Bin Or Linux?

[OnOff]

A friend was looking to bin his old Pentium 3 800MHz because of "lots of issues". Pretty low spec by today's standards, Maxtor IDE 6GB HDD formatted FAT 32 (+ another old 20MB one lying in there loose), 128MB RAM running Windows XP Home. I suggested putting LINUX on it, this would I get the feeling make best use of the low spec? He reckons he wants it for nothing more than a pc for browsing the net etc. (Plus I get to play with Linux a bit more!)

Is the RAM a bit light for this idea?

Got as far as cover off, a vacuum inside and that it will boot up into XP. Anyway, what would be the most appropriate LINUX distro to put on the thing?

Thanks in advance

 

[ProDave]

A fresh install of XP home, and an efficient browser like Opera would get it doing what he wants.

 

[steptoe]

lubuntu,

or

puppy linux

Im not sure if its still supported, but I used to have an old laptop running

DSL, damn small linux, its about 50M 

Id try Lubuntu first though, its pretty good for small spec, and still has a good GUI.

 

[pewter]

Bin it and buy an imac.

 

[OnOff]

As it's NOT my pc and he's up for it I'm going to try Lubuntu "Alternate" on it and see how he goes. Just trying to make a bootable USB stick with it using UNetbootin....................if he doesn't like it I'll stick XP Pro on.

Think I've read somewhere that quite a few people ditch the native Mac OS and put proper Linux on!

 

[steptoe]

As it's NOT my pc and he's up for it I'm going to try Lubuntu "Alternate" on it and see how he goes. Just trying to make a bootable USB stick with it using UNetbootin....................if he doesn't like it I'll stick XP Pro on.

Think I've read somewhere that quite a few people ditch the native Mac OS and put proper Linux on!

:slap

 

[pewter]

I read

the moon landing was fake.

9-11 was a conspiracy.

PME earthing is different to TNCS.

And a 5 week course can train people to be an electrician........

 

[OnOff]

I read

the moon landing was fake.

9-11 was a conspiracy.

PME earthing is different to TNCS.

And a 5 week course can train people to be an electrician........

:lol:

 

[OnOff]

In for a penny:

A PME supply is TN-C-S but not all TN-C-S supplies are PME!

 

[OnOff]

OK, been trying to install Lubutu 12.04 "alternate" on this pc in Post #1. I burnt the ISO image to CD. I then booted up with the Lubuntu disc in. Did the HDD and memory test and both OK.

Last night all went well until it "hung" with a light blue screen with a thin white strip at the bottom........

Next attempt all looking good,

-keyboard set up,

-detects hardware,

-loads additional components,

-set up users and passwords,

-DID NOT encrypt,

-did the clock.

-Onto partitioning and went for "Guided-use entire disc".

-Went on to "Installing the base system".

.............................

-Configuring apt

-Select and install software

Then appeared to "hang"  at 14% on  "Select and install software" / "configuring language-pack-en-base" at 14% - got this far TWICE with same result!

Should I maybe format the disc with a "utility" 3 1/2" floppy I have from way back BEFORE booting from the CD or use a CD drive cleaner etc?

 

[steptoe]

Ok, have you checked the md5checksum of the iso?

You can do this either before or after you burn,

After the burn is easier,

When you are booting the system you get a list of options, chose:

Check disc for errors

or something like that, I just put 13.04 on an old lappy last night and had 2 corrupt downloads,!

Btw, i used unetbootin and a 2G stick formatted to FAT

 

[OnOff]

NOT too impressed by DSL tbh, graphics looked a bit well DOS'ish to me. Had no luck with Lubuntu 12.04 or 13.04 - just wouldn't load! I burnt the ISO image for all 3 using Windows 7.

On the old pc though, going to try Ubuntu which I like (on it now)

Ok, have you checked the md5checksum of the iso?

NOT a clue what you mean or how to do this!
You can do this either before or after you burn,
After the burn is easier,
When you are booting the system you get a list of options, chose:
Check disc for errors
or something like that, I just put 13.04 on an old lappy last night and had 2 corrupt downloads,!
Btw, i used unetbootin and a 2G stick formatted to FAT

 

[steptoe]

what did you use to burn the image? remember, DONT burn it like a normal CD/DVD,!!!

yes, DSL is very basic, but, it is only 50meg!!!!!!!!  and would probably run on a BBC Acorn!!!! 

Ubuntu struggles with less than 512RAM or anything before a P4 TBH, unless you use a base kernel only,

I can dropbox you a working 13.04 Lubuntu if you want, and walk you through the install.

 

[OnOff]

what did you use to burn the image? remember, DONT burn it like a normal CD/DVD,!!!

yes, DSL is very basic, but, it is only 50meg!!!!!!!!  and would probably run on a BBC Acorn!!!! 

Ubuntu struggles with less than 512RAM or anything before a P4 TBH, unless you use a base kernel only,

I can dropbox you a working 13.04 Lubuntu if you want, and walk you through the install.

Double clicked the ISO image under Windows7 and clicked to verify..............seemed to burn OK......DSL worked but Lubuntu 12.04 and 13.04 DIDN'T work!

 

[steptoe]

yer, DSL burns funny,

you burned as an image ? not a direct burn?

AFAIK 'infrarecorder' is good for images in windows, but I cant be sure,

did you download unetbootin? use that and put it on a USB stick, I done mine on a 2G stick.

did the PC even see the disc on boot?

reading the OP,

I dont think Ubuntu will run AT ALL,!!!!

Lubuntu 'minimal install' is your best hope of a 'proper' Ubuntu install with a decent desktop/GUI, 128 ram is LOW,!

puppy would run on it, but I dont think it is supported much now.

 

[OnOff]

yer, DSL burns funny,

you burned as an image ? not a direct burn?

AFAIK 'infrarecorder' is good for images in windows, but I cant be sure,

did you download unetbootin? use that and put it on a USB stick, I done mine on a 2G stick.

did the PC even see the disc on boot?

reading the OP,

I dont think Ubuntu will run AT ALL,!!!!

Lubuntu 'minimal install' is your best hope of a 'proper' Ubuntu install with a decent desktop/GUI, 128 ram is LOW,!

puppy would run on it, but I dont think it is supported much now.

So Lubuntu "minimal" rather than "alternate" you think?

I guess I burned as an image then............but DSL ran fine.....just not keen on the look. Yep, the pc saw all three burnt discs fine, DSl, 12.04 & 13.04

Yes I have unebootin BUT the HP pc will NOT bood from USB so has to be CD/DVD

In have Infrarecorder 0.53.00 assume I go for "Write Image"?

 

[steptoe]

Im fairly sure you can get minimal on the alternate disc,

you did DL the 32bit version?

not trying to be clever, but its an easy mistake,

yes, use write image on  infra-recorder

and the slowest speed it will allow.

just checked, a basic install from Lubuntu alternate will/should work ok, dont select any add-ons, except desktop , it will still load all it needs to run.

when the disc boots up simply let it run on default.

Ubuntu will be tight on a 6Gig HDD, Lubuntu will load on under 3.5gig.

what ram sticks are in it, I could prob send you some.

 

[OnOff]

Im fairly sure you can get minimal on the alternate disc,

you did DL the 32bit version?

not trying to be clever, but its an easy mistake,

yes, use write image on  infra-recorder

and the slowest speed it will allow.

just checked, a basic install from Lubuntu alternate will/should work ok, dont select any add-ons, except desktop , it will still load all it needs to run.

when the disc boots up simply let it run on default.

Ubuntu will be tight on a 6Gig HDD, Lubuntu will load on under 3.5gig.

what ram sticks are in it, I could prob send you some.

Don't have the PC at home, as I say it's a mates.

Yep, picked the 32-bit ISO as opposed to the Torrent. So, OK, as I've already downloaded it from here:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lubuntu/Alternate_ISO

Second one in for standard PC............

Or should I have gotten from here?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Lubuntu/Documentation/MinimalInstall#Downloading

Rairing, Ringtail or Quantal???

 

[steptoe]

http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ubuntu-cdimage/lubuntu/releases/12.04/release/

the actual links are a bit rubbish,

torrents are actually better cos lots of different sources ensure you dont drop any data,

lubuntu-12.04-alternate-i386.iso.torrenttry that one, from the link at the top, thats the one I used.

they are links for Lubuntu 32bit  13.04, should work on that PC OK, albeit NOT as light as a minimal install.

try again

sorry, they are 12.04 links, as is that one, but same place I got my 13.04 one.

 

[OnOff]

http://ftp.heanet.ie/mirrors/ubuntu-cdimage/lubuntu/releases/12.04/release/

the actual links are a bit rubbish,

torrents are actually better cos lots of different sources ensure you dont drop any data,

lubuntu-12.04-alternate-i386.iso.torrenttry that one, from the link at the top, thats the one I used.

they are links for Lubuntu 32bit  13.04, should work on that PC OK, albeit NOT as light as a minimal install.

try again

sorry, they are 12.04 links, as is that one, but same place I got my 13.04 one.

Um......try again link doesn't work..........