Linux Distro for a Dinosaur Age PC?

[insanedown58]

Here's what we have:

ECS P4M800PRO-M2

VIA S3G Graphics

Realtek AC'97 Audio Codec

1 GB of DDR2 RAM

Intel Celeron D 3.1 GHz *Single Core*

40 GB Seagate IDE HDD

VIA Rhine 2 Network Controller

If there's anything else that you need to tell me ;)

Here's the thing, this is my mom & dad's PC and I really need a "Grandma-friendly" distro since XP is starting to age. The problems at hand are the demand of an easy to use distro and a significantly low specs.

I also use this PC for audio recording because the place where it is is really quiet but Audacity has me covered. I'm guessing WINE can help out with Windows programs like Skype, MS Office 2010, YTD Video Downloader, ManyCam (or SplitCam) and ooVoo

This is quite a pain in the behind for me so thanks a huge lot if you guys can (and I know you can nsane community) help me. :)

[TuFaS]

Hi,

You've 2 ways to deal w/ that aging hardware:

1st. - try ReactOS (a windows like OS) - http://www.reactos.org/

2nd. - try Linux MINT (a light Linux OS for not so new hardware) - http://www.linuxmint.com/

Hope this will help you.

[insanedown58]

Hi,

You've 2 ways to deal w/ that aging hardware:

1st. - try ReactOS (a windows like OS) - http://www.reactos.org/

2nd. - try Linux MINT (a light Linux OS for not so new hardware) - http://www.linuxmint.com/

Hope this will help you.

Thanks for the tip :D . Is ReactOS a Linux distro? As far as I know its not.

[TuFaS]

Hi,

You've 2 ways to deal w/ that aging hardware:

1st. - try ReactOS (a windows like OS) - http://www.reactos.org/

2nd. - try Linux MINT (a light Linux OS for not so new hardware) - http://www.linuxmint.com/

Hope this will help you.

Thanks for the tip :D . Is ReactOS a Linux distro? As far as I know its not.

You're right.

ReactOS® is a free open source operating system based on the best design principles found in the Windows NT® architecture (Windows versions such as Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Server 2012 are built on Windows NT architecture). Written completely from scratch, ReactOS is not a Linux based system, and shares none of the UNIX architecture.

[just1acc]

Your machine is pretty good to run Linux distros. Choose...

Linux Mint (Cinnamon or Mint version)

Elementary OS

Dont bother who recommend ReactOS. It is no where near stable. Plus we're pirate, we have no ethical problem of using pirated XP.

[emerglines]

Debian bro ;)

[Zapdude]

I would definately recomend Arch Linux or an Arch based one like Manjaro It has many DE and WM flavours including my beloved openbox ;)

Edited August 23, 2013 by Zapdude

[emerglines]

Damn! All pirates over here give advice lol!

[insanedown58]

And just for the sake of piracy, I'm currently running a pirated Windows XP SP3.. :rolleyes:

[STEEL]

And just for the sake of piracy, I'm currently running a pirated Windows XP SP3.. :rolleyes:

Zorin OS Lite, an Ubuntu-based operating system aimed at Windows users that are switching over to Linux, has now reached version 7.

http://zorin-os.com/lite.html

:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[emerglines]

And just for the sake of piracy, I'm currently running a pirated Windows XP SP3.. :rolleyes:

Lol! IRS use pirated softwares (its a government agency by the way)

http://torrentfreak.com/the-irs-is-running-pirate-software-send-in-the-bsa-for-blood-130821/

Edited August 23, 2013 by emerglines

[emerglines]

Here's what we have:

ECS P4M800PRO-M2

VIA S3G Graphics

Realtek AC'97 Audio Codec

1 GB of DDR2 RAM

Intel Celeron D 3.1 GHz *Single Core*

40 GB Seagate IDE HDD

VIA Rhine 2 Network Controller

If there's anything else that you need to tell me ;)

Here's the thing, this is my mom & dad's PC and I really need a "Grandma-friendly" distro since XP is starting to age. The problems at hand are the demand of an easy to use distro and a significantly low specs.

I also use this PC for audio recording because the place where it is is really quiet but Audacity has me covered. I'm guessing WINE can help out with Windows programs like Skype, MS Office 2010, YTD Video Downloader, ManyCam (or SplitCam) and ooVoo

This is quite a pain in the behind for me so thanks a huge lot if you guys can (and I know you can nsane community) help me. :)

Use Xubuntu is very simple, stable, and fast, just one problem each time u need to wait for kernel update release by them, and they are slow on updating that, i use native Kernel.org and do some modification for my own security lol :)

[smallhagrid]

My 2 cents:

Clean out anything as much as possible - archive it or whatever, and strip down XP to make it need less space on the HDD.

Re-partition it to make room for Linux.

Then keep XP on it as a dual boot (if possible - why not ??).

I've used & tried MANY distros; I can cope with Linux in it's native form=> but if it can be like windows a bit=> again, why not ??

I've installed and used Zorin Lite, Core & Ultimate - and they are OK, but do have bugs from all the tweaking the Zorin boys did and the newest ones are aimed at 7 & 8 users, and not XP users at all.

There's nothing special about the minimal versions and the Ultimate version is NOT worth paying for IMO.

I recommend what I am using myself - Ubuntu 12.04 LTS with LXDE added on top of it.

Just add the other goodies that 12.04 does not come with (codecs, etc..) and strip out useless apps that nobody there will use.

It's very easy to do, as described is very "Grandma-friendly" and resembles the familiar windows GUI quite a bit.

If you had a dual-core or better CPU and more RAM you could use a VM for XP and have it all, but as it stands your h/w isn't up to it.

[insanedown58]

My 2 cents:

Clean out anything as much as possible - archive it or whatever, and strip down XP to make it need less space on the HDD.

Re-partition it to make room for Linux.

Then keep XP on it as a dual boot (if possible - why not ??).

I've used & tried MANY distros; I can cope with Linux in it's native form=> but if it can be like windows a bit=> again, why not ??

I've installed and used Zorin Lite, Core & Ultimate - and they are OK, but do have bugs from all the tweaking the Zorin boys did and the newest ones are aimed at 7 & 8 users, and not XP users at all.

There's nothing special about the minimal versions and the Ultimate version is NOT worth paying for IMO.

I recommend what I am using myself - Ubuntu 12.04 LTS with LXDE added on top of it.

Just add the other goodies that 12.04 does not come with (codecs, etc..) and strip out useless apps that nobody there will use.

It's very easy to do, as described is very "Grandma-friendly" and resembles the familiar windows GUI quite a bit.

If you had a dual-core or better CPU and more RAM you could use a VM for XP and have it all, but as it stands your h/w isn't up to it.

Well, they both know how to use Windows 7 real well and my mom knows Windows 8 just fine (I was shocked that she got through the lock screen with the guest account)

[insanedown58]

Zorin OS looks fantastic! Its the OS I needed. One problem though, hardware. What about the drivers and all that jazz? Space-wise it all works since I only need a handful of programs on Windows (Skype, ooVoo, YTD Video Downloader, MS Office 2010 and ManyCam or SplitCam) which can most probably be emulated by WINE (right? Do tell me which programs are not "emulatable" by WINE)

[emerglines]

@insanedown58: what are the criterias that you wont on any linux distro, Preformence, Boot time, security, stability...

11 years using *nix as my primary OS.

Edited August 23, 2013 by emerglines

[smallhagrid]

It is important to realize that there are multiple versions of ZOS.

ALL are just tweaked over Ubuntu.

ZOS Ult is too much OS for your h/w.

ZOS Core/Lite = no real advantage in functionality.

My reply was aimed at your h/w specs as described.

It is important to ALSO realize that there are short-term and long-term releases of Ubuntu - and that ZOS is -not- currently based on a long-term release.

Linux is not a one-size-fits-all OS like XP.

I strongly suggest that you look closer & harder at what ZOS really offers before choosing a variety of it.

[STEEL]

Zorin OS looks fantastic! Its the OS I needed. One problem though, hardware. What about the drivers and all that jazz? Space-wise it all works since I only need a handful of programs on Windows (Skype, ooVoo, YTD Video Downloader, MS Office 2010 and ManyCam or SplitCam) which can most probably be emulated by WINE (right? Do tell me which programs are not "emulatable" by WINE)

http://zorin-os.com/faq.html

:rolleyes:

[emerglines]

Puppy linux very fast and small, its built for old PC's, very slow ones.

http://puppylinux.org/main/Overview%20and%20Getting%20Started.htm

Edited August 23, 2013 by emerglines

[smallhagrid]

Yup:

http://zorin-os.com/faq.html

I thought it was the cat's pajamas too until I tried using it for VMs and found it has loads of bugs.

Oddly - it is pretty much ONLY supported via forum.

(http://www.zoringroup.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3&sid=a022f69311a014a8e105ef0a393592fa)

They claim that if you pay you get 'premium support' (???) but I never got any.

The forum is manned mostly by just the 2 same volunteer guys.

The Zorin brothers NEVER show themselves there AT ALL - never have since the years when I got Ultimate and found all this out.

Also worthy of note is that the Zorin brothers are young kids, quite literally around high school age - so what happens when they decide to get a new hobby when this one doesn't make them rich & famous ?!?

Lastly=>

ZOS is pushed around as 'the Linux distro for windows users' - which was their claim when it was made to look like the classic GUIs of win2k and XP.

Since then they changed it - ALOT - very much like Ubuntu has changed away from Gnome2 - and whereas it was based upon Ubuntu LTS before, it is not presently.

Edited August 23, 2013 by smallhagrid

[ande]

Hello, whatever you choose make sure it's xfce Desktop Enviroment {Xubuntu, Mint Xfce, Debian Wheezy Xfce... }.

[just1acc]

Off Topic:

Any link to get zorin ultimate iso? For free I meant to say... (poor me).

[smallhagrid]

I know how you feel:

Off Topic:
Any link to get zorin ultimate iso? For free I meant to say... (poor me).

Get this:

Paying customers get that huge ISO (5gb or so) from a restricted, slow server of theirs - they have no mirrors either.

It took me (after my friend bought it for me) a whole weekend, at least 6 tries to get the whole thing.

I let it run while I was sleeping too - and would get up to find it had failed, again, and could not be resumed as they don't allow it.

I didn't get or want the latest version anyhow because it is too bloated now.

Maybe someone here has it and will share it for you.

[insanedown58]

Darn! Just when I thought I got it :lmao:

[insanedown58]

Okay so far here is what I decided to do, I downloaded Zorin OS Lite and installed it on the VM with my usual "bottom line" setup (Single-core 3 GHz from my AMD, 1 GB of RAM and 10 GB HDD Space) which would almost emulate my dad's old Celeron D. I'll see how it goes and I'll just run it through tests.