I want to try Linux in a P200 pro / 64 MB EDO, I want to use both command line and a GUI mode, basically I want it to lern the OS and to run SETI@Home and, but is mandatory to use GUI also, wath distro and version shoul I use? I prefer to use an old version and have a better performance.
Linux in P200 pro / 64 MB EDO
- Thread starter Machao
- Start date
I disagree
I hadn't used or installed debian in a while, and I gave it a go a week or so ago on a scrap hard drive, and yeah, the install is definitely rough.
When it asks where to mount /home or /var or whatever, it just gives you a list, /dev/hda1, /dev/hda2, etc. It sure would be nice if I knew how big each of those were.
The modules thing is pretty insane, the list of categories is huge and chaotic, and each one has lots of entries.
The issue of tasksel/deselect/neither is not made very clear by the installer.
It works, but it definitely needs improving IMO
Nothinman
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- Sep 14, 2001
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Debian's install is simple. It doesn't hold your hands but it's not hard to get through either.
You just did the partitioning, it should still be fresh in your mind where you wanted to mount what.
This could be handled better, I've been lucky and known what NIC module I wanted to load. I think there'll be some autodetection in the next rev of the installer, which will probably make this step optional for more people.
tasksel needs more entries, if they get more tasks setup it'll be a lot better. I've always just used dselect which works great once you know the few keyboard commands you need to use it.
You just did the partitioning, it should still be fresh in your mind where you wanted to mount what.
This could be handled better, I've been lucky and known what NIC module I wanted to load. I think there'll be some autodetection in the next rev of the installer, which will probably make this step optional for more people.
tasksel needs more entries, if they get more tasks setup it'll be a lot better. I've always just used dselect which works great once you know the few keyboard commands you need to use it.
Granted, you could even write it down if needed, but regardless, there is no reason it shouldn't put the numbers up there for you to see them, it's not exactly a complex task to just grab the sizes of the partitions and display them. This seems common sense to me.
I'm used to doing partitioning and mounting all in one interface, so having to remember what you did in one, in the other, is kind of a PITA in comparison.
I guess ideally the partitioning and mounting would be done together, but then again I'm sure they don't want to have to maintain their own little custom cfdisk.
I have a sketchy memory to begin with, but I rarely can get through an install (even OpenBSD's 20-30 minutes) start to finish without interruptions.
Nothinman
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- Sep 14, 2001
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I generally only seperate /home during installation, so I guess that's why I don't care. Any other partitioning I usually do after the base system is installed, usually because I'm using a non-standard kernel and it's easier for me that way.
Maybe you should invest in some paper then, or keep vi open on another machine so you can write everything down just in case.
I always just skip tasksel/dselect and apt-get install whatever I need after the base system has installed. Really easy that way. Plus it keeps the bloat to a minimum!
Nothinman
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I'll just say that I think are improvements that can be made that should have a higher priority than that.
Yes but dselect handles dependencies better. For example, if you install logcheck, logcheck requires an MTA. To satisfy this apt will just pick exim (or use whatever MTA you already installed) but dselect will present you with a list of all the available MTAs so you can choose yourself.
Most other improvements would be more involving than this one. Like I said, all it needs to do is check the sizes of each partition and display it, not exactly a complex feat of programming (at least in comparison to everything else an installer has to do).
If I was into debian, I would actually at least look at it (I am no C/C++ coder, but some things are easy enough to figure out even when you suck at the language), but alas I don't foresee using the debian installer much.
Sigh, got so off topic so quickly...
I actually prefer Slackware to debian on computers that you want a pretty minimal install. Debain is good for installs you intend to keep around for a long time with constant changes... Slackware IS MY BUDDY dammit. Can't wait for 9.0 to come out..
I also like the newbie choice in selecting install packages.. It explains every single friggin one to you. Nice learning experiance if you got the time for it. But unless you are hard up on disk space I'd just select the disks sets and be done with it.
The harddest part would be configuring X windows, but since I doubt you are going to have to install or set up anything weird for 3d acceleration a simple text configure like xf86config would be good enough. As long as you know your monitor refresh rates and vid card model before hand.
200 mhz is plently to run X on as long as you avoid the big guns like KDE or GNOME, stick with something simple like IceWM or Blackbox. On minimal setups like that you will probably be using the WM more for a place to have mutliple xterms than anything else.... ALso if you want to become a command line junky learn to use screen. IT IS SOOO NICE.... It's like the Xterm with the X and it saves your sessions too! especially usefull when using ssh over buggy connections!
I actually prefer Slackware to debian on computers that you want a pretty minimal install. Debain is good for installs you intend to keep around for a long time with constant changes... Slackware IS MY BUDDY dammit. Can't wait for 9.0 to come out..
I also like the newbie choice in selecting install packages.. It explains every single friggin one to you. Nice learning experiance if you got the time for it. But unless you are hard up on disk space I'd just select the disks sets and be done with it.
The harddest part would be configuring X windows, but since I doubt you are going to have to install or set up anything weird for 3d acceleration a simple text configure like xf86config would be good enough. As long as you know your monitor refresh rates and vid card model before hand.
200 mhz is plently to run X on as long as you avoid the big guns like KDE or GNOME, stick with something simple like IceWM or Blackbox. On minimal setups like that you will probably be using the WM more for a place to have mutliple xterms than anything else.... ALso if you want to become a command line junky learn to use screen. IT IS SOOO NICE.... It's like the Xterm with the X and it saves your sessions too! especially usefull when using ssh over buggy connections!
ALso another thing while I'm recommending apps. An bueatiful w32 apps is PUTTY.EXE is almost flawless terminal proggy for windoze machines.... Absolutely lovely for covert connections to your home when at school and bored. It installs only a single file to your c drive to keep track of SSH keycodes.. Also very good if your main machine in a Windows box. It supports colors and stuff and will also send mouse inputs over the internet. I like to use Links (another exelent text based browser that just happens to support frames and java script) on putty and I can even double click on text only links to goto new webpages!!! Think of that using a mouse over a remote text-only session. ITS HERESY!! I TELL You and I LIKE IT.... no need for dem fancy smansy pictoREs like that for me! I enjoy my porn ascii style!
It's a lot nicer than trying to use ancient win95 with IE 5 to browse the internet I tell you. (thats what i get for internet browsing at my night job)
(but right now I am using a nice new g4 hehe look at what I can type: åß??å´®å<sum>å<sum>¢?????ç? ?ç??£¢§¶??¶§?´?¶<sum>?§£???£¢?å<sum>?Å<sum>?ß?©???©µ© ???©ß?¥´? ¬?¬ª¥ª?º¨¬©?¬?!!!!!!!)
It's a lot nicer than trying to use ancient win95 with IE 5 to browse the internet I tell you. (thats what i get for internet browsing at my night job)
(but right now I am using a nice new g4 hehe look at what I can type: åß??å´®å<sum>å<sum>¢?????ç? ?ç??£¢§¶??¶§?´?¶<sum>?§£???£¢?å<sum>?Å<sum>?ß?©???©µ© ???©ß?¥´? ¬?¬ª¥ª?º¨¬©?¬?!!!!!!!)
drag, thx for comming back to my point, due you advice I will try Slackware, but with version should I use, the newer is 8.1, but it appears to be too much for my rig, should I use an older version?
Nothinman
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I think you're still missing the point. Linux is Linux, you can install any f'ing distro you want because they all run the same software. The only thing you need to do is be more selective about the software you run. You can install RedHat 8 if you want, just use WindowMaker (my preferance) or blackbox or fluxbox or any of the other available light-weight window managers.
Again, I would install Debian because it's package management is bad-ass and I wouldn't want to be compiling software in something like Gentoo or Slackware on a P200 which probably has a slow-ass-hell disk.
Again, I would install Debian because it's package management is bad-ass and I wouldn't want to be compiling software in something like Gentoo or Slackware on a P200 which probably has a slow-ass-hell disk.
AgaBoogaBoo
Lifer
- Feb 16, 2003
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I didn't have time to read all the replies, but I reccomend just installing the latest version on it. That should be enough cpu speed and ram. We were going to try it on an old Pentium 90mhz cpu but there was some problem or the other related with the cpu itself.
Linux and Unix based OS's will work great under something like that 200mhz but still remember it will be slow so before you think it has crashed, just give it a few minutes.
Linux and Unix based OS's will work great under something like that 200mhz but still remember it will be slow so before you think it has crashed, just give it a few minutes.
Since when does Slackware require compiling the distro like Gentoo? :0) Me smells FUD from the DUG (Debian User Group) I guess we must be winning ;0)
Nothinman
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I guess you mean 'we' as in slackware users? What are you competing in, I wasn't area of any events going on currently.
I'm aware slack has packages, but I don't really consider tgzs with out dependencies or preinst/postinst scripts packages. It's sort of like saying a Pirate with a wooden leg has 2 legs, sure that piece of wood holds him up but it's far from a real leg =) Slackware always struck me as a big unix wanna be, making you do tons of things by hand for no good reason other than to try and be as much of a PITA as Solaris or Tru64, no thanks.
cleverhandle
Diamond Member
- Dec 17, 2001
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I have installed several diff distros (RH/Suse/Debian) on the exact CPU & ram as your setup.
I found that Debian is the nices distro to work with, because you can set it up and it keep on running. It is not as quick as claim by some others distro, but I personaly can't find much diff between distros in CLI mode. And, all distro can be optimizes to take the least amount of power as possible, but I find Debian is the best of the breed due to the apt-get.
I too much prefer to skip tasksel/dselect during the install & and uses apt-get to add application as needed. And, I don't believe that Debian installer has change much since I last install it (about 2 years ago and hasn't had the need to reinstall the servers since), but I belive that it will greatly improve once the desktop project finish which is about a year away.
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