Author Topic: Pentium II 128mb RAM 299Mhz, 6.2gb hdd - Best distro? (Read 4653 times)

HippyVanMan · « **on:** December 04, 2006, 12:59:31 PM »

I have an old laptop, which is currently running windows 98 very slowly, I don't want to run 98 for many reasons, and instead want to run linux.
The laptops specs: Pentium II 128mb RAM 299Mhz, 6.2gb hdd
Speed is an issue with me, and I'd like the laptop to run as fast as it possibly can, without me having to wait, basically like a nice desktop pc or laptop. And I want to know which distro would run best. Arch linux?
I also plan on installing some nice GUI programs, namely open office. I've been told running open office on this machine will mean open office runs quite slowly, are there any better office suites for the job that can open and save in open document and microsoft file formats?
I dont have many worries regarding the size of the HDD, as linux takes up considerably less room than windows. How much space should I set as swap to optimize the laptops performance but not lose a single unnecersary mb of space? Im not entirely sure how much programs like open office take up on disk, frankly I havent really had to worry about it, so id like to be a strict as possible with my diskspace as I don't want to run out.
The laptops primary uses will probably be word processing and not to complex spreadsheets and maths.
Some music too and possibly some videos but not really anything too intensive, a standard pc.
Thanks for any help you can give me as I realise ive asked allot

Ricky · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2006, 04:48:33 PM »

Running Linux with GUI on that config and that too smoothly is not something practical. Though whatever Linux distro I have used might not work smoothly at all in this config..
Lets see what others have to say here!

gauravbajaj · « **Reply #2 on:** December 12, 2006, 04:15:40 AM »

Hi,

Linux is best , if u don't wana install GUI in that, but as u said that its your requirement so I suggest you to go for Red Hat Linux 7x vesrion.., not above that..................., it takes less space and comfortabely run on your PC configration.

Gaurav

HippyVanMan · « **Reply #3 on:** December 12, 2006, 08:15:03 PM »

Thankyou. I think I am going to use DSL though because of its small number of parts, this way I can build from the ground up. But currently Im having actuall problems which means dsl freezes after I enter the install comand.

Ricky · « **Reply #4 on:** December 12, 2006, 08:40:55 PM »

Can you explain a bit more.. ie. how exactly you started ?

HippyVanMan · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2006, 09:13:38 PM »

I follow these instructions exactly: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/wiki/index.php/Installing_to_the_Hard_Disk

And after I type: dsl-hdinstall it begins but then freezes. Or it freezes before this point when im appointing the swap space.
The screens oclour settings are also wrong but I have not attempting to fix these, it only occurs under linux. I will fix this once it's properly installed but I feel I should mention it just in case there both symptoms of a certain brand of screwed-up-ness.