Distributions for older laptops [LWN.net]

Distributions for older laptops

Posted Jun 3, 2008 18:43 UTC (Tue) by clugstj (subscriber, #4020)
Parent article: The Grumpy Editor's Guide to distributions for laptops

I've been looking for a distribution for an older (circa 1997) laptop.  I've tried TinyMe, but
the live CD can't find the (ISA) IDE interface.  I'm working on hacking the initrd image to
disable libata which I think is the problem.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a distribution for an older laptop?

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Distributions for older laptops

Posted Jun 3, 2008 19:55 UTC (Tue) by Cato (subscriber, #7643) [Link]

Some distros to try that should fit (assuming you have say 64 to 96 MB RAM like my old
ThinkPad 560, some will run in less):

* Damn Small Linux - the 2.4 kernel is quite good for this vintage of hardware. Knoppix
based, very small download and in RAM, uses real bash and vim by default, can add dpkg and apt
but not 100% Debian compatible. Fluxbox or JWM. I found it was impossible to join the forums
(no admin response), but I do run this on my ThinkPad.

* Puppy Linux - very newbie friendly but no bash or vi by default, many wizards, very
fragmented set of derived distros, friendly community. Fluxbox or JWM.

Others I haven't tried that are worth a look perhaps are: SliTaz (really tiny, 25 MB ish),
Slax, Ubuntu Lite, and many others... See this list of distros ordered by size:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=575456 (mostly not Ubuntu based).

Ubuntu Lite is not an official variant but it's aiming for 56 MB RAM - see
http://ubuntulite.tuxfamily.org/ and http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=98233

If you are short of time I would just try DSL and stick with that if it works well enough for
you. However if you have a favourite distro family such as Slackware or Ubuntu then a derived
distro may be better.

You should also search for your laptop name and the distro in question to get an idea of
whether it will work OK.

I would recommend Opera on this sort of distro, but getting a security updated version may be
hard - this is one reason to pursue the UbuntuLite option as that makes it easier. Buying a
large Flash drive is a good way to revive an old laptop - internal CF drives are also a good
option.

Distributions for older laptops

Posted Jun 3, 2008 23:21 UTC (Tue) by horen (subscriber, #2514) [Link]

+1 on recommending DSL for a "small-memory-enhanced" laptop.

I run DSL on an *old* Toshiba 2540cds w/96MB RAM, and it runs like a champ.

Distributions for older laptops

Posted Jun 4, 2008 17:30 UTC (Wed) by Klavs (subscriber, #10563) [Link]

well, Vector Linux has an edition especially for very old computers.

Distributions for older laptops

Posted Jun 3, 2008 23:51 UTC (Tue) by raven667 (subscriber, #5198) [Link]

While it is not a Linux distribution, I have personally had good luck running OpenBSD on older laptops, specifically a Dell Latitude CP, of similar vintage. On this system I do not have a CDROM drive, only a floppy, and this was the only OS I could do a network install using a floppy disk and a PCMCIA wireless card.

Distributions for older laptops

Posted Jun 4, 2008 8:56 UTC (Wed) by k3ninho (subscriber, #50375) [Link]

Did you try Debian netinst? I'm sure I've done a netinstall from floppies on a Toshiba Tecra
520CDT, and used its PCMCIA net card to download.

Distributions for older laptops

Posted Jun 5, 2008 21:49 UTC (Thu) by kmself (guest, #11565) [Link]

It would be helpful if you'd detail the specifics of your laptop and installation issues. Available disk space, memory, networking, serial/parallel ports, removeable storage options, etc., all come into play.

Presuming you can boot anything Linux, and tomsrtbt is a pretty good option (Linux on a 1.7MB floppy), you should be able to install Debian via debootstrap. Instructions are in the appendix of the Debian Install Guide. Current Debian guidelines call for about 500 MB for a minimal install, though you'll be far happier with more space (just package archives and lists are pretty substantial). I tend to recommend 12-20GB for a full-service desktop, system files only.

I have to throw in my usual query: why the hell are you jumping through hoops to resurrect ancient hardware? Serviceable 3-5 year old laptops are available used for $100 - $500 in most of the US (presuming you're in same), and will give you a far more capable system.

Sure, it's possible to boot Tomsrtbt, configure PLIP to another box, screen-dump UUEncoded 'split' floppy images through Minicom, reassemble these in a ramdisk, and proceed to an installation (and I've done that). But sometime after 3:10 am, after your fourth cup of coffee (and third shot of whiskey), you'd better find yourself asking just why you're doing that.