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. :) :D :)

[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 (www.vectorlinux.com). They target older computers.

[Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379]

Originally posted by Maboroshi Abyll
I suggest you have a look at Vector (www.vectorlinux.com). 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).

[acooper200]

I'm trying to get any linux to run on my 486 SX 33. I boot it up from a floppy which has smart boot manager (SMB) installed. Using SBM I then boot up linux install cds.

I have tried fedora and Damn Small Linux but both times i have got an error:

"no coprocessor of math emulation found - aborting" or similar

What does this mean?

http://fedora.redhat.com
http://www.damnsmalllinux.com

[mrBen]

Back in the 'good ol' days' you had your basic processor, and then you got a maths coprocessor. As of Pentiums, they were built into the main processor, but on the older 486s you had to install another physical chip.

The Linux kernel, IIRC, does have an option to compile emulation in, but it may not be in the stock kernel on those 2 distros.

[acooper200]

The Linux kernel, IIRC, does have an option to compile emulation in, but it may not be in the stock kernel on those 2 distros.

can you suggest a disto that does?

[ph34r]

I've put Slack 9.x and Debian (unstable) on a 486 with 12mb ram no problem, so I image that 8 would work, but you may have to read the 4mb laptop howto for some install help.

I'd go wtih Slack or Deb on both systems, and use really light window managers... although the 486 will be dog slow wtih X in any event. Good console-only machine though.

[leonpmu]

Those are the two I recommend,

Also perhaps try checking your BIOS to see if "Math Co-Processor emulation" is enabled. Then it should install fine

I installed it on a 100MHz Cyrix with 16MB RAM

Works great!!!!

[mrBen]

ph34r: RAM doesn't matter in this case, its more the age of the chip/motherboard - a 486 DX chip is way different from a 486 SX chip.

leonpmu: A Cyrix 100Mhz will most likely be emulating a Pentium instruction set, and will already have co-processor code built in.

Having said all that, I do have a working install of Debian on a 486-33 SX (without co-processor) so I would give Debian a try.

[psi42]

Originally posted by acooper200
can you suggest a disto that does?

I think the slackware stock kernel does.