The Linux Distro Thread (maybe)

[ej-solutions]

Thought I'd start this one off, rather than continue on another thread.

As a quick catch up for others:

Have a look at Unetbootin, as a means to try out different versions of Linux, without producing numerous coasters (unwanted CDs).
I haven't tried the method of installing to hard drive, only the USB flash drive method (so far).

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[repairexpert]

Snipe 500! 😮 ;)

[ej-solutions]

😛 (Well spotted)
[Should S/R a post around 250 - that'll screw it up ]:)]

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Skimming the surface

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[repairexpert]

Rotter! :-|

[otherego]

Interesting thread over on CQ&A:

http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=1200319869&start=40

Extraordinary how people can't see beyond Windows - must be THE marketing success of all time. One poster raised the valid point that any educational establishment is likely to need its pupils to use MS software, as it can cope with nothing else - much as I loathe jargon, the term "vendor lock-in" springs to mind.

Amazing that open-source is still not used/encouraged by The Powers That Be - and perhaps just a little disgraceful, to absolutely candid. The "European Computer Driving Licence"/ECDL (looking less and less likely that I'll ever get past module 1 before the allotted three years are up, yawwwwn) seems to be entirely MS-based, and I must say I find this a little disappointing. In all fairness, though, it would be difficult to come up with a Linux/Open Office syllabus given the sheer number of distros/versions involved.

Still - leaving the "Vista won't run on less than 3gb RAM" experts to deride Linux users as dreamy sandalistas (a marvellous term coined by the not-entirely-PC Jeremy Clarkson, I think) at least suggests they might not be using Linux themselves - reducing the appeal of Linux to the writers of malware for the masses. There are consolations in minority.

I still feel that an awful lot of eBay users would be better-off and safer using Linux, but there's an awful lot of prejudice out there.

And having got socially involved this evening, will not be able to play with Linux on old machines tonight - beginning to understand how people turn into hermits...

[ej-solutions]

For older machines, allegedly:
http://www.altlinux.com/en/products/alt-outers/lite/

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[otherego]

That looks worth a try. It might work on the 233mhz/96mb machine. The poor old 120mhz/48mb laptop is, I think, doomed to W98 until it packs up altogether.

It DOES run DSL, but not particularly fast - even installed. Firefox is simply too much for it, unless you're v-e-e-e-e-r-y patient.

Vector Linux didn't work on the more powerful of the relics, but looks as if it could be fun and useful on more practical "classics" - fortunately the funds situation means I can't buy a 128mb RAM machine to try that. Still having fun getting the hang of Virtual Box, but worth having a look in due course for something that also imitates slow processors.

Just waiting for AbsoluteLinux to download. Downloads are taking forever this weekend, but worth persevering.

Sad, really, that there seem to be no modern distros that'll keep ancient computers internet-capable. Especially when one looks at what is sold on eBay - a little worrying to wonder just how many (probably totally unprotected) W95 and W98 computers change hands and then get connected to the internet. I see Avast! is discontinuing its support for pre-Windows 2000 systems soon.

(Occurs to me - the world is all excited by the Windows 7 DVDs thudding onto the mat; here I'm having enormous fun trying to find free distros that'll run on antique equipment. And hopefully learning something in the process.)

[ej-solutions]

Money to burn. ]:)

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[trufflington]

the Windows 7 DVDs

I suppose someone must be buying them !

I'll pass tho'.

[ej-solutions]

For otherego and other older machines :-p...
Could prove useful for Deli Linux.
http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20070521#feature

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[otherego]

Still no joy coaxing DeLi into life on Virtual Box. Much searching found an earlier version on an Italian site. Still couldn't figure out how to connect it to anything, but will leave it and return some time with a fresh mind.

Does anyone know how to add apps to an installed version of DSL? I'd like to try Opera and Abiword. This machine just can't cope with Firefox, and Abiword appeals more than the built-in word processor. (I don't think DSL is really geared towards permanent hard-drive installation.)

Googling reveals all sorts of ways and means, but none has actually worked. Much downloading and activity, then - nothing. The MyDSL package manager/installer seems designed to work with live/frugal versions, and battles to install anything to the hard drive. "Upgrade to GNU Utils" and "Enable Apt" don't seem to have helped.

I'm impressed with Dillo's very light footprint - lack of support for js and CSS and suchlike do limit its capabilities, though.

Hardly urgent, but if anyone stumbles across an idiot's guide to adding apps to DSL, I'd be greatful for the link.

Probably wouldn't achieve much today, in any case. Funny how that which makes one witty and brilliant during the evening leaves the head full of cobwebs the next day. Worst of all, it's all my own fault. More aspirin and another bucket of coffee, I think. Groan.

[otherego]

Still no joy installing additional apps to DSL (fully installed to the hard drive.) The "MyDSL" feature seems aimed entirely at the live CD and at a frugal install. On a machine with more than a few mb of memory, it works brilliantly with the live CD on a per-session basis.

I'll try the frugal install one day but, after the battle getting a full install on a machine with 48mb RAM and 120mhz processor, would prefer not to go through all that again. On the other hand, it would be nice to get Opera installed, and play with a couple of other things such as Abiword. A couple of evenings of googling and experiment (Virtual Box is proving a most useful and entertaining piece of kit) have so far proved unrewarding and resulted in quite a lot of Rude Words.

Perhaps it's just not possible to install additional apps to a hard-drive install of DSL. All suggestions welcome!

[otherego]

Still no joy installing additional apps to DSL (fully installed to the hard drive.) The "MyDSL" feature seems aimed entirely at the live CD and at a frugal install. On a machine with more than a few mb of memory, it works brilliantly with the live CD on a per-session basis.

I'll try the frugal install one day but, after the battle getting a full install on a machine with 48mb RAM and 120mhz processor, would prefer not to go through all that again. On the other hand, it would be nice to get Opera installed, and play with a couple of other things such as Abiword. A couple of evenings of googling and experiment (Virtual Box is proving a most useful and entertaining piece of kit) have so far proved unrewarding and resulted in quite a lot of Rude Words.

Perhaps it's just not possible to install additional apps to a hard-drive install of DSL. All suggestions welcome!

[ej-solutions]

Just a quick comparison:
Speed of boot in Ubuntu 9.10 => 45 seconds
Shutdown 5 seconds!
Speed of boot in Mint 7 => 65 seconds
Shutdown 15 seconds.
Boot times include keying in a password and connecting wirelessly.
To be fair to Mint, I do have quite a few programs/services installed and a 'populated' desktop.
It'll be interesting to see if there's much improvement when Mint 8 arrives, based on Ubuntu 9.10

Now, I wonder how that comapares to Win7, with a full set of applications installed: 'Office suite', Graphics, DVD/CD burner, multimedia player, and messenger.

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[otherego]

That could make a change from the linux-for-relics project (For otherego and other older machines humph).

Time to coax the CD burner into action, then. Ubuntu 9.04 is pretty quick, too, although I haven't timed it. For some reason I prefer Mint. Looking forward to Mint 8...

I see I didn't bookmark the Karmic Koala vs W7 articles I browsed yesterday - worth googling. With its army of highly paid developers and clever marketing, M$ will always be hard to beat. There did seem to be indications that the gap might be narrowing. Question is, does increasing Linux use pose a threat so far as malware is concerned? I suspect that the inherently more resistant design will continue to help here. (And mustn't be selfish.)

But compare the monetary cost of OpenOffice with that of Office 2007, compared with any real benefits to the average user of the latter. I don't know either particularly well, but the argument that one has to provide one's own support for open source software must be starting to wear a little thin in the face of all the excellent forums out there.

[ej-solutions]

Add to that Photoshop.
Is it a 20/80 rule? 80% of users use 20% of the features, and vice versa. Yet still cough up the cash via brainwashing and sheepish adherence. ]:)

To be slightly fair, it's only the recent 'niceties' of the Debian base and derivatives, that have made Linux a viable desktop option.
Of course, I'm not an advocate of 'straight' Ubuntu, m'self, prefering Mint. 😉

The inherent security of not running as a privileged user (root), will make Linux 'stronger', unless W7 has fundamentally changed in kernel and registry access, as was supposed to have been done when The Registry first raised its' ugly head.

I haven't forgotten about lower-order machines - just diverted on other issues presently (oscommerce-based oscMax). What's left of the grey cells can only cope with so much. :-)

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[ej-solutions]

[Have you tried running Deli in Qemu? Just a thought.]

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[ej-solutions]

http://distrowatch.com/?newsid=05754

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[otherego]

Qemu's still a way down the list, unfortunately - looks like learning to use it will need some concerted attention, plus a new HDD for the trusty experimental machine. (The current 40gb drive is just about full of VBox bits and pieces.) A graphic user interface might help - the only one I've found so far appears to be for Windows.

http://www.davereyn.co.uk/about.htm

Still - the idea has motivated me to do a quick trawl for a larger HDD. I find second-hand drives quite satisfactory for this sort of thing.

The new version of TinyMe is worth a try, if only because I've been unable to download the earlier, stable versions anywhere.

A shame that Feather Linux is no longer supported, as that looked really promising. It ran quite nicely as a live CD on a 233mhz/96mb ram laptop (a true powerhouse from the nineties!) It didn't recognise my network card, but this is probably not insurmountable with some patience?

The inherent security of not running as a privileged user (root), will make Linux 'stronger'
- makes me wonder a little about the security of hard drive installs of Puppy, which otherwise remains my preferred light-weight distro. With 48mb of RAM, even eBay pages can be browsed, albeit sedately, using Opera - admittedly in VBox with a reasonably modern CPU.

Just a touch more playing, then an early night...

[otherego]

Aha - SourceForge has the earlier versions of TinyMe. Tomorrow's mission, I think.

[ej-solutions]

Got a copy of tinyflux1.0-i586-k2.6.18.8-legacy.iso is needed.

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Skimming the surface

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