Lightweight Linux Install

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I currently have an old laptop which I have Xubuntu 8.04 installed on.

The notebook has the following specs:

Intel Celeron 700mhz processor
256mb RAM
40gb 4200 rpm hard disk

The hard drive is a much newer and faster unit than the original unit and 256mb is the maximum amount of RAM the notebook can take.

I find that Xubuntu is still not fast enough on this notebook. Are there are any other Linux install(with a nice interface) which will run better and are easy to install?? It must be able to able to detect a PCMCIA Xircom 10/100 ethernet card though. Good wirless card support would also be nice!

[aidanjt]

Puppy Linux or DSL would do the job.

[Ice Tea]

Puppy Linux rocks on old laptops.

[directhex]

More nice means more RAM. Sorry. Puppy will work, but isn't remotely as nice as Xubuntu

[mycarsavw]

TinyMe - Cut down version of PCLinux-OS

DeLi Linux is another small distro for older PCs

DSL and Puppy as mentioned

[Ice Tea]

I've heard alot of people talking about Good OS as visually nice and user friendly for Notebooks and older Laptops but i don't know if it any good or not maybe the other users can comment.

http://www.thinkgos.com/gos/index.html



System Requirements

Bare Minimum
300 MHz x86 processor
64 MB 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 RAM
8 GB of disk space
Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution
Sound card
A network or Internet connection

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[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I am giving Puppy Linux a try. It seems to run much better although it does need more fiddling about with than Xubuntu. I will also have a look at gOS at some point too!

It was great that flash works out of the box too. Even though the graphics card has been not detected(I will have to work on that) youtube videos still play(some albeit a bit stuttery with some).
RAM usage is down, so is hard disk access and CPU usage!

Both the PCMCIA ethernet card and wireless card took only a few minutes of configuring to work properly too!! I did not need to download any drivers too!! Excellent for an install CD under 100mb in size!!

[Ice Tea]

PuppyLinux has a one click easy install system called DotPup.If you search their forum for your Laptop model or the Graphics card somebody may have already compiled a DotPup installer for it.

[Ice Tea]

A review of gOS here

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/25/gos_review/


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[aidanjt]

Why are people even mentioning gOS?... It's not even remotely lightweight enough for the OPs laptop.

[Ice Tea]

Why are people even mentioning gOS?... It's not even remotely lightweight enough for the OPs laptop.

The only person that mentioned it was me as it was developed by ThinkGos for low powered netbooks and netops which is what i assumed what CAT-THE-FIFTH wanted when he said a light linux over light as in small as he has a 40gb HDD so size of install is no problem ?

[directhex]

The only person that mentioned it was me as it was developed by ThinkGos for low powered netbooks and netops which is what i assumed what CAT-THE-FIFTH wanted when he said a light linux over light as in small as he has a 40gb HDD so size of install is no problem ?

Compiz? Gnome? Google Desktop? I don't know any world where that counts as lightweight.

[Ice Tea]

I currently have an old laptop which I have Xubuntu 8.04 installed on.

The notebook has the following specs:

Intel Celeron 700mhz processor
256mb RAM
40gb 4200 rpm hard disk

The hard drive is a much newer and faster unit than the original unit and 256mb is the maximum amount of RAM the notebook can take.

I find that Xubuntu is still not fast enough on this notebook. Are there are any other Linux install(with a nice interface) which will run better and are easy to install?? It must be able to able to detect a PCMCIA Xircom 10/100 ethernet card though. Good wirless card support would also be nice!

He never asked for a purist linux light install and it's not like Puppylinux is a purist linux like a stripped down version of slackware.

He asked

"Are there are any other Linux install(with a nice interface) which will run better and are easy to install?? It must be able to able to detect a PCMCIA Xircom 10/100 ethernet card though. Good wirless card support would also be nice! "

So on that i backed up the first person that mentioned Puppylinux but later on remembered gOS that was released last year for the sub £200 notebook range that was designed for looks and a stripped down ease of use with inbuilt drivers and Wine already compiled for the use of Windows apps on linux.If the OP wants this to be a geek purist Linux request then i'm sure he will mention it And if gOS is anygood or not for those that just want a ease of use OS without all the config edits i have no idea as i never tried it as it was only a suggestion based on what i've read.I'm no more claiming that he should use it over anything else that has been suggested it is only another option.


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[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Thanks for all the help everyone!! Install size is not an issue as I have a resonable sized hard disk in the computer however RAM usage is as it only has 256mb of RAM and that is the limit for the model I am usuing(an HP N5241 BTW). The main problem is that I cannot get Puppy Linux to detect the S3 Savage card properly(8mb of video RAM). Tried looking on Google at some forums and nothing has worked so far!! Anybody got some ideas on getting this to work!!??

[Jiff Lemon]

According to crucial maximum memory is 512mb. That'd be my first port of call; Still plenty of it on ebay.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

According to crucial maximum memory is 512mb. That'd be my first port of call; Still plenty of it on ebay.

According to the computer specs on the HP website the computer can only support a maximum of 256mb of RAM in total.

Perhaps the info on the HP website is old. 512mb of RAM would make the computer much faster IMHO. I must look into this if the cost is not too high!! Thanks!!