Ideal distribution for Old PC

[Cesarito]

Hello everyone, this is the first time that I am going to use Linux. I would like you to recommend a distribution that is light enough to bring back to life an old PC with 128 Mb of DDR1 ram that does not have SATA ports and I would like to install the operating system on a pendrive. , the PC will only be used to play music and Office stuff

 

[Condobloke]

G'day Cesarito, Please use a Translator. This is an English only site

G'day Césarito, use un traductor. Este es un sitio solo en inglés

 

[Keshara]

Puppy Linux fits your system requirements, and I think it is very user friendly for a 'new-to-Linux' user

 

[bob466]

Welcome to the Forum.

With only 128MB of Ram...I would say no Linux Distro...time for a new computer.

 

[Brickwizard]

with only 128 mb sounds like it may be an old 32 bit intelP4 or AMD K series
If I am right, then I can only think of Void Linux or Sparky Linux

old PC with 128 Mb of DDR1

 

[wizardfromoz]

@Cesarito welcome to linux.org

Have a look through the following article, and focus on the ones that require less than 128 Mb RAM, and have a lightweight CPU.

If you find one that works for you, you would be best advised to join that distribution's forum as well, as I doubt we will have the help and support amongst our Members.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-weight_Linux_distribution

Good luck

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[MikeWalsh]

Lol!! Coo, that takes me back to when we purchased OUR first PC.....a 2002 Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop. It came with a P4-gen 2.2 GHz Celeron, 128 MB DDR1.....and a miniscule 20GB 4200rpm Hitachi Travelstar HDD.

The battery pack was enormous.......but was needed to counterbalance the weight of the steel-framed 14.1" XFT LCD display. I could guarantee if you removed the battery, then opened the lid it would overbalance and tip backwards. It weighed nearly 8 lbs; not the kind of thing you wanted to lug around with you all day..!

You could upgrade the RAM, however. Dell only ever recommended a max of 1 GB, but a couple of years down the line I discovered a white paper from Intel that stated the 82845 chipset WAS capable of supporting 2 GB DDR1. So I "invested".......and sure enough, Intel were right. She ran happily with a full 2 GB for the rest of her life, and only expired around 18 months ago.....

@Cesarito , would this be a possibility for you? Can we have your machine's specs.....you know, CPU - we know the amount of RAM! - HDD, graphics, etc? Make and model would be a BIG help, and will give us a bit more to work with...

Over to you.


Mike.

 

[MikeWalsh]

Puppy Linux fits your system requirements, and I think it is very user friendly for a 'new-to-Linux' user

Mmm.....IF you don't mind going back to around the 2-series Puppies! These were superseded by the 3-series Pups around 2008.....which simultaneously upgraded to a recommended minimum of at least 256 MB.

Despite my predilection for older "mongrels", I would hesitate to recommend this route for anyone that isn't fully conversant with the pitfalls AND knows just how to achieve effective, safe 'workarounds'. There's all sorts of ways to get newer stuff running with elderly Pups, but you DO need to know what you're doing. It's not really on the cards for a complete noob, nor is it, I feel, right to expect them to have to. They need breaking-in gently.....not throwing-in at the "deep end"..!

And TBH, these days there's no real need to have to.

There's a ton of Core2Duo-era lappies going for a song on places like eBay, if you know where to look for 'em. Most will come with around 4 GB of DDR2, and will run the majority of light-to-middleweight Linux distros quite happily...

Recommendation for current, up-to-date Pups varies between at least 1 and 1.5 GB. (With 32 GB DDR4 AND 5TB+ of storage, obviously this ain't an issue for me.....but I feel Cesarito just might run into more than a few snags!)

(shrug...)


Mike.

 

[MikeRocor]

Tiny Core Linux should run comfortably on that system, though it may not be as beginner-friendly as one might like.

Amusingly, vlc, with its dependencies, is four or five times the size of the OS itself.

If by "office stuff" you mean libreoffice, I can't even guess at how well or how fast that might run on such a machine - but it doesn't cost anything to try it. The only time I ran Tiny Core (or anything) on a machine with 128 MB of RAM, it was a headless machine so I didn't fool around with anything like libreoffice.

 

[darry1966]

Hello everyone, this is the first time that I am going to use Linux. I would like you to recommend a distribution that is light enough to bring back to life an old PC with 128 Mb of DDR1 ram that does not have SATA ports and I would like to install the operating system on a pendrive. , the PC will only be used to play music and Office stuff

Can you tell us more ablout our machine like the model etc.

 

[BoodyWin]

Here's an AI-generated answer:
The ideal distribution for an old PC depends on a few factors, including:

• Hardware specs: How old is your PC? How much RAM does it have? What kind of processor does it have? These specs will determine which distributions are even compatible with your machine, and how well they will run.
• Your needs: What do you want to use your PC for? Basic web browsing and email? Word processing and spreadsheets? Streaming media? Gaming? Different distributions are better suited for different tasks.
• Your experience level: Are you comfortable with Linux, or are you a complete beginner? Some distributions are more user-friendly than others.

Here are a few general recommendations for lightweight Linux distributions that are good for older PCs:

• Lubuntu:This is a lightweight version of Ubuntu that uses the LXDE desktop environment. It is a good choice for basic tasks like web browsing, email, and word processing.
  Opens in a new windowlubuntu.me
  Lubuntu operating system
• Xubuntu:Another lightweight Ubuntu variant, Xubuntu uses the Xfce desktop environment, which is a bit more feature-rich than LXDE. It is a good choice for users who want a more traditional desktop experience.
  Opens in a new windowen.wikipedia.org
  Xubuntu operating system
• Puppy Linux:This is a very small distribution that can run on systems with as little as 512MB of RAM. It is a good choice for basic tasks and comes with a variety of pre-installed applications.
  Opens in a new windowpuppylinux-woof-ce.github.io
  Puppy Linux operating system
• Bodhi Linux:This is another lightweight distribution that is based on Ubuntu. It uses the Moksha desktop environment, which is designed to be fast and efficient.
  Opens in a new windowen.wikipedia.org
  Bodhi Linux operating system
• AntiX:This is a Debian-based distribution that is designed to be easy to use and stable. It is a good choice for users who want a reliable distribution that won't slow down their old PC.
  Opens in a new windowen.wikipedia.org
  AntiX operating system

Once you have considered these factors, you can do some research to find the best distribution for your specific needs. There are many other lightweight Linux distributions available, so be sure to read reviews and compare features before making a decision.


Here are some additional tips for getting the most out of your old PC:

• Upgrade your RAM: This is the single most effective way to improve the performance of your old PC.
• Use a lightweight web browser: Chrome and Firefox can be resource-intensive. Try a lighter browser like Vivaldi or Midori.
• Disable unnecessary startup programs: These programs can slow down your PC's boot time and performance.
• Keep your software up to date: This will help to improve security and performance.
• Consider using a cloud-based operating system: This can be a good option if your PC's hardware is really old or limited.

With a little effort, you can breathe new life into your old PC and make it usable for many years to come.

Generated By Google Bard

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Lol!! Coo, that takes me back to when we purchased OUR first PC.....a 2002 Dell Inspiron 1100 laptop. It came with a P4-gen 2.2 GHz Celeron, 128 MB DDR1.....and a miniscule 20GB 4200rpm Hitachi Travelstar HDD.

The battery pack was enormous.......but was needed to counterbalance the weight of the steel-framed 14.1" XFT LCD display. I could guarantee if you removed the battery, then opened the lid it would overbalance and tip backwards. It weighed nearly 8 lbs; not the kind of thing you wanted to lug around with you all day..!

You could upgrade the RAM, however. Dell only ever recommended a max of 1 GB, but a couple of years down the line I discovered a white paper from Intel that stated the 82845 chipset WAS capable of supporting 2 GB DDR1. So I "invested".......and sure enough, Intel were right. She ran happily with a full 2 GB for the rest of her life, and only expired around 18 months ago.....

@Cesarito , would this be a possibility for you? Can we have your machine's specs.....you know, CPU - we know the amount of RAM! - HDD, graphics, etc? Make and model would be a BIG help, and will give us a bit more to work with...

Over to you.


Mike.

My very first computer had a monster size monitor with a tiny screen, Win 98, a Pentium 1 and a 2GB harddrive. I had to install a card to get dial up internet. The CPU was about the size of a tangerine. Files were stored on floppy drives.
Everyone was ecstatic when the barriers broke and a a 500 GB hard drive was possible. 2 GB to TBs. My monitor is bigger than most TV screens back then with a much better picture. We've come a long, long way.

 

[Brickwizard]

My very first computer had a monster size monitor with a tiny screen, Win 98, a Pentium 1 and a 2GB harddrive.

who is a modern Miss then.. this was one of my first desktops.

Spoiler: IBM 286

Operating system	IBM PC DOS 3.0+ OS/2 1.
CPU	Intel 80286 @ 6 and 8 MHz
Memory	256 KB – 512 KB onboard + 3.5 MB with additional memory cards
Storage	20 MB hard drive 1.2 MB HD 5.25" (135 mm) floppy drive
Graphics	EGA

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

who is a modern Miss then.. this was one of my first desktops.

Spoiler: IBM 286

Operating system	IBM PC DOS 3.0+ OS/2 1.
CPU	Intel 80286 @ 6 and 8 MHz
Memory	256 KB – 512 KB onboard + 3.5 MB with additional memory cards
Storage	20 MB hard drive 1.2 MB HD 5.25" (135 mm) floppy drive
Graphics	EGA

I forgot about those! Someone gave me a 3, maybe it was a 486. At the time, I was too intimidated by PC's to bother with it and didn't have much interest either. I didn't understand what the big deal was with the internet.

My very first experience using PC's was in high school. Apple, before Macintosh. It was before Apple and Microsoft dominated the market.

They called the class "computer math". That never made sense to me. Based on what I know now, it seemed more like elementary programing. It looked like DOS. I had to write little "programs' with a bunch of "if then" "go to" statements. My final was stored on the bigger floppy disks, the ones you had to very careful with. Any dent, fold or crease, no matter how minor it was could destroy all of your work. Even though I couldn't see any damage at all to my disk, my final exam was corrupted!

By the time I was in college, Macintosh and Microsoft became the go-to's. I had to take another computer class. All DOS based, no mouse, I had to memorize file names to find them. I couldn't type yet so there were a lot of mistakes entering the address correctly. But at least the floppies were smaller and encased in protective plastic.

Damn! I feel really old now! In fact, it makes feel so old I'm wondering if I should even post this..

 

[MikeRocor]

Wow - did nobody else start out with a Timex? Or do they just not admit to it?