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View Full Version : [xubuntu] almost to wits end: xubuntu on old ibm laptop



stuart.reinke
April 25th, 2009, 01:47 PM
Help please! I'm trying to install xubuntu 8.04 on an IBM thinkpad 380xd with a pentium processor and 32mb ram. according to the install cd It should work, but it doesn't. Every time I get past one obstacle another one pops up.

first got message involving out of date acpi: used acpi=off and the installer started.

selected keyboard, language, installer detected hardware, scanned cd-rom, then locks up while loading additional components.

I'm at a loss, what do i do now?

MadCow108
April 25th, 2009, 02:02 PM
I think 32mb ram is to little for xubuntu.
xubuntu is only lightweight compared to (k)ubuntu. my xubuntu jaunty still uses around 300mb ram. With minimal install you can get 8.04 down to maybe 50-100mb but probably not 32mb

I would consider other Distros like Puppylinux, Deli linux or damn small linux.

Sef
April 25th, 2009, 02:08 PM
With that little ram, Deli Linux (http://www.delilinux.de/) would be the one to use. That is too little for Xubuntu for sure and I believe also for puppy linux.

stuart.reinke
April 25th, 2009, 05:42 PM
I tried deli linux. Now when i boot i get a GRUB error 15 from both the hard drive and the cd. xubuntu is the only cd that will start up for me.

I hope you can help me. My 6 year old is counting on me to get "his" computer running so he can play his games.

Slim Odds
April 25th, 2009, 05:57 PM
I hope you can help me. My 6 year old is counting on me to get "his" computer running so he can play his games.

"Kid pressure" or not, 32 MB is very small. Also, that hardware is very old so some of the support may not exist in a new release.

kerry_s
April 25th, 2009, 06:38 PM
+1 it's way to old.

run down to toysrus and grab your kid a eee, there going for $200.
http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=eee&origkw=eee&f=Taxonomy/TRUS/2254197&sr=1

stuart.reinke
April 25th, 2009, 07:39 PM
Thanks for the advice. I knew it was a long shot when I intercepted this machine on it's way to the dumpster.

What about a command line only linux os? Is there such a thing? If so I wouldn't mind playing with it.

kerry_s
April 25th, 2009, 09:11 PM
Thanks for the advice. I knew it was a long shot when I intercepted this machine on it's way to the dumpster.

What about a command line only linux os? Is there such a thing? If so I wouldn't mind playing with it.

sure, but try straight debian base instead.
http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/daily-builds/daily/arch-latest/i386/iso-cd/debian-testing-i386-businesscard.iso

that's the net installer, it's now suppose to check how much ram and it will automatically use the lowmem option, so all you need to do is when it gets to package selection uncheck "desktop" & "standard" that will give you just a command line install.