[KLUG Members] An older Linux/Unix distro...
Tahnesha Pinckney
members@kalamazoolinux.org
Fri, 03 Jan 2003 11:42:16 -0500
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>>> bob@acm.org 01/03/03 11:17AM >>>
>... I want to migrate over to a Linux or Unix OS. Now this laptop is
>quite old, assume the bare essentials (4-16MB RAM, 550MB Hard
Drive...
I would pick up a copy of Red Hat, version 5.2 and perform a
ruthlessly
minimal install, by accepting NONE of their default system definitions
and
doing a package-by-package review of everything.
Now, the problem with this is that if you're not really familiar with
Linux
already, you will not know what packages to install and which one to
avoid.
You want to seek the help of you local LUG in this effort (your
signature
indicates you're in Boston), it would be a good idea. If you were in
this
area, I would be happy to do it for you, at a KLUG meeting.
My initial system would have no graphical interface on it; I'd make
sure the
core system did everything else I wanted, then I'd install the GUI,
speace
permitting. It's hard for me to see how X would do anything more than
crawl
on a slow processor with so little memory.
>I'll only be using this unit for internet connectivity and word
>processing.
Internet connectivity should not be a problem, EXCEPT that the system
may not
be too secure. a number of exploits have been developed since the 5.2
days,
and updating this system to close them could be a project.
Also, by "word processing", I hope you mean something like a plain text
editor,
not a graphical word processor.
I'll only be using it for plain text editing, nothing sophisticated
like WordPerfect or something..
I used to run a 486/80 with a 450 MB HDD and 16 MB of memory in for
plaintext
editing and e-mail (but behind a firewall), and it worked just fine.
Good
response time and so forth. I never made any heavy demands on it....
Bob Kanaley's suggestion is a good one; I'd select a distribution that
did NOT
require a graphical interface. I can see your machine CHOKING on
something
like "Demo Linux", buit there may be some others out there that may be
useful.
I'd try the first approach, and use this as something of a fallback.
I hope this helps...
Bumping up to a modest Pentium machine and a 1 Gb drive would make this
much
less of a challenge, and they can be had for rather small piles of
shekels
these days... might be worth it!
I just might do that. Although, I hate throwing out hardware that may
have some potential left in it. However, I'll try 5.2 without the GUI
interface and see how it goes...besides, I haven't pulled an all-nighter
in a long, LONG time. Wish me luck!
Regards,
---> RGB <---
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<DIV><BR><BR>>>> bob@acm.org 01/03/03 11:17AM
>>><BR><BR><BR>>... I want to migrate over to a Linux or Unix
OS. Now this laptop is<BR>>quite old, assume the bare essentials
(4-16MB RAM, 550MB Hard Drive...<BR>I would pick up a copy of Red Hat, version
5.2 and perform a ruthlessly<BR>minimal install, by accepting NONE of their
default system definitions and<BR>doing a package-by-package review of
everything.<BR><BR>Now, the problem with this is that if you're not really
familiar with Linux <BR>already, you will not know what packages to install and
which one to avoid.<BR>You want to seek the help of you local LUG in this effort
(your signature<BR>indicates you're in Boston), it would be a good idea. If you
were in this<BR>area, I would be happy to do it for you, at a KLUG
meeting.<BR><BR>My initial system would have no graphical interface on it; I'd
make sure the <BR>core system did everything else I wanted, then I'd install the
GUI, speace<BR>permitting. It's hard for me to see how X would do anything more
than crawl<BR>on a slow processor with so little memory.<BR><BR>>I'll only be
using this unit for internet connectivity and word<BR>>processing.
<BR>Internet connectivity should not be a problem, EXCEPT that the system may
not <BR>be too secure. a number of exploits have been developed since the 5.2
days,<BR>and updating this system to close them could be a project.<BR><BR>Also,
by "word processing", I hope you mean something like a plain text editor,<BR>not
a graphical word processor.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I'll only be using it for plain text editing, nothing sophisticated like
WordPerfect or something..<BR><BR>I used to run a 486/80 with a 450 MB HDD and
16 MB of memory in for plaintext <BR>editing and e-mail (but behind a firewall),
and it worked just fine. Good<BR>response time and so forth. I never made any
heavy demands on it....<BR><BR>Bob Kanaley's suggestion is a good one; I'd
select a distribution that did NOT <BR>require a graphical interface. I can see
your machine CHOKING on something <BR>like "Demo Linux", buit there may be some
others out there that may be useful.<BR>I'd try the first approach, and use this
as something of a fallback.<BR><BR>I hope this helps...<BR><BR>Bumping up to a
modest Pentium machine and a 1 Gb drive would make this much <BR>less of a
challenge, and they can be had for rather small piles of shekels <BR>these
days... might be worth it!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I just might do that. Although, I hate throwing
out hardware that may have some potential left in
it. However, I'll try 5.2 without the GUI interface and see
how it goes...besides, I haven't pulled an all-nighter in a long, LONG
time. Wish me luck!</DIV>
<DIV><BR>
Regards,<BR>
---> RGB
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