[Techtalk] A distro for old machines...

[MMP - Barb Fox]

About a month ago there were some questions about what distro
would work with old hardware.  This is just a follow-up to say
thanks for everybody who contributed to that thread.

With the info from these posts, I decided to load linux on an
old laptop (Pentium 90Mhz).  I tried peanut linux and failed.
Then I fought vector linux (couldn't get X working at all).
Then I installed RedHat 9.  It worked fine but X Windows was so
incredibly slow (with just icewm, not a desktop mgr) that it was
unusable.

So I went back to vector linux.  With some googling, I finally got
an XF86Config that worked ok ( I just can't exit X without
locking up the system.)  But here's the fun thing -- I also
installed Crossover Office (from Codeweaver).  It allows you
to run native Windows programs like Microsoft Office.  It installed!
It worked!  And I now have native MS Office 97 running under
linux on a machine with 24MB of memory.  The performance is
not snappy, but it's acceptable.  Way to go vector linux!

(Have to use PowerPoint 'cuz I teach presentations made by
other people and Open Office doesn't render them properly.)

So thanks everybody for the pointers in the right direction.

Now...my husband wants to get the sound card working to play
CD's.  Any ideas where to start? (vector linux's vasm does nothing)

Barb Fox
mmp_fox at bellsouth.net

>Hi, Bud,
> >
> > It should be able to run X windows with a decent desktop so that its
> > intutive  for newbies/windows users (with minimal documentation). The
> > applications I am  looking to run are mainly office based. Simple
> > mutimedia is ofcourse a like  to have option (play mp3, mpg/vcd and an
> > audio cd)
>
>Because of your very limited hardware I'd recommend Vector Linux at
>http://www.vectorlinux.com  I've used it with great success on my Toshiba
>Libretti.
> >