[SOLVED] What do I need to know to choose a Linux distribution?
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What do I need to know to choose a Linux distribution?
Here's what I know already; is this enough?
1. RAM -- 64MB
2. hard drive -- about 18GB
3. I want to erase the hard drive (currently has Windows 98) before installing.
4. Computer will boot from a live cd (tested this w/ Ubuntu cd)
I've heard about stuff like i386 and i686 and the processor speed in megahertz in Linux discussions. Do I need this information? How do I find it in Windows?
Last edited by gray53; 07-21-2009 at 03:08 PM.
Reason: more information
Can one stick of RAM be used on any computer, or are there different types of RAM? Also, how do you find out the maximum amount the computer will support? Thanks.
Update: according to crucial.com, my PC's limit is 384MB of SDRAM PC133
Last edited by gray53; 07-21-2009 at 03:54 PM.
Reason: answered my own question!
Can one stick of RAM be used on any computer, or are there different types of RAM? Also, how do you find out the maximum amount the computer will support? Thanks.
Ram has generations just as processors do. DDR, DDR2, etc. And, the various types will have a different number of pins. You need to know what kind of ram your machine takes in order to know what you need for an upgrade.
As far as linux distros, check out Distrowatch search page and under category, choose Old Computers. From there, you should be able to check out what the requirements are for each distro.
You will be able to install most major distributions, but given your limited hardware resources you should stick with a core base install, maybe even omitting a graphical X-Windows interface completely. Slackware has a good reputation for running robustly on old hardware. If you want X-Windows, then remember to install and use fluxbox, xfce or WindowMaker as the window manager - Gnome and KDE will be unbearably slow. For web surfing use dillo instead of Firefox for common webpages.
According to the info on the home page Deli will run with 64mb of ram and uses lightweight alternative applications.It boots into a graphical desktop environment too!
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