[Phpwm] [OT]Which Linux?

[Phil Beynon]

Regards,

Phil Beynon
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> > I've now got a spare, but very low powered, system available
> here which can
> > be used for this, so the question is whihc flavour of Linux
> would be be best
> > to install on it just to play with / learn a bit more.
>
> Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Slackware....

I'm tempted towards the Fedora / red Hat side of things as thats what I use
on the servers. But on the other hand there's the should I learn something
new aspect.

> > I've heard a lot about Linux being happy to run on an obsolete
> low powered
> > box, so here's its chance to prove it!
> >
> > System spec is P1 120Mhz, 64Mb, 4Gb Hdd, 1.44Fdd, Diamond S4
> video card, ISA
> > Soundblaster.
> >
>
> That perhaps is stretching things slightly.

hehe, quite possibly!

> When we were in University (98-2002ish) I remember buying Kat a laptop
> (p1 133mhz (with MMX!) and 16mb of ram). It ran Win95 quite well, but
> was noticeably slower when running a similar Linux environment (i.e. X +
>  Window manager etc).

OK

> Linux can run on older hardware, especially in text mode, but if you're
> wanting to use it as a graphical "workstation" you'll be disappointed -
> at least on hardware like the above.
>
> I'm sure it can run, but you'll probably go to sleep while waiting for
> it to do stuff.

Its not a high priority machine by any means, more a plaything than a
workhorse / day to day development type thing. Though if I got into it one
of the big machines here might get converted.

> > I was going to use it as a wifi network translation node, but
> the darn USB
> > 2.0 port and WiFi cards I bought are PCI 2.2 and this old
> stonker is 2.0 and
> > they won't boot in it, or more accurately it won't boot with
> them in it! :-)
>
>
> If you're strapped for cash, have a look at 'greatit' on Ebay; they have
> quite a few cheap boxes that could make ideal Linux boxes (.e.g P3
> 733mhz, 256mb ram, 20gb disk + 17" crt monitor - 35 quid inc. postage
> (they seemed happy to ditch the monitor and give me extra ram for the
> same price) ). (see
> http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZgreatit )

Its not a case of being strapped for cash, its more I simply don't like
throwing things that work away when there must be something that it can do
that's marginally useful.
Its not massively upgradable either unless I can get a PII AT chassis board!
:-)

I was looking at a few bits on ebay over the weekend. Its amazing how low
some of it actually goes for.

P