Linux - HardwareThis forum is for Hardware issues.
Having trouble installing a piece of hardware? Want to know if that peripheral is compatible with Linux?
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I want to install MandrakeLinux 10.1 on an old comp. What are the ABSOLUTE minimum system requirements? I checked the Mandrakelinux.com and I couldn't find anything.
Mandrake requires a minimum of a pentium. It will not work on a 486, as the kernel is i586 optimized. Any modern operating system should be treated with respect and given as much RAM as possible. The rest is just a bonus. What do you have for a computer? That helps with recommendations. Of course, your question is SUPER common here, so you could also do a search (the button is at the top of the page) for your issue. You'll have days worth of reading when you search, I'm sure.
Actually, the computer I am currently using started at Windows 3.1 then I upgraded it to Windows 95. I believe it is a Pentium 2 and it has 64 MB of RAM.
If the hardware is really old you might have a problem not because of the slow processor or low ram but with compatibililty. Check the Hardware Compatibilty Lists. I would say if your not gonna run X it should be ok with a minimum install.
Actually, you can probably run X w/o any problems. although KDE or Gnome might not work. There are, however, many faster Window managers/Desktop Environments (such as XFCE4).
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