which distro on an older laptop?


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Thread: which distro on an older laptop?

  1. #1
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    which distro on an older laptop?

    ok, so i have this ibm thinkpad 760el laying around, and i wanted to try some linux on it, maybe gentoo or slackware. here are the specs...

    (either 120 or 133 mhz) Pentium 1
    32 MB Ram
    CD-R
    Floppy, 2 GB HD

    here's an obstacle though... it doesn't boot from CD. so it would have to boot from floppy. ive tried to boot with a windows boot disk, then load the cd-r driver, but once i do that, then i dont know if there's a way to start the installation with dos. any suggestions? this is kind of 2 questions, and i didnt know whether to put this in the installation or which distro because i dont know which distro to use, but i also dont knowhow i would install it, so i was thinking it might depend on which distro i was using. any suggestions would help me a lot. thanks
    linux user #388813

    Gateway SOLO 5300
    Pentium III 750 Mhz
    256 MB RAM
    20 GB HD
    Mandrake 10.1

  2. #2
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    I would definitely go with Slackware. Gentoo would be a bear to try to compile on that thing.

    As for your booting problem. You could try the Smart Boot Manager Disk from Slackware. Maybe that can get your CD drive working. If not, you could always do the boot/root disk and load the right module manually.
    Registered Linux User No. 321,742

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  3. #3
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    first, if i do slackware, then do you think id have any problems with running 10.1? also, how would i use the slackware program you suggested?

    to let you know, this laptop has no OS installed
    linux user #388813

    Gateway SOLO 5300
    Pentium III 750 Mhz
    256 MB RAM
    20 GB HD
    Mandrake 10.1

  4. #4
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    first, if i do slackware, then do you think id have any problems with running 10.1?
    Not at all. I'm running a desktop with similar specs (but w/ a 200 MHz proc). I upgraded it to 10.1 with slapt-get just today. You have to be picky about what you services run, though. With only 32MB of memory, it runs out fast. My above-mentioned dekstop is running with 620KB memory free right now.

    also, how would i use the slackware program you suggested?
    It's a disk image. Use the dd command in linux or rawwrite under windows to write it to a floppy, then boot off of it. You'll need to do the same procedure to make the boot disks for Slackware.
    Registered Linux User No. 321,742

    "At Harvard they have this policy where if you pass too many classes they ask you to leave."
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  5. #5
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    wrong!

    you oughtta install woody on that relic. it's the perfect match!
    all you need are 6 floppies and a net connection:

    http://debian.spark.net.gr/debian/images-1.44/bf2.4/
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  6. #6
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    well which one should i do? also, im not sure if ill have an internet connection because i have a modem pcmcia card, but im still not sure it works
    linux user #388813

    Gateway SOLO 5300
    Pentium III 750 Mhz
    256 MB RAM
    20 GB HD
    Mandrake 10.1

  7. #7
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    http://www.debian.org/distrib/floppyinst

    Install Debian via floppy and internet. Build it as you go to get a minimal system with only what you want. You will be a happy camper.
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  8. #8
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    Re: wrong!

    Originally posted by je_fro
    you oughtta install woody on that relic. it's the perfect match!
    all you need are 6 floppies and a net connection:
    With slackware you only need 3 floppies and an NFS server (or a net connection alone, if you wanted to hack up a little HTTP install script).

    Here's my take on this:

    If you want to do primarily networking/server stuff, go slackware.
    If you want a "desktop" machine only, and are willing to put up with "doing things the debian way," go woody.
    Last edited by psi42; 05-16-2005 at 02:08 AM.

  9. #9
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    I'd use debian woody, I have a laptop with about the same specs (but a 700MB harddisk instead of a 2GB one) and it works well for me. Kernel 2.2.20 is light-weight and preferable, but 2.4.18 works better if you want to play MP3's etc.
    I also have slackware installed on an other (older) laptop by personally I don't like this because it costs me lots of time to find out what packages you need installed and get the whole basic stuff complete and working. Debian has a very usefull but small base.
    Also the package management is much nicer with easy dependency solving and automatic retrieving with apt.

    The apps I use:

    - WindowMaker as window manager
    - Sylpheed as mail client
    - Opera 6 as web browser
    - gqmpeg as mp3 player
    - abiword as word processor
    - gimp and xfig for graphic work
    - ROX filer 1.2.2 for file management
    - little apps like nedit and gftp

    All together the OS and these apps use less than 400MB diskspace.
    See http://www.welmers.net/~bastiaan/scr...ts/thinkie.png for a screenshot.
    Last edited by welmers; 05-16-2005 at 08:17 AM.

  10. #10
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    welmers - nice screenie, looks like nextstep!! but abiword is horrible, even nextstep had better fonts!

    anyway, i heard slackware is easier to install than debian woody (debian sarge is easier).

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