Trying to get Linux
 

I downloaded Ubuntu image only to find it does not fit on a DVD
I downloaded Linux MInt and was able to create a DVD
I installed it on a Lenovo 3000n100 laptop.
It installed very easily.
I got on the Internet using Firefox.
I found mostly all Facebook games would not load.
I updated FlashPlayer (from Software Manager). Didn't work.
I updated Software Manager, reinstalled Flashplayer. No good.
And now I just stare at the screen while the disk drive spins and spins and Linux is unresponsive. I have to unplug system to reboot.

I know this machine is old. Was running WinXP with 80gb hard drive.
Have no idea on memory, cpu.

Any suggestions on getting a Linux that works?

Your computer may be too old/weak to run something like a new release of Ubuntu/Mint, etc. Post some info on the hardware. Start with the commands below:

Welcome!

Here are the minimum hardware specs for Adobe Flash Player (necessary to play Facebook games):

If your hardware does not meet these minimum specs, then you should upgrade your hardware if you want to play Facebook games.

Adobe Flash Player is a closed-source, proprietary product of Adobe Corp. It is not considered part of the open source Linux "ecosystem."

Hello there,

I think Slackware might not be a bad choice for you, especially if you have an old machine. It is fast and it uses just a little RAM. If you are very concerned about speed, you can even drop KDE and use Xfce instead. You can get the DVD iso from

http://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware-iso/

or if you prefer torrents:
http://www.slackware.com/getslack/torrents.php

Then you can install Flash player and plugins manually by using the sources and Slackbuilds (http://slackbuilds.org/). Don't worry, it is not that difficult. You have all instructions on the Slackbuilds website. If you have any problem installing the Slackware there is a lot of help all around.

Sorry I cannot exactly speak about Facebook as I don't have an account there. But I'm pretty sure there will certainly be a way out (which is always the case with Slackware).

All the best.

As well as what others have already mentioned, don't forget to let us know what version of Linux Mint you're using, and which desktop environment. They could be contributing factors to your issue.

Continued...Dumped Mint 16...Installed Ubuntu 12
 

Latest version of Mint 16 (with MATE I believe) was painfully slow.
Processor is 1.66 Ghz, 512mb ram, 80gb drive
Reformatted with latest Ubuntu 12.whatever. Much better but still a lot of disk spinning.
Useless for sites like Facebook and Flashplayer.
Youtube is OK.
Going to look into Slackware next, then go back to WinXP if necessary.
The whole point here was to revive a Windows XP laptop left on the shelf for years,
riddled with malware and who knows what and running painfully slow.
I also was very curious about Linux and wanted to test the waters.
Mainly get away from Microsoft.
I have been working with computers since 1970, even had some Unix way back when,
but Linux is still new to me.
The adventure continues...
Very easy to install by the way.

Member Response
 

Hi,

Welcome to LQ!

I suggest that you max the memory if possible. You are expecting a lot from old hardware. Gnu/Linux is great but many new users expect miracles.

Maybe move back to older releases of Puppy, Mint or even Slackware to use on the legacy hardware.

Your hardware just barely meets the minimum requirements for modern Linux. Ubuntu is probably the most "bloated" distro out there! A distro like AntiX would be a better choice in my opinion.

Your computer definitely does not meet Adobe's published requirements for a smooth Flash experience. This has nothing to do with Linux.

Or just upgrade your hardware. There are lots of good deals out there right now. You can probably find a better computer in the trash. (Seriously.) The computer industry is driven by people replacing their computers every 2-5 years. You can argue this is wasteful or inefficient or whatever (we should cherish our old computers like people who drive old vintage automobiles), but I am pointing out a reality of the marketplace. Windows XP is dead and obsolete, and so too is most of the hardware originally designed to run it.

You probably just need more memory. I have a Lenovo 3000 N200 laptop. Its processor is slightly faster than yours (1.87GHz vs. your 1.66GHz). With 2GB of RAM installed (which the N100 would also support) it runs Linux just fine. In fact, it displays Flash videos better than the onboard graphics of my desktop machine.

What is your exact processor model?

The thing to use for your computer is AntiX. That will run in 128MB, so it will be fine in 512. The idea that your computer is unusable is, frankly, rubbish. As for Flash, the statement that it needs "512MB and Ubuntu 10 or later" takes into account the fact that Ubuntu would be using a sizable amount of that memory.

Yes, you could use Slackware, but you'd have to do a minimal install and then add the GUI yourself. AntiX will work straight from the installation.

You need Xfce or LXDE in that machine. Open a terminal and type

or

It will download additional software into your computer just select yes then once it is all done downloading log off and log back in but select to login into the graphical environment you installed (see attached pic)

Otherwise it will be painful trying to run Unity in it.
Slackware is great but read the installation process first because is a semi-graphical process. Also Slackware will required you to use the terminal a bit more. Fun for some, terrifying for others you know who you are.

Have you try installing the google chrome browser? Adobe stopped flash support for linux and android at 11.2.x, they only provide security updates for 11.2.x.

The google chrome browser once used pepperflash as the replacement for adobe flash, but now they use adobe flash which is at 11.9.

I still use firefox for the majority of my web surfing, I only use the chrome browser if the site is not compatible with adobe flash 11.2.x in firefox.

+1 for onebuck's idea about Puppy Linux. It's very lightweight and easy to run. I used it on a similarly spec'd laptop as yours when other distributions were sluggish.

I've got Bodhi and AntiX Linux running on old P4 computer and Atom netbook.
They are small and fast requiring less resources than Ubuntu.
Also forget Firefox instead use Chrome/Chromium for web surfing.
As for Slackware, my feeling is that it is for more experienced users.
Not to mention the default install is too bloated.

Thanks to be continued
 

Thanks for all your help.
I am going to try lubuntu and chrome browser
The default ubuntu (12.04) wasn't bad, it played videos perfectly
It just hung up in Firefox and if I tried to do 2 things at once.