linux for an old pentium 2?
 

Hello i got a older laptop that has pentium 2 300 mhz and has 256 megs of ram and also that has a 6gb hard drive. I'm trying to look for a linux distro that would run good on it and i would like to run something that is kinda command line base. the laptop i'm running is a gateway solo 9100 thanks for reading this and helping me

Tiny Core Linux or Slitaz comes to mind.

Modern Puppy Linux is too heavy (512MB ram or higher) . A core install of AntiX with Blackbox or JWM should work also. I'd start with Tiny Core if I had your gear.

It is a modern version of Damn Small Linux.

AntiX core install if you have extensive experience with Debian net installs.

screencasts section of forum so you get a idea

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...reenshots-114/

If for any reason your computer is to old to boot a 3.x or AntiX 4.x kernel.

You will have success for sure using Damn Small Linux.

I did what you want to do many years ago on a Compaq 1540 DM Pentium 1 laptop with 64 MB of ram or so with Damn Small Linux.

http://yatsite.blogspot.com/2008/10/...on-compaq.html

If you wait for the tiny core screencast to finish in the link above. Spaltry covers Tiny Core and Damn Small linux in his reviews.

Good luck with it.

I have another question this laptop is not connected to the internet so how can i install software to it? can i just take the linux software files like you can with a .exe and copy it to a flash drive and install?

Just copying won't work. You can use software such as unetbootin, pendrivelinux and others to create a bootable flash drive using the operating system on a different computer.

Sorry i think you misunderstand me i know you have you use pendrive linux or unetbootin or etc. But what i meaqnt was like if i want to install wine on the linux pc how can i install it with out an internet connection?

Your ram limits you as to what extra software will run on it, Wine needs the X GUI to run, & I don't think you have enough, even if you give it a lot of swap space, to run at a realistic speed. Also modern browsers will crawl, if they will run at all. (You might just get away with an xvesa/dillo setup, but it will probably be painfully slow.)

If you stick to the command line, you should be able to browse with lynx or maybe elinks.

Adding additional software should be done with your distros package manager, most allow you to install from a local file that you have downloaded, so should handle it if you used 'sneaker net'.

Also consider OpenBSD, (works on low resource machines).
http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq3.html#SelectHW
http://www.openbsd.org/

AntiX, Arch (ArchBang and Bridge versions), Bodhi, Vector (with Fluxbox), and Zorin Light all specify that they can run on a P 2 and all run in 192MB or less. Of course, that doesn't mean that it's optimal for them. The lightest of them in terms of CPU and memory demand is AntiX - that will run in 64MB with a Pentium 1.

You can always add extra software by downloading the .deb package on another computer and putting it onto a usb stick for the little one to install from.

Wine is not ruled out. I've just launched Notepad using Wine, and the extra memory required was 23MB. So, with AntiX wanting 64 and you having 256, a modest Windows program will run. Just don't try Grand Theft Auto!

helios98,

Out of DavidMcCann's recommendations I would go with MX-14.4.

Use the PAE version for Pentium II.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-a-4175537617/

Thanks every one for helping me now i guess i can now get rid of horrible bsoding win98 and install antix

Don't get AntiX MX, but the original AntiX. MX takes twice the memory and generates 40 more processes: half your memory would be eaten up straight away. It's always good to have as much free memory as possible, as it makes things faster if the OS can create plenty of buffers and caches.

There is no much point in installing a Linux distribution on that machine and no real sense in trying to run an X server. What do you want to do with it? On old hardware like that, windows 98 runs ok... but if like most people you'd rather avoid ancient, unsupported and buggy software, then have a look at OpenBSD or NetBSD.

How is the MX version different than the regular version?

I like to play dos games and old games but if i can get a little newer os on it i would be happy

For old DOS games, windows 98 is best on that hardware. You get real DOS with that rather than the virtual DOS machine you get with windows NT and later.

OpenBSD has emulators/dosbox available in ports if that's any use?

Whatever distro/OS you decide to put on it, give it at least 1GB of swap to help out that low ram. :)