Best Linux for low-end system?

Tek7 (Legacy)

Tek7 (Legacy)

CGA & ToJ President
Okay. I was wondering what Linux distro would be best for my Pentium 100MHz PC with 48MB RAM? I also have a 1GB drive and just want to use it as a basic Internet client. It's too slow to run server applications (unfortunately) but I'd like to play around with a Linux OS.

Please give your suggestions (and explanations) and I'll keep everyone updated on this side project.
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You can go the route of a live-CD. There D*** Small Linux, which runs off a ~50mb liveCD image. There may be an install option for that distribution, but I don't know how it works.

If you were looking for something that is like an internet kiosk, try http://www.wirespring.com/. I just found them by searching through google.

It's most likely going to be the GUI that is going to slow down your system, which is why I recommend and use myself, fluxbox.

Later on, when you become fairly familiar with linux, you may want to try Gentoo. It'll take ages to set up (1 week on a P100) but it'll run like a champ and you can customize it to do whatever you want. It's almost like a build your own linux system.
 
If you don't mind a command line interface, things would run much smoother that way. I always carry with me two floppy diskettes that are very useful when things go awry on a computer, just like today, where I fixed my sister's computer with those two little beauties. They simply boot into the system ram, run from the ram, have a fully functional list of commands that are useable...CAN be installed to the harddrive if wanted, and you can add your own packages (one or a few programs that can be installed independently).

Linux is very useful, and I've run it on systems as slow as a 486 with no slowdown that I could notice. Have fun, Tek.

(I know I suggested Fedora a while back, heh, I didn't know you were running on such old hardware -_-......Though it's possible to get Redhat based distros to run on systems that old, it's probably not worth the effort.)

Van
 
Gah, I feel like a jerk for asking for suggestions and then...Well, I went ahead and just installed a fresh copy of Windows 98 Second Edition on the P-100. After I run Windows Update to get everything current, I'm going to unplug it and put it in a closet until I get about $100 or $150 to pick up a mid-tower case for my secondary PC and a KVM switch. At that point, I'd like to put all three PCs on the KVM switch and hook the KVM up to my 19" monitor. w00t!

Still, I might change my mind one of these days and nuke the P-100 again to install a Linux system. More and more software I use nowadays originates with Linux programmers and just happens to migrate to Win32 when someone has some spare time. Blar.

What I really want is another 1GHz 256MB RAM box to put Fedora on. >_<
 
Well, I just, mostly out of curiousity, installed Fedora on my old slackware box (a mortal sin, I'm sure) and installed a fluxbox RPM (ONE ACTUALLY EXISTED!) along with a couple of other programs, and it runs like a charm.

The specs on this box are....

400mhz Celeron (Probably about the performance of a p1 -_-)
128 MB ram
Riva128 video card
some old soundblaster card, i'm sure.
6 gig HD

Runs nice and smoothe.

Fedora looks pretty like Redhat, but from what I can tell thus far, seems more customizable and less "HERE LET ME DO EVERYTHING FOR YOU!%@" that redhat is notorious for.

Van
 
This is what my next dedicated, experimental Linux system is going to be:

Microsoft X-Box
X-BIT chip
Possibly upgraded hard drive.
 
In the future, if I ever manage to have a little extra cash and can find a used Xbox cheap, I'll probably do the same thing. Until then, I'm leaving my Xbox alone.
 
Tek7, no, you're not a nerd, you're a geek. There is a vast difference ;-).

Tolkien, go right ahead and modchip that bad boy. You don't seriously intend to use it as a GAMING system do you? Ahahaha...besides, you don't need that silly warranty anyway.
 
My new roomate has an X-Box, that was the first thing I convinced him to do. The resolution is really crummy though, 640x480 on a TV screen makes even 14-16 pt font hard to read.
 
Y'know, that's like a slap in M$'s face, turning their hardware into straight Linux goodness.

Hail Linux! ;)
 
I will never mod an XBox because I will never own an XBox. Microsoft has enough money without me giving them more.

And nothing is wrong with Fedora, or RH9 for that matter...
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I think microsoft did a really good job with the X-Box, aparently it has overheating issues. The controller is well designed as well. I would buy one, but my roomate already has one so really whats the point?

apt-rpm makes things easy definitely.

Yall are missing out on Gentoo though. If you can navigate your way through a stage 1 install, then you've really gained a lot of linux knowlege and ability to read directions.
 
Uber.
That's how I describe Gentoo.  I've been using it since 1.0 came out and it's great!
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 I post this from that as I type here.  
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 It's great never having to download CD .iso's again..
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Jamon (I lurk, just post Very rarely)
 
Heh, I actually have had the Gentoo ISO on my PC for the better part of two months, I'm just too darn lazy to go scrape together computer parts out of my room to set a box up.

Quick question:

How much do you think I could get for 10+ working PIs with MMX?

Van
 
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