Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

[retiredcaps]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

retiredcaps; can you get Flash player running with Debian wheezy 7.7?

Yes. I use Google Chrome. The latest stable version (39.0.2171.71) works fine with Debian 7.7 on youtube.com.

I haven't tried Firefox, Chromium or Iceweasel with flash though. I find it more convenient when Flash is bundled into Chrome and I don't have to worry about compatibility, security patches, etc.

[retiredcaps]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

zornOS or suse or mint.

I have tried Linux Mint and it is super user newbie friendly and works fine. However, it is based on Ubuntu and Ubuntu is based on Debian. That implies more DRAM usage.

I tried Linux Mint MATE which uses about 250MB DRAM after bootup and Linux Mint XCFE uses about 200MB DRAM after bootup.

I tried Zorin 9 Lite and it uses about 144MB DRAM after bootup (about the same as Lubuntu).

The only big name distro I haven't tried is SUSE. The 4.4GB ISO download doesn't encourage me to try it with my ISP bandwidth caps and punitive charge$$ for anything over my limit.

Over the summer, I think I tried every lightweight DRAM advertised OS and nothing came close to rolling your own Debian 7.7 + xorg + lxde.

[ratdude747]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

FYI (in case the other posts didn't make this clear) the 5 zilion CD/DVD thing is only if you want every single package in the "catalog" on disk (offline install). If you're hooked to the internet, all you need is the smallest netinstall image, which will pull everything you need and install from a server somewhere.

I would have suggested arch but since you are asking, then you're probably not in the know enough to do an arch install (it's kinda technical, but easier than say slackware or the like). But once you get the hang of arch, you never go back (honestly it runs worlds better than any of the "mainstream" distro's).

[cheapie]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

I'd suggest Debian + fluxbox. It's what I use here, and it's even more lightweight than LXDE (and easier to use if you ask me). In fact, it runs okay (although no graphical web browsers do) on a 120 MHz Pentium with 136 MB of RAM.

[stj]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

http://www.opensuse.org/en/

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

By default it uses about 150MB DRAM.

That's more than 32-bit XP.
That's why XP isn't dead yet, at least unofficially.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

I tried Linux Mint MATE which uses about 250MB DRAM after bootup and Linux Mint XCFE uses about 200MB DRAM after bootup.

Sounds right for 64-bit.

If 32-bit, someone needs to be shot!!

[ivtec]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

Yes. I use Google Chrome. The latest stable version (39.0.2171.71) works fine with Debian 7.7 on youtube.com.

I haven't tried Firefox, Chromium or Iceweasel with flash though. I find it more convenient when Flash is bundled into Chrome and I don't have to worry about compatibility, security patches, etc.

Well i tried also to install google chrome in Debian Wheezy7.0 and i couldn't install it either
where Have got the Debian 7.7 ISO ?

[retiredcaps]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

That's more than 32-bit XP.

Everything I tried was 32 bit version.

The last time I installed XP with SP3 and nothing else, I think XP consumed around 100MB DRAM after bootup?

[retiredcaps]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

Well i tried also to install google chrome in Debian Wheezy7.0 and i couldn't install it either
where Have got the Debian 7.7 ISO ?

Here is how I get it installed.

Download the google 32 bit .deb from

https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/

Then run bring up a terminal window and type

cd (change directory to where ever you downloaded the google .deb file)
sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_39.0.2171.71-1_i386.deb
sudo apt-get -f install

The second command will likely fail because google needs a bunch of library files.
The third command tells debian to resolve those errors above.

After the third command, it should show up in your menu and chrome should work fine.

[retiredcaps]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

Well i tried also to install google chrome in Debian Wheezy7.0 and i couldn't install it either
where Have got the Debian 7.7 ISO ?

If you run

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

on your 7.0 install, it will automatically update everything so that it is equivalent to a 7.7 ISO image.

If you want a fresh install, the 7.7 server install is at

http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.7.0/i386/iso-cd/

Get

debian-7.7.0-i386-netinst.iso

which is around 277MB.

In the install process, it will let you select a desktop environment. Uncheck that and the other selection so that only the server basic tools is checked. Right now, I can't remember the exact prompts, but it should be obvious.

PS. I ran the install 5 or 6 times before I got "comfortable" with everything.

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

That's why Linux sucks. They can't even make an ultra lightweight version that works "out of the box" just like Windows XP.

[stj]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

VECTOR will give you that.
http://www.vectorlinux.com/

but you dont need a "light" version, your hardware is half-decent.
and dont be fooled by the ram, Linux does not have "free" ram, it allocates the ram for buffers for later use.
true it would run better with a bit more, but it's only going to be a problem with some installers that decompress a livedisk to ram first.

[ivtec]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

If you run

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

on your 7.0 install, it will automatically update everything so that it is equivalent to a 7.7 ISO image.

If you want a fresh install, the 7.7 server install is at

http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/7.7.0/i386/iso-cd/

Get

debian-7.7.0-i386-netinst.iso

which is around 277MB.

In the install process, it will let you select a desktop environment. Uncheck that and the other selection so that only the server basic tools is checked. Right now, I can't remember the exact prompts, but it should be obvious.

PS. I ran the install 5 or 6 times before I got "comfortable" with everything.

Thanks retired caps; that's was the exact way i installed Debian Wheezy 7.0
my problem is that i can't install Ubuntu restricted-extras,that contains the flash player and other good stuff,i tried to install flash player by itself but no avail,
it seems to me one has to pay flash player to be installed in Debian wheezy.

I'm going to upgrade as you say and hope i can install flash player, if not i'll keep xubuntu 14.04, that's not a bad distro and has everything you need .
but Debian is lighter.

[Pentium4]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer


Loving the suggestions, thanks guys. But first things first, recapping the stuff As you can see, the caps are definitely bulged. Here's the crazy thing though. There were a total of 12 nichicon HM caps, 9 of them were 2200uF 6.3V, 2 were 1000uF 16V (on VRM high), and one 1800uF 16V (on VRM high). The remaining black nichicon cap left unchanged is nichicon HD. Every single 2200uF cap was bad. Their ESR ranged from 0.08-0.12 but all of them read over 6,000uF ranging from 6,076uF-6676uF. Seems typical of suspect HM caps. But the VRM high caps were fine, even being so close to the heat sink. The 1000uF caps were within 5% spec on capacitance and the 1800uF was within 15% spec on capacitance. Replaced 9/12 with polymers. It looks good now Interesting, the board was made by Foxconn but the VRM daughterboard was made by Delta. Pretty cool. PSU was made by Delta, more pics to come.

I also got rid of the shitty bubble-gum thermal paste on the CPU and NB heatsink.

So I understand that this computer is obviously lacking in horsepower, but how much better do you think it will be with all fresh, in spec caps now? I also found a 512MB PC133 Patriot RAM stick. I got lucky that it worked, because this mobo will only accept low density RAM modules. I may put a heatsink on the SB chip just for the hell of it

Ouch, this thing was made on 09/11/01

[c_hegge]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

Nice. Are those polies only 330uF? I'm surprised it works with them that low. I wouldn't normally go any lower than 820uF there. If it works, then it should be fine.

[Pentium4]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

Yeah they're only 330uF. I really wanted to use 820uF 2.5V Fujitsu but the lead spacing was a little much for them, so I used those. I know the capacitance is a lot lower than originally, but I've seen 4 or 5 470uF polymers be used to filter the VRM low for Pentium D's. This one has a pretty low TDP for a Pentium 4

[Wester547]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

Their ESR ranged from 0.08-0.12 but all of them read over 6,000uF ranging from 6,076uF-6676uF. Seems typical of suspect HM caps.

That's very characteristic of failed HMs, HNs, and HZs. But the fact that they read so high in terms of capacitance and so low in terms of ESR very likely means they developed high internal leakage which means they were fooling the ESR/capacitance meter. They were likely more out of spec than that.

But the VRM high caps were fine, even being so close to the heat sink. The 1000uF caps were within 5% spec on capacitance and the 1800uF was within 15% spec on capacitance.

That is because the higher voltage (+12V) of the VRM input preserves the oxide layer (keeps it thicker) much faster than the lower voltage of the VRM output (1.7V for that Pentium 4 1.5 GHz Willamette?). That is another reason why crap brands that don't do well on motherboards hold up alright in well cooled and ventilated power supplies. Compare the very low voltage of the VRM output to the higher voltages found in PSUs (+3.3V, +5V, +12V, etc), and it makes sense. That being said, the capacitors in the VRM input do handle ripple directly from the power supply (either the +5V or +12V rail), so it doesn't hurt to make sure they're of decent quality.

Replaced 9/12 with polymers. It looks good now Interesting, the board was made by Foxconn but the VRM daughterboard was made by Delta. Pretty cool. PSU was made by Delta, more pics to come.

I believe those older boards were designed by Foxconn but that they were actually manufactured by Flextronics for the most part. To the best of my knowledge, Foxconn doesn't actually manufacture all their motherboards. They are a vast original design manufacturer, and despite the fact that they do own certain motherboard assets, they themselves don't quite have the capacity to fulfill and manufacture the huge volume that Dell, Gateway, Intel, etc, often mandated, so they used other manufactures such as Flextronics, Celestica, and Winstron (sometimes even Pegatron?) to manufacture their motherboards (particularly the Xbox 360 motherboards, but Foxconn does have the say on the final design and component assembly). The motherboards you see from Foxconn, sold at retail and by their lonesome, on the other hand, are manufactured by Foxconn themselves. I say these are probably Flextronics boards because they are littered with 85*C capacitors most of the time (the original Xbox motherboard also had a very similar design and those boards were also manufactured by Flextronics). Your board has a daughterboard made by Delta so the manufacture of this one might (emphasize the might) actually be Delta, though, given the lack of 85*C capacitors (if I'm not mistaken).

I also got rid of the shitty bubble-gum thermal paste on the CPU and NB heatsink.

If they didn't use that, they would use very appalling thermal tape between the CPU's heatspreader and heatsink that would not be very good at transferring heat.

[goontron]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

should have read your system specs, i have put LMDE MATE on about 100 of those, with the ram bumped to 1 to 2gb dependant on the passmark score (yours would be 2gb), nice and fast.

[stj]

Re: Need light Linux OS for OLD computer

you wont get 1-2gig in pc133, even 512meg sticks are like fucking unicorn-horns both in availability and price.