Linux for dinosaur systems

[Ped33322]

Hello,

I have a 486 with 8 mb of memory and a Pentium 200 with 32 mb of memory. I'd like to use Linux to get a GUI interface similar to what Windows 3.1 gave me. All I want to do is use OpenOffice and maybe get on the Internet. I tried Mandrake on the Pentium, but it wouldn't install. I looked at Redhat and Suse, but those said I needed more horsepower and more memory. What Linux distributions would be best for that 486 and Pentium 200?

Thanks!

[sharth]

Debian would work (dunno how easy it would be to install).


I really am not sure about how succsesful openoffice would be though.. You might want to look into abiord or kwrite...

[Artimus]

OpenOffice uses way more than 32MB of ram by itself, so running it on either of your boxes isn't likely.

I think Mandrake requires a 686 now a days, so it may not run on either of them.

Debian or Slackware are good bets.

[Trogdor]

Originally posted by Artimus
OpenOffice uses way more than 32MB of ram by itself, so running it on either of your boxes isn't likely.

I think Mandrake requires a 686 now a days, so it may not run on either of them.

Debian or Slackware are good bets.

You might want to try Gentoo, but expect a REALLY long compile time (and a 15% faster distrobution). And OOo really /should/ have 64mb of ram, or, preferably, 128mb.

[psi42]

Slackware!

OOo will not run smoothly on equipment that old, and definitely not on a 486.

For the Pentium 2, you should be OK with AbiWord if you add some more RAM.

If that's too slow, and for the 486, try a 1.0.x release of AbiWord, which is really ugly (no antialiasing), but faster.

Dillo for web browsing, or maybe firebird on the Pentium 2 but even that will eat a lot of resources.

Have fun

~psi42

[mdwatts]

Moving to the '.iso confused - Which Distro?' forum.

http://old.lwn.net/Distributions/ is a great resource for finding specific distros.

[hard candy]

For a "dinosaur" system, there is a new distro out, Tyrannasaurus Rinuxx, but it is more for high performance.
I think they have a slower version, Brontosaurinux. And for mobility, laptops, etc, there is Pterodactylinus .
A waterproof distro, Plesiosaulinex, is being developed.
I guess we could call it the "Distrosaur" section.

[psi42]

Originally posted by hard candy

I guess we could call it the "Distrosaur" section.

I suppose you're trying to win another naming contest, aren't you.

[acooper200]

For a "dinosaur" system, there is a new distro out, Tyrannasaurus Rinuxx, but it is more for high performance.

are you having a giraffe?

[JamminJoeyB]

Ped33322, go slack


If you are looking for some used hardware that will run linux well. check the hardware trading forum. I have some stuff listed in there.

[hard candy]

are you having a giraffe?

No, but I was sticking my neck out.

[mrBen]

For an older system like that, you are probably looking at Slackware or Debian as your first options.

With regards to window managers that look like Windows 3.1, I don't think you'll find any (because most people think that 3.1 sucked). But you could look at Rox-filer, which has a WM component.

Alternatively, the *box WMs are very light on resources, or IceWM (you can get a 'nice' WinXP look for IceWM which would confuse some)

I have run OpenOffice on a machine with 24Mb RAM, windows version, but it's not pretty. Even 64 is slow.

[Maboroshi Abyll]

I suggest you have a look at Vector. They target older computers.

[Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379]

Originally posted by Maboroshi Abyll
I suggest you have a look at Vector. They target older computers.

Vector's a good choice, considering it's based off of Slackware.

I had a Compaq laptop, 486/33 mhz with 8MB of RAM, and a 270MB hard drive in it. I think I managed to get a base Slackware install in at around 88MB or somewheres in there. Of course, all I used the laptop for was a remote telnet console, but it worked great!

[o0zi]

I suggest one of the mini KNOPPIX-based distros - Feather Linux, Damn Small Linux or Flonix, and maybe Puppy Linux (though its hardware detection isn't great as yet).