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Seems PL and DSL are the only distros left for older boxes
Posted: Thu 17 Apr 2014, 16:38
by jacatone
Been trying to install the latest versions of Linux Mint, Ubuntu and Linux Lite on older P4 machines and they won't install. I guess PL, DSL and maybe Lubuntu are your only options left for older hardware. You can't use dialup with Lubuntu, just broadband.
Posted: Thu 17 Apr 2014, 19:44
by gcmartin
This might help.
There are still lots of old distros still floating around on different distro sites which still work perfectly well on old (and new) hardware.
The same is true in Puppyland.
Those old distros rock, as they still work and maybe more importantly, they are still stable on old h/w.
Hope this helps
Posted: Thu 17 Apr 2014, 21:52
by jacatone
Yeah, except older discontinued distros can't update or even access repositories.
Posted: Fri 18 Apr 2014, 00:40
by rokytnji
jacatone wrote:Yeah, except older discontinued distros can't update or even access repositories.
Code: Select all
harry@biker:~
$ inxi -Fxz
System: Host: biker Kernel: 3.7.10-antix.7-486-smp i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.7.2)
Desktop: Fluxbox 1.3.2
Distro: antiX-13_386-full Luddite 01 June 2013
Machine: Mobo: IBM model: 2628TWU
Bios: IBM v: KXET33WW (1.06 ) date: 09/05/2001
CPU: Single core Pentium III (Coppermine) (-UP-) cache: 256 KB clocked at 1000 MHz
flags: (pae sse) bmips: 1992
Graphics: Card: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] ATI Rage Mobility P/M AGP 2x
bus-ID: 01:00.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.12.4 drivers: ati (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) FAILED: mach64
Resolution: 1024x768@87.0hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on softpipe
GLX Version: 2.1 Mesa 8.0.5 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card Cirrus Logic CS 4614/22/24/30 [CrystalClear SoundFusion Audio Accelerator]
driver: snd_cs46xx bus-ID: 00:05.0
Sound: ALSA v: k3.7.10-antix.7-486-smp
Network: Card-1: 3Com 3c556B CardBus [Tornado]
driver: 3c59x port: 1800 bus-ID: 00:03.0
IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-2: Ralink RT2561/RT61 802.11g PCI
driver: rt61pci v: 2.3.0 bus-ID: 06:00.0
IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 20.0GB (-)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: IC25N020ATCS04 size: 20.0GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 18G used: 15G (87%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 1.12GB used: 0.02GB (2%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda2
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 57.0C mobo: 44.0C
Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 0
Info: Processes: 90 Uptime: 2:36 Memory: 280.0/500.7MB
Init: SysVinit runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 4.7.2
Client: Shell (bash 4.2.371) inxi: 2.1.18
harry@biker:~
$ inxi -r
Repos: Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antix.list
deb http://antix.daveserver.info/stable stable main
Active apt sources in file: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main contrib non-free
deb http://security.debian.org/ wheezy/updates main contrib non-free
harry@biker:~
$
For Ubuntu try
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Insta ... /MinimalCD
Posted from a Pentium 3 , 512MB ram , used to run Puppy Dingo 4
2001 laptop.
Slackware and a Debian Net install will run just fine also.
Gentoo too, Including dialup.
As one linux user I know online says.
"The magic is in the magicians hands! Not the Wand!"
Posted: Fri 18 Apr 2014, 00:56
by jacatone
Yeah, I hate Fluxbox. Been looking for a Linux replacement for my old WinXP P4 desktop and laptop, but XP still seems to be working just fine. I've never actually found a Linux distro that was any better than XP.
Posted: Fri 18 Apr 2014, 01:19
by rokytnji
jacatone wrote:Yeah, I hate Fluxbox. Been looking for a Linux replacement for my old WinXP P4 desktop and laptop, but XP still seems to be working just fine. I've never actually found a Linux distro that was any better than XP.
I am not limited to only Fluxbox.
Re: Seems PL and DSL are the only distros left for older boxes
Posted: Fri 18 Apr 2014, 01:43
by Moat
jacatone wrote: You can't use dialup with Lubuntu, just broadband.
Dialup on Lubuntu (with an outboard modem) works just fine - install wvdial (and gnomePPP if you want a GUI). In recently playing around on the excellent Lubuntu-based distro LXLE, it appeared wvdial comes pre-installed - so it should dial out OOTB via terminal.
Bob
Posted: Mon 21 Apr 2014, 07:37
by Fossil
Eight plus eight years ago, there were a lot more small Linux distros, some of which were very good indeed. Gradually, the forces of change have eroded these systems away. Even Austrumi, which was based on Slackware, appears not to have been updated for several years.
http://cyti.latgola.lv/ruuni/#
Posted: Wed 23 Apr 2014, 16:51
by Colonel Panic
AntiX is good for old computers as well. I can run it just fine on my thirteen year old Compaq.
Vector Light is also designed for old computers, but hasn't been updated in a while; the same is true of CrunchBang.
There are a couple of the old Deli derivatives which are still being updated; I might post a link when I'm in Opera again.
Posted: Wed 23 Apr 2014, 19:48
by Colonel Panic
It looks like Delicate is the only Deli variant still being developed, and I've not been able to get it to boot in the past so I can't recommend it with any confidence.
Nevertheless, it's up to 0.1 alpha 4 now if anyone wants to try it;
http://deli.tavvva.net/
Posted: Wed 23 Apr 2014, 21:17
by mikeb
I use a slax 6 derivative with XFCE4 daily on circa 2000 machines....
Still a bundle of modules around and its easy to build them sourcing from debian or ...erm...puppy.
Good all round kernels.
mike
Posted: Wed 23 Apr 2014, 22:17
by darry1966
Fossil wrote:Eight plus eight years ago, there were a lot more small Linux distros, some of which were very good indeed. Gradually, the forces of change have eroded these systems away. Even Austrumi, which was based on Slackware, appears not to have been updated for several years.
http://cyti.latgola.lv/ruuni/#
Austrumi is still being maintained here
ftp://austrumi.ru.lv/
Galpon Minino
Posted: Wed 23 Apr 2014, 22:25
by darry1966
Here is another I have tried which is Debian based.
http://minino.galpon.org/en
Posted: Wed 23 Apr 2014, 22:33
by puppyluvr
Hello,
Austrumi is nice. Luitlinux too.
Tinycore is good too.
But if you want fast, super small, and super light,
try KolobriOS. Its not Linux, its straight machine code!!
Re: Galpon Minino
Posted: Fri 25 Apr 2014, 09:32
by Colonel Panic
Thanks, I'm downloading it now.
UPDATE: I could only get it to boot to the console (i.e. it wouldn't load X Windows).
Posted: Sat 26 Apr 2014, 18:06
by Fossil
Just tried KolibriOS - Amazing for it's size!
Posted: Wed 30 Apr 2014, 20:31
by Colonel Panic
I've just come across this page, which has an extensive listing of the options for someone who needs to have something to run on an old machine. It's well worth a look if you don't mind older distros;
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=575456
Posted: Tue 06 May 2014, 03:59
by jacatone
Wanted to try this LXLE, but it can only be downloaded through bittorent. I use my local library for their free broadband and they don't allow bittorent. Anyone know of a standalone iso download somewhere?
Posted: Tue 06 May 2014, 08:45
by darry1966
How about Wattos - has anyone tried it?
http://www.planetwatt.com/
Posted: Tue 06 May 2014, 09:52
by Colonel Panic
I haven't tried the latest one, but I did try the last release (7.0) and it was OK except that I had trouble downloading additional software.
It's a good choice for a lightweight Ubuntu based distro, and quite nice-looking, but if you want to extend it I think you need to know how mirrors work (which I don't).