noobie questions

[mistypaw]

So my new netbook will come with Windows 7 Starter. I'll try it just for the sake of trying it. But someone mentioned Ubuntu would be a good option. Since I have my main tower PC (compy) and the new netbook (bookie), I now also have my old laptop (lappy) on which I can freely experiment. I already got all personal files off of it, cleaned the hard drive and defragmented it.

The reason I want to do it on the old lappy is if I screw it up I won't cry. lol. I'll admit I don't brain programming so very much. I can follow directions and do up to an unspecified point. And I'm willing to give it a shot.

Now if I have a favorable experience on my lappy, I may then consider doing on my bookie too, which is much newer and faster and can handle more. When I say lappy is old... I mean OLD.

Lappy is a Gateway Solo 5300, and those are from 2001 I think. It has 18 GB hard drive, 256 RAM, and an Intel Pentium III processor with 657 MHz. It has been running Windows XP Pro (slower than crud).

Which distro would be best for this? something that will run (obviously) and is stupid friendly. I was considering xubuntu, but is something else better suited?

Thanks for any help!

[sxmaxchine]

ubuntu will just run on it but i would recomend puppy linux, however if you have never used linux before then you should start with ubuntu because it is a lot easier to learn.

[Denton Larson]

Hi

I ran Xubuntu on a gateway solo, Give it a try.

Denton Larson

[mistypaw]

ubuntu will just run on it but i would recomend puppy linux, however if you have never used linux before then you should start with ubuntu because it is a lot easier to learn.

I like easy to learn, but by "just run on it", does that mean it will be struggling and slow? Or will this lappy be slow no matter what I do to it? Not that it matters overmuch since beyond the great experiment I don't plan to use it.

[wojox]

I'd try Lubuntu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubuntu). I like it better than xubuntu.

[sxmaxchine]

it meets the minimum system requirements for RAM and it does have enough CPU power to run ubuntu. it will be very slow, but will run.

Xubuntu will run better then ubuntu.

try a live cd before installing but remember that the cd will be slower then it would be after installation.

[andrewthomas]

I'd try Lubuntu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubuntu). I like it better than xubuntu.

+1 on the Lubuntu

[mistypaw]

from all i'm hearing, i think i will try to do ubuntu, since if I do take to this that will prolly be what i end up going with. it seems to be the best to break my linux virginity on. after that, i'll keep this lappy to experiment with some of the others which also sound interesting.

so when you said it meets the requirements for ubuntu - from what I saw UNR recommends 512 MB ram, which lappy doesn't have... so which did you mean?

[sxmaxchine]

I got the system requirements for ubuntu from here (http://www.easy-ubuntu-linux.com/ubuntu-system-requirements.html)and it saysyou only need 256, i think that the 512 would be the recomended minimum.

the weakest machine i have used ubuntu on had 380mb of RAM and a 550mhz cpu, and no graphics card. so i think it should run on your pc

[mistypaw]

Thanks! Yeah, i would look into getting a little more ram if I could just figure out what i need. I pretty much got it by now, just trying to figure out if I need high or low density ram...

i started another thread specifically towards that purpose... http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9029205&posted=1#post9029205