod | sort

I'd recommend to check the system with Slax before installing another distribution.

Markus

John VV · 12-21-2010, 05:18 PM

i have not use slack but for an older computer i would first see if the current knoppix live cd runs on it

http://www.knoppix.net/

but with only 512 meg of ram ??any will be slow

pljvaldez · 12-21-2010, 05:42 PM

I've installed Debian on a similar spec box. Use the LXDE or XFCE netinstall image for Squeeze and it'll perform pretty well. Though if you get a chance, I'd max out the RAM to 2GB if you can.