linux

[Destroyer^]

hi looking to build a small rig to check out linux as its always intrested me.... whats the minimum specs for it and which version is best to use for general browsing? unbantu etc

thanks for the help

[Dreaming]

I would say go with ubuntu, it's seen as a beginner's linux.

To start, two suggestions:

try a live CD
try a virtual PC of some sort

There aren't really any minimum specs, just support hardware. If you keep it simple most hardware will be supported as far as I know these days, be careful with wireless LAN cards though as I've never managed with one yet...

[aidanjt]

Pretty much any CPU will do, 1GB of RAM will keep things smooth, 6GB of HDD space, and anything with VGA pins on it will do for graphics via vesa, that's the minimum you'd want, anything after that is a bonus, just watch out for non-common onboard GPUs made by ATi and nVidia, even their offical drivers rarely work with them well.

[Softix]

RAM = 1Gb recommended (512mb for minimum spec)
Gfx = 6 series and above (NVIDIA Graphics cards)
Processor = 800 MHz Pentium III or Athlon, or better(min) , 1.5 GHz or better (recommended)

[directhex]

where on earth do those supposed minimum specs come from?

[aidanjt]

Indeed, 'distros' like OpenWRT will happily run with 32MB of memory. Desktops need a bit more clout, starting with 256MB is ideal.

[directhex]

from ubuntu.com:

minimum:
* 300 MHz x86 processor
* 64 MB of system memory (RAM)
* At least 4 GB of disk space (for full installation and swap space)
* VGA graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution
* CD-ROM drive or network card

recommended:
* 700 MHz x86 processor
* 384 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 8 GB of disk space
* Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution
* Sound card
* A network or Internet connection

recommended w/ 3d desktop:
* 1.2 GHz x86 processor
* 384 MB of system memory (RAM)
* 8 GB of disk space
* Supported graphics card (see HARDWARE Video Card Support Under XGL - Gentoo Linux Wiki)