Wants Linux on an old PC

inquiring

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I want to put LINUX on an old P2 350Mhz Intel CPU with 64Mb RAM rig. Is there any Linux version that is supported by this hardware?
I havent ever installed Linux before and want a simple easy install and a low cost or free version of Linux that is self explanatory. If the install works out well then would Linux be able to allow me to connect to the Net with my DSL? How would I know what other apps work in that Linux environment?

Thank you.
 

bjpatrick

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If you want a newbie linux distro then install Redhat or Mandrake. Do not try to install the last or next to latest version of their OS because you do not have enough RAM. Redhat 8.0 should be "ok" on that machine.

You should not have any issues connecting via DSL. If you can network a MS box then you can network a linux box. You can do everything via GUI.

Now if you install the base workstation in Gnome or KDE. You should possess enough prgrams to play around with for a while.

Hell, if you want to run an up2date version of linux. Then you can run Suse 9.1 live eval version on your current PC. It does not mess with windows. So no need to worry.

http://www.linuxiso.org/

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by bjpatrick on 01/03/05 09:56 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 

folken

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I don't think any newer guis are going to work on that old machine. If you get a newer distro you will likely have to stay in command prompt mode.

bjpatrick is probably right that redhat 8 is about as high as you could go. It will likely be painfully slow but usable :)

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silverpig

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You can use a brand new version of fedora or mandrake so long as you use a lighter windowmanager... IceWM or blackbox/fluxbox are good... maybe XFCE4.

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kozaki

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i stock with what silverpig just wrote :
You can use a brand new version of fedora or mandrake so long as you use a lighter windowmanager... IceWM or blackbox/fluxbox are good... maybe XFCE4.
We currently a Slackware 7.1 based distro running unbeliveble fast on a P100 with only 32Mo EDO, and have tested last Debian (testing) with Gnome WM/Desktop on a PII 400MHz with 64Mo --> Gnome's too heavy for that amount of RAM, so try Mandrake or Fedora with one of the WM (blackbox is *very* fast and need only a few sessions to "get it") cited by silverpig & it'll run very nicely on your 350MHz CPU

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