Linux

[GundamExpo]

Im interested in Linux probably like every other windows user, but I dont want to screw up my comp that has been working so well for me for the past 4 years. So I find an old Compaq in the dumpster and drag it up to my apartment. I think its a pentium 100, 16mb Ram. Anyway, I decide this would probably be a good system to try linux on, its supposed to be more efficient then windows and such, and should have no problem running on this machine.

But when I start looking I cant seem to find any version of linux that will run on that machine, they all want better system requirements.

Any help? is there a particular distrobution I should look at?

[TexasF355F1]

No wonder they threw it away. But since you've got a new box. Just get a few new parts and bring it up to date. Then run Red Hat. But Red Hot is not going to be made anymore which means no updates.

[Oz]

Just don't run any graphical interfaces. Should run command line Linux with EASE.

[Webmaster_Zeus]

The p100 will not be able to run much anything higher then red hat 7.x and that's still pushing it. Remove any GUI and just run CLI based input, it'll make it run alright.

My suggestion is to try to get a pII 300 or so, and run mandrake on that (9.x or so) will do fine. It'll run it no probs (I got a PII350 running mandrake 9.1 with full GUI and it doesn't have ne problems), but half the time I run it in bash so it makes no diff to me.

[Neutrino]

Originally Posted by Webmaster_Zeus

The p100 will not be able to run much anything higher then red hat 7.x and that's still pushing it. Remove any GUI and just run CLI based input, it'll make it run alright.

My suggestion is to try to get a pII 300 or so, and run mandrake on that (9.x or so) will do fine. It'll run it no probs (I got a PII350 running mandrake 9.1 with full GUI and it doesn't have ne problems), but half the time I run it in bash so it makes no diff to me.

i agree

[Graphik Styles]

here man, i know im kind of late, but i just found this. This may come in use to you.

http://linuxindia.virtualave.net/config.html <--Linux Compatibility

[quarter_mile]

I had constant problems with Linux, I thought because windows was screwing with my internet, it'd be better, but when I un-installed it, i had never been happier and relieved to see windows.
I know you didn't ask me for opinion, but hey.
as for where you can find it, everyone else whose posted here has pretty much covered it.

[Webmaster_Zeus]

Originally Posted by quarter_mile

I had constant problems with Linux, I thought because windows was screwing with my internet, it'd be better, but when I un-installed it, i had never been happier and relieved to see windows.
I know you didn't ask me for opinion, but hey.
as for where you can find it, everyone else whose posted here has pretty much covered it.

I'll reiterate myself regarding pcs itself. Computers were originally designed for mathemation in minds. This includes any faculty that touches match (eg. engineering).

Computer have then evolve into something a lot more complex as well. The computer architecture is a very powerful architecture if extration of its resources is done properly and without much error/computation expensive processes. Basically what I'm saying is there's a lot of trade-offs, simplistic and ease of use (as well as compatibility) has to be paid for a price.

Linux/Unix operating systems deals on very low levels of the computer, your looking at a system which you basically need to know the architecture in order to maximize efficiency, and reduce the problems at hand. A properly set-up operating system (Linux or Unix, they're different) would be rock stable, along with security that is quite difficult to break.

So unless you know what your tinkering (or want to get to that process), my suggession is to look at the computer architecture and various concepts/topologies along with anything computer related before jumping into Linux, as its an extension to all that.

[asterox]

If you have some way to back up your files, do it, and set up a dual boot machine on your main computer. When the computer boots you can choose which OS to run. It's relatively easy to do, there are a lot of guides out there.... make sure to backup everything first, you will have to reformat your HD.

You can still run a low overhead windowing system on the p100, there are many. FVWM is probably the best known.

http://www.plig.org/xwinman/

Or you can stick to the command line and hack around with the kernel, apache, sendmail... maybe set it up as a router or firewall for your main comp if you are using cable.

Open source stuff is hot... I think a lot of money will be made by pros who know how to leverage it.