Old/crappy pc/laptop users, come chat and share here!

[zmjjmz]

She told me she had no use for it, so I might as well have it.
I was shocked! Free laptop from a random!! Its a bit slower than my normal laptop (700MHz apposed to duel core) but it runs Ubuntu 8.10 a dream!

What model?

[blueturtl]

I recently switched from a Pentium Dual Core system to this:

Metusalem Pentium 233 MHz, with 64 MB RAM, S3 ViRGE video and some 25 gigs of capacity spread over three HDDs.



The system dual boots Windows 95 and Debian 4.0.
I use it with cli utilities mostly, but it runs like the wind with Fluxbox also. I'm perfectly happy with it.

Learning to set up Mutt as I write...

[Dogalot]

I am looking to try and put on some Ubuntu (Xubuntu?) on an old Laptop IBM Thinkpad i-series. I downloaded the LiveCD (on another machine) - but I can not change the BIOS to say "boot from CD". Does anyone know a way around this? It won't see the CD from inside Windows (98). After I get something on it - I would like to use the smallest Linux available - so maybe I need to download that one first, instead of trying to switch afterward. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

[zmjjmz]

First of all, if it's old enough to be running Windows 98 and not booting from the CD, you'll want something lighter than Ubuntu, like Zenwalk or Wolvix or Debian.
Secondly, you can use Smart Boot Manager to boot from the CD (assuming you can boot from floppy).

[RebeccaClark]

I've got an IBM TinkPad 600 series, at least seven years old. I rescued it from running Windows 2000 (!!) when it had a nervous breakdown. Does anyone know if xubuntu runs those USB RAM drives?

Also, he needs a name. Suggestions?

[Dogalot]

First of all, if it's old enough to be running Windows 98 and not booting from the CD...

I have tried in the BIOS to switch to boot to CD -- but it won't let me do it...

you'll want something lighter than Ubuntu, like Zenwalk or Wolvix or Debian.

I figured something else, but as a newby, not sure which would be a good one to go with (only have used Ubuntu since Jan 1 08)

Secondly, you can use Smart Boot Manager to boot from the CD (assuming you can boot from floppy).

Smart Boot Manager? Where can I get that? and how do I use it? (Sorry -- found it on SourceForge.....)

[zmjjmz]

@rebecca You're not running Xubuntu on that.
Get DSL-N

[zmjjmz]

I figured something else, but as a newby, not sure which would be a good one to go with (only have used Ubuntu since Jan 1 08)
Smart Boot Manager? Where can I get that? and how do I use it?

Distro choice depends on the actual specs. You can use thinkwiki.org to find them if you don't know what they are.
There is a copy of Smart Boot Manager on the Ubuntu install disk (in /install)
If you have a floppy drive, get the .img file and use

dd if=smartbootmanager.img of=/dev/fd0

.
(if stands for input file, of stands for output file.)

[snowpine]

I've got an IBM TinkPad 600 series, at least seven years old. I rescued it from running Windows 2000 (!!) when it had a nervous breakdown. Does anyone know if xubuntu runs those USB RAM drives?

Also, he needs a name. Suggestions?

Xubuntu will run from a USB thumb drive (www.pendrivelinux.com), assuming your computer has the specs to run Xubuntu in the first place, but not all older computers support booting from USB.

I think "Thinkerbell" is a good name for an old Thinkpad.

[Dogalot]

@rebecca You're not running Xubuntu on that.
Get DSL-N

For a newby, is it easily maintained? I hope to get it set up for my kids to use (9 and 11)...

And, Thanks for everyones help!!!