Reviving an Old Dog...

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slvrldy17 · #1 Post by **slvrldy17** » Tue 14 Jun 2011, 15:58

Was given an old Compaq Presario Model 5242 by a friend awhile back and have been having a ball working with it - the goal is to have a system that will be usable for web browsing, email, etc. Given relatively low RAM 384 MB and the AMD K6-2 processor it is not compatible with most current Linux distros - the processor lacks a component that most look for on boot and will not run. The good news is that Wary 5 boots and runs without any major problems - so far. Strangely enough so will Windows XP - but it is slow. Obviously Windows 95 or 98 will also run but have not tried them. I'm looking for any advice from the folks here on the best way to proceed - full install Wary to the Hard drive (a 40 GB IDE drive that replaced the original) or Frugal install - perils - pitfalls - benefits of each.

Maximum video out put - with a VGA monitor is 1024x768 - I have an old flat panel that has a "Digital Flat Panel" input as its only interface and this is the first box I've run across that has an output to match. Any special considerations for using it?

I'd also be interested in any thoughts on other Linux distro's that might be usable on it.

This link is to the HP/Compaq product page should anyone need more info on this machine
http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bizsup ... peId=12454

Thanks to all in advance for any input.

bugman · #2 Post by **bugman** » Tue 14 Jun 2011, 16:26

though yours is not as bad as some i have run, i generally prefer a full install and vesa

have not tried any puppys newer than 4.12 so of limited help

keep up the good work

rokytnji · #3 Post by **rokytnji** » Tue 14 Jun 2011, 19:10

I'd also be interested in any thoughts on other Linux distro's that might be usable on it.

Might give

http://www.mepisimo.com/antix/Released/

a try. I am not hip if your processor is i686 or i486. The choice is there though. I dual boot AntiX and Puppy on 512MB of ram ok. The laptop I mention had 256MB of ram last week.
I upgraded it to 512MB just recently. I run a 700MB swap partition on that Laptop also.
I have Puppy MacPup 5.2 frugal installed on 6 gig partition on 30 gig hardrive with Antix using grub to boot Puppy and AntiX.

Good luck.

James C · #4 Post by **James C** » Tue 14 Jun 2011, 19:16

rokytnji wrote:
I'd also be interested in any thoughts on other Linux distro's that might be usable on it.
Might give

http://www.mepisimo.com/antix/Released/

a try. I am not hip if your processor is i686 or i486. The choice is there though. I dual boot AntiX and Puppy on 512MB of ram ok. The laptop I mention had 256MB of ram last week.
I upgraded it to 512MB just recently. I run a 700MB swap partition on that Laptop also.
I have Puppy MacPup 5.2 frugal installed on 6 gig partition on 30 gig hardrive with Antix using grub to boot Puppy and AntiX.

Good luck.

I've got an old K6-2 machine....... it needs the i486 version to boot. Glad Anti made both versions.

RetroTechGuy · #5 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Tue 14 Jun 2011, 22:17

slvrldy17 wrote:Was given an old Compaq Presario Model 5242 by a friend awhile back and have been having a ball working with it - the goal is to have a system that will be usable for web browsing, email, etc. Given relatively low RAM 384 MB and the AMD K6-2 processor it is not compatible with most current Linux distros - the processor lacks a component that most look for on boot and will not run. The good news is that Wary 5 boots and runs without any major problems - so far. Strangely enough so will Windows XP - but it is slow. Obviously Windows 95 or 98 will also run but have not tried them. I'm looking for any advice from the folks here on the best way to proceed - full install Wary to the Hard drive (a 40 GB IDE drive that replaced the original) or Frugal install - perils - pitfalls - benefits of each.

Maximum video out put - with a VGA monitor is 1024x768 - I have an old flat panel that has a "Digital Flat Panel" input as its only interface and this is the first box I've run across that has an output to match. Any special considerations for using it?

I'd also be interested in any thoughts on other Linux distro's that might be usable on it.

This link is to the HP/Compaq product page should anyone need more info on this machine
http://bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bizsup ... peId=12454

Thanks to all in advance for any input.

I would try (more or less in order):

Lupu 5.25: http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dis ... ppy-5.2.5/

Wary: http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dis ... ary-5.1.2/

4.1.2 or 4.1.2 Retro: http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dis ... monkey.iso

2.14 Top7 (ttuxxxx's update of the old puppy): http://www.smokey01.com/ttuuxxx/2.14X/iso-sfs/

I have an old 333MHz Compaq Armada, 256MB RAM/512MB swap, that runs Puppy 4.3.1 Retro -- but it's pretty slow (I think 4.3.1 is just a little too hardware intensive -- I plan to try something else on it). I had previously run 4.12 Retro on it, which worked well (see above).

4.3.1 Retro: http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dis ... modems.iso

The Ibiblio Puppy site: http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/dis ... uppylinux/

I also managed to load and run Lupu 5.20 on a 300 MHz laptop, with 192MB RAM: http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=64548

john biles · #6 Post by **john biles** » Wed 15 Jun 2011, 03:42

Hello slvrldy17,
If you want a full featured Puppy based Distro, you owe it to yourself to at least try my Distro "Legacy OS 2". With around 150 applications standard on the iso there's a lot of useful software just waiting for you to use!

OK for web surfing you get Opera configured with Flash, Java, Multimedia Plugins for a full online experience.
Email I personally use Opera's built in Email client or you can use Kmail.
You get Skype 1.3 so you can chat but doesn't have webcam support.
I give you kmess to chat on MSN. I give you ktorrent to download torrents.
I give you Amarok or Javatunes to manage your music collection. I give you Digikam to manage your photo collection. I give you 40 games as standard with another 30 in the repository to download and install. I give you 13 applications for drawing / artwork plus CAD applications like Qcad, Sweethome 3D and CYCAS 3D. What about Multimedia MPlayer, VLC, Kaffeine, Smplayer, Realplayer the list just goes on and on.

All this developed on Laptops and PC's just like yours. 384Mb's of Ram! that's huge! All this runs fine with only 192Mb's of Ram and 1024x768 is the preferred screen ratio.

Experience what can really be achieved with legacy hardware.

Visit Link for for info and where to download.

http://puppylinux.org/wikka/LegacyOS

Also check out.

http://puppylinuxstuff.meownplanet.net/news.html

Just remember Legacy OS 2 gives you a modern Operating System on Hardware most would say is only suitable for Landfill.

slvrldy17 · #7 Post by **slvrldy17** » Sat 18 Jun 2011, 16:45

Still working on and with the old Compaq - it is currently set up with Wary 5.2 installed on the hard drive with Vesa and is running so far without problems. Puppy 4.3.1 also works - tried the current lucid puppy - it will boot up but has some problems with running applications.

Tried Legacy OS 2 - not sure just what the problem with it is - it boots but can't get to a desktop running in RAM to test or install using either Xvesa or Xorg - both hang and or fail during setup phase. I suspect that it is a hardware or driver issue but what I don't know.

The "Digital Flat Panel" monitor has been tried - it needed a power supply - and works well despite being stored for several years.

I will likely give AntiX i486 a try - but on a different hard drive since I've got extras around the shop. Should be fun...

Thanks to all for replies/input so far - always interested in more.

Dewbie · #8 Post by **Dewbie** » Sun 19 Jun 2011, 06:55

RetroTechGuy wrote:

4.1.2 or 4.1.2 Retro
2.14 Top7 (ttuxxxx's update of the old puppy):

How do these two compare, in terms of cpu and RAM usage?

RetroTechGuy · #9 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Mon 20 Jun 2011, 03:14

Dewbie wrote:RetroTechGuy wrote:
4.1.2 or 4.1.2 Retro
2.14 Top7 (ttuxxxx's update of the old puppy):
How do these two compare, in terms of cpu and RAM usage?

I'll have to roll my old-old machine back and look (I haven't loaded Top 7, but used to run 4.12 -- which I think was more responsive than 4.3.1 Retro, which is currently running on that old one -- it's more of a test-bed, than a general use machine)

Colonel Panic · #10 Post by **Colonel Panic** » Mon 20 Jun 2011, 11:14

Some good suggestions here, but with a machine that old I'd also consider Puppy Turbo and Puppy Turbo Extreme.

RetroTechGuy · #11 Post by **RetroTechGuy** » Mon 20 Jun 2011, 16:38

Colonel Panic wrote:Some good suggestions here, but with a machine that old I'd also consider Puppy Turbo and Puppy Turbo Extreme.

I find Turbopup Xtreme here:

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=40477

harii4 · #12 Post by **harii4** » Mon 20 Jun 2011, 23:16

PULP is an good one as well.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=40226

PULP is yet another puplet for older hardware.

you could try Puppy3.x series with power of slackware behind it.

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