Starting over with Ubuntu - reinstall?

[JoeMontibello]

Hi,

I have a lousy old computer. A few years ago, I installed Ubuntu (I think it was 5.10) from an image that I downloaded. I played around, but the computer didn't really have the memory to support the distro, so I stopped using. It sat in the cellar.

I recently got a bit more memory for it, so I thought I'd try again. But of course, I don't know my old login and password. What I'd like to do is start from scratch with another install of Ubuntu (or another Linux if I have to, but I need something relatively friendly).

Anyway, I've tried a newer livecd version of Ubuntu. When I try to install it (or even run it from the CD), the X server fails and I get to a command prompt. That's not going to work for me.

I also tried burning an image of Damn Small Linux to a CD, but that wouldn't install either.

Any ideas? This is an old HP Pavilion, 256MB Ram and a lousy processor, and I really don't have any money to put into it. I have a bunch of blank CD's, so I can try to install from a CD, but I'm not sure why that isn't working with the distros I've already tried.

Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Joe

[Mighty_Joe]

I also tried burning an image of Damn Small Linux to a CD, but that wouldn't install either.

Try Puppy Linux. It's more forgiving of old hardware than Ubuntu.
Are you sure the hardware is still functional? Can you install an old version of Windows to make sure?

[laidback]

I would suggest that you have a look at Xubuntu, a release specifically designed for lower powered machines, it needs a minimum of 192Mb of Ram (v9.04) so will probably run on your old PC.

Google for it and you get access to the downloads.

http://www.xubuntu.org/get

[JoeMontibello]

Ok, I downloaded Puppy and Xubuntu. With Puppy, it seemed to hang up during installation with a weird "x" shaped cursor that I could move, on a black background, nothing else.

With Xubuntu, it hung up on a screen where you have to choose your time zone by location. I could see the map of the world, and click around all I wanted, and it was slow but it would update the little pulldown menus with the regions I was clicking. But, next and back were both greyed out, and even quit wouldn't work...it responded to my clicking the buttons but didn't go anywhere, even after clicking quit multiple times.

I'm trying Puppy again now...wish me luck.

[humphreybc]

Are you using the alternate CD for Xubuntu?

[ranch hand]

I would try a minimal Ubuntu install (strictly CLI) and then;

 apt-get install lxde lxde-common lxde-core lxde-setings-daemon

I also believe that you can up that ram to 512 (max). I have a HP pavilion xt993 running Intrepid and it had 128ram. I got 2 brand new sticks, 256Mb, for $10.00 on ebay. With the lxde it should run real well.

[earthpigg]

hi,

one thing you may want to consider since this computer has been sitting in a corner somewhere: open it up and clean the dust out! i have seen non-trivial performance improvements as a result of just doing that.

i wouldn't bother with xubuntu. the performence difference between xubuntu and ubuntu is negligible.

here's three options ill throw out there, sticking in the ubuntu family:

-Crunchbang - tried and true, very popular.
-Spri - lighter than the other two. lightest graphical ubuntu derivative i am aware of.
-Masonux - i am biased, though, since Masonux is mine

[coolbrook]

I agree with Ranch Hand, but if you really like Puppy then you may have to download and install a "retro" version to get it running. It's not as old as the name implies.

[earthpigg]

I would try a minimal Ubuntu install (strictly CLI) and then;

 apt-get install lxde lxde-common lxde-core lxde-setings-daemon

will not work, i've tried it

lxde will install gdm, which is a semi-broken package at the moment. yay new gnome super-integration and complete non-modularity.

also, iirc lxde will install lxde-common and lxde-core and lxde-settings-daemon.

[ranch hand]

I have to get my HDDs in order so that I can play with new stuff. Sorry about that, it works for installing WITH gnome.