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Linux!

HannibalX

HannibalX

Diamond Member
I am building a SUPER CHEAP PC for a friend of mine.

He does not have the cash for a copy of Windows so Linux is the next choice (only choice?).

I need a fully functional OS that once setup isn't going to need any "Tinkering" to keep running right.

This will strictly be web/email/office machine. No games or anything.

The OS needs to be free or very cheap (cheap like $20.00).

Any ideas? I will also need some sort of office suite.

Thanks!
Paul
 
I'll recommend Ubuntu. It's very functional and comes with OpenOffice.org installed. You can go to UbuntuForums.org and look for Automatix or EasyUbuntu to get all the 'extra's installed quick and easy.
 
Originally posted by: Robor
I'll recommend Ubuntu. It's very functional and comes with OpenOffice.org installed. You can go to UbuntuForums.org and look for Automatix or EasyUbuntu to get all the 'extra's installed quick and easy.
Click to expand...

Ebay - find a Windows OS

 
Originally posted by: Trinitron

... so Linux is the next choice (only choice?).
Click to expand...
Well there's also Solaris and the BSDs, but yeah I would suggest (as always) Ubuntu.

Originally posted by: InlineFive

It depends, some offices are very dependant on authentic Office files.
Click to expand...
Assuming you are refering to Microsoft Office, he can always use OpenOffice to save his files in the Microsoft Office formats.
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
Ebay - find a Windows OS
Click to expand...

For web browsing, email and office work? That's a waste of money.
Click to expand...

Waste of money?!

My dear sir. That is a _abuse_ of money.

I need a fully functional OS that once setup isn't going to need any "Tinkering" to keep running right.

This will strictly be web/email/office machine. No games or anything.

The OS needs to be free or very cheap (cheap like $20.00).

Any ideas? I will also need some sort of office suite.

Thanks!
Paul
Click to expand...

What is the hardware choices?

This will make a big difference on how well the Linux install will go down and how easy it will be to maintain.

If your building a machine specificly for Linux then it's important to make sure that you get the best hardware suited for that purpose in your aviable budget.

What is the budget?
$100?
$200?
$300?
 
For hardware I suggest looking at a ASUS motherboard with either the 915g or 945g Intel Chipset.

These guys have 2d and 3d video suppport out of the box with the onboard stuff and Asus is a good brand I figure. They should have easy ethernet support and SATA support with modern Linux distributions. A 945g motherboard from Newegg was aviable for 75 dollars.

Then a low end Celeron-D with 2.53ghz cpu was 47 dollars. Also if you want better performance faster models aren't much more expensive and even the Pentium-D 805 dual core is still less then a hundred.

Otherwise the rest of the stuff doesn't matter so much Linux-compatability wise. If you need to get a inexpensive printer then look at HP multifunction stuff as they are decently supported in Linux. Avoid brothers, canon, or lexmark printers.
 
I found that Ubuntu will work with P2, P3 and P4 PCs easily. I've built simple Linux rigs using abandoned e-Machines, just basics for Internet surfing and writing letters. Machines $100 or less.

The O/S is free and one can download Open Office (similar to Windows Office) for free.
In fact you can download just about everything you might need for free.
 
System is going to be AMD based.

A64 3000+ $55 on NE
ASUS A8V-VM $53 on NE (onboard video + sound)
Patriot 512MB PC2700 $52 on NE
WD1200JB 120GB $55 on NE

Still working on a case, PSU and maybe a DVD burner. He is going to reuse his keyboard, mouse, LCD.

I need something that is going to run well on the above system.

Thanks for the help so far! You guys rock!

 
Looks like the system is going to be about $280.00 shipped using all new parts. Just need to figure out the software now.
 
Originally posted by: ColemontHD
Originally posted by: Robor
I'll recommend Ubuntu. It's very functional and comes with OpenOffice.org installed. You can go to UbuntuForums.org and look for Automatix or EasyUbuntu to get all the 'extra's installed quick and easy.
Click to expand...

Ebay - find a Windows OS
Click to expand...


No thanks. I am a Windows fan but this has to be CHEAP.
 
Ok well, here's a post in the via arena regarding the VT8251, which is the south bridge on that motherboard, in linux. The author says everything on that bridge is supported from the 2.6.18 kernel and on. Ubuntu Edgy Eft ships with 2.6.17 so the sata might not work there. Fortunately you seem to have an ide hard drive and I can only assume your cd/dvd drive is ide as well so that shouldn't be too much of a problem unless you would just want the sata working just in case. If you want the sata working then the next best choice imho would be the latest build of suse. Alpha 5 contains the 2.6.18 kernel so that should solve that problem.

The integrated graphics adapter is not open-sourced, but I think it supports the linux platform. You might have to use the vesa module then compile the unichrome/deltrachrome/whatever module for 3d acceleration. Not sure exactly how this would work, more research needs to be done.
 
The graphics for that board will work in Linux ok. You'll get 2d support.
Also like the guy said that PATA will work fine for right now.

All in all it will be a fine Linux machine for Ubuntu Edgy.
A kernel update to 2.6.18 won't be to long in the making and if you ask in the forums they may have included that patch for 2.6.17 support.


However with the intel GMA 950 or GMA 900 it outperforms the Via onboard stuff by a considurable margin and will give you a decent amount of 3d performance. Enough to do things like run AIGLX and Compiz for the fancy special effects and such. Also it will be fast enough to do 'HD' sized videos after a tiny bit of tweaking. But if that doesn't matter at all then it doesn't matter.
 
Originally posted by: drag
The graphics for that board will work in Linux ok. You'll get 2d support.
Also like the guy said that PATA will work fine for right now.

All in all it will be a fine Linux machine for Ubuntu Edgy.
A kernel update to 2.6.18 won't be to long in the making and if you ask in the forums they may have included that patch for 2.6.17 support.


However with the intel GMA 950 or GMA 900 it outperforms the Via onboard stuff by a considurable margin and will give you a decent amount of 3d performance. Enough to do things like run AIGLX and Compiz for the fancy special effects and such. Also it will be fast enough to do 'HD' sized videos after a tiny bit of tweaking. But if that doesn't matter at all then it doesn't matter.
Click to expand...
Most likely Edgy will never use anything other than a 2.6.17 kernel, but all the drivers and bug fixes from 2.6.18 should get backported to Ubuntu's highly modified 2.6.17 kernel. I would bet all the VT8251 drivers have already been done so.
 
FWIW I had a similar system (Sempron 3100+, K8M800 motherboard, 512MB PC2700, 2.5" SATA) and it just seemed very laggy with Ubuntu 6.06. I probably did something wrong, but just thought I'd throw that out there. The GUI has a lot of eye candy, so I just assumed RAM was holding me back.
 
It could of been the video card. Those onboard Via things are basicly crap. You can tell if it's the video card or not because if you switch from 16 color from 24bit color you should see a noticable performance increase if it's the video card holding you back.

The RAM maybe. A full Gnome desktop with a few apps open will use that as eagerly as Windows XP will. To work around this you basicly select a more basic theme and get rid of unnesicary applets on the task bar. Things like the weather applet will use silly amounts of RAM for what they do.


I have a slightly more expensive ASUS 945g model (different a bit from the 75 dollar one) with the GMA 950 onboard video card and that gave me very smooth performance with good picture quality. Not that I am trying to pimp the intel stuff, it's just my experiance. But with that I have a gig of ram. Also for intel video cards if your unable to get a specific resolution you want you have to use the 915resolution hack to get it. It's not difficult to use, but it can be frustrating if you didn't know it existed.
 
Originally posted by: Trinitron
System is going to be AMD based.

A64 3000+ $55 on NE
ASUS A8V-VM $53 on NE (onboard video + sound)
Patriot 512MB PC2700 $52 on NE
WD1200JB 120GB $55 on NE

Still working on a case, PSU and maybe a DVD burner. He is going to reuse his keyboard, mouse, LCD.

I need something that is going to run well on the above system.

Thanks for the help so far! You guys rock!
Click to expand...

if your friend is not going to be playing games, why are you building such a powerful system? you can easily get something at a local surplus store or a university surplus store for dirt cheap (<$30) for something on the order of a 1ghz pentium 3, which should be more than enough for web/email/office applications.
 
If one was to spend more than $100 on a Linux rig that will only surf the Internet and write letters, one has spent too much.

I agree with jhu. There are so many old computers being thrown away every day that would have a new lease on life as Linux machines.
 
Originally posted by: IamDavid
For that price buy a HP at Walmart with monitor..
Click to expand...

Well some stuff...
1. He already has a lcd display.
2. I am sure that even for doing normal tasks it's better to have 512megs vs 256. It's better to have a 120gig drive vs 40gig and it's nice to have a DVD burner.

Not exactly sure what HP computer you're talking about I bet my guess for hardware is pretty close to the mark.

So sure for the same price he gets a small crappy monitor, but seriously which computer would you want even if you didn't want to game on it?

If he wants something very cheap then a used computer is a good option though.

Although at frys...
http://shop2.outpost.com/product/4983951?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

*shrug*
 
Originally posted by: jhu
Originally posted by: Trinitron
System is going to be AMD based.

A64 3000+ $55 on NE
ASUS A8V-VM $53 on NE (onboard video + sound)
Patriot 512MB PC2700 $52 on NE
WD1200JB 120GB $55 on NE

Still working on a case, PSU and maybe a DVD burner. He is going to reuse his keyboard, mouse, LCD.

I need something that is going to run well on the above system.

Thanks for the help so far! You guys rock!
Click to expand...

if your friend is not going to be playing games, why are you building such a powerful system? you can easily get something at a local surplus store or a university surplus store for dirt cheap (<$30) for something on the order of a 1ghz pentium 3, which should be more than enough for web/email/office applications.
Click to expand...

He wants new parts and he wants to keep it a while. I bet he will run this system for six-seven years.

His current machine is a Pentium Pro 200 Mhz with 64 Mb Ram! He keeps his machines a WHILE. 🙂
 
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