Hello,
While I am new to Linux, reading the categories, it seemed this
might be the best place to post this, for this isn't for beginners.

After 6 months of struggling and learning Linux, I have seen
what is best for me as an INTERNET-ONLY system. I don't
do enough with the computer, besides browsing and research,
to really need the rest of my RedHat...
Just need a desktop that works and is fast and doesn't eat
up the limited resources of an old computer.
I have installed RedHat 7.2, and I need something of this
calibre, because I need USB support for a mouse.

How might I work a new install to give me the leanest and/or
fastest operation? The givens...a Pii-500 mhz, a small hard drive,
4.3 Gigs, and a dial-up ISP that has to be done through a WINLUCENT internal modem
(this I have already done, so
not a problem, but just to give pertinent data.)
I have no problems with hardware recognition.
Not with RedHat. Mandrake, yes. SO I guess this answer
has to be RedHat only... I do want to try to work with the 7.2 I already have.
All I need is Internet-related stuff, with a firewall.
What kind of install? What kind of window manager? What
should I leave out, especially? What browser? Which apps?
Best mail program? Best imager? I won't be printing or scanning,
just browsing and email.

I know this must get asked frequently, and I apologize.
But I am too new to follow some of the discussions, though
getting better.
Point me to the sites, threads, or suggest a course of
action that would help me for the NEXT install... which I
will be doing next month, if this one can keep working right.
(Because of my own mistakes, not blaming RH!)

Thanks so much,
Tom P

I have 96 megs of RAM and that it is a portable.
Sorry.

Tom

Im not an expert but I think that RH has an Internet Workstation intall option.
Mozilla is by far my favorite webbrowser, for everything I do it works great. its also free
gimp for graphics of course
as far as window managers go, thats what will determine your speed I suppose, I like KDE but its slow, you might try ICEWM or whatever its called, I like it, I just havent installed it yet( i dont think redhat comes with it.)
I have an almost full install of everything I need and then a ton more and it only takes up 3.4 gigs or somehting like that(type df -h)
and congragulations on getting your winmodem to work by the way.

Yeah, getting my winmodem to work is really no small feat..
And I had a lot of help, at a FORUM...
Because in the local area, Linux is for "criminal hackers", as
I was told. No help here...And I am in my senior years and done
it straight so far, so not looking for a second career in criminal
hacking...HA HA..

I am trying to get as much KDE as possible, and as little GNOME,
but I realize that KDE is a hog.
For resources, I mean.

There is a custom installation too, and that is usually the
way to get lean.
I have the portable or laptop installation now...

I am not going to run it as a server, or any of that...not if
I barely have enough resources to get online and browse!

I do have WindowMaker...
and it looks interesting..
But I don't know what browser it would use, really.

Best I have come up with so far is uninstalling Nautilus and
Sawfish, so Gnome won't open, and using KDE for ROOT and
XFCE for user...

Right now using Mozilla and Konqueror..though Konqueror
seems a little slow for some reason. Should I change it to display
itself as Mozilla, too...would that help?

HEY, any suggestions would be welcome.
On my way right now to uninstall Samba and Apache, too...

Thanks, TX_Metalhead..
And thanks in advance for other answers.
I need some input.
AND PLEASE, I HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG, stop me!

Tom P