OT - Old PC - Free Operating System Ideas

[Brian Gaff]

Deleting Windows is the easy bit, simply format the drive on another machine. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

The reason these older amd chipped machines are slow is because they do not support sse2 instruction set and hence the slower old code has to be used. I found this out a while back when I found some software in windows just did not work when it ran on an older Pentium chipped machine of the same vintage. I obviously cannot say if Linux cares about his, but it would be worth checking.

Brian

[tabbypurr]

or on the same machine.

Nearly any desktop OS will run on yours. Mint works but they delete all relevant software after 18 months or so, so I avoid it unless I know the machine won't be around long.

NT

[Chris French]

In message , DerbyBorn writes

Sounds like a driver issue. I don't know enough about these things to advise.

You can't get Chrome OS as a standalone OS.

There is Chromium OS (open source version of Chrome) but that is far from being a consumer OS at the moment (if ever)

[Big Les Wade]

Actually, I don't get that problem with XP. The problem I *am* starting to get is that there are some web sites that simply do not work *at all* with my browser version. I cannot update either Firefox or IE any further, because the versions of these browsers required by the websites in question do not run under XP.

As yet the number of such websites is small enough that I am sticking with XP. However, one such is

which is the site for booking speed awareness courses in my area (I got a speeding ticket recently). It does not work at all for me, not even letting me contact them so I can complain. That *has* inconvenienced me, because I cannot choose not to use it if I want to book the course.

I expect TTC are very pleased with themselves that their website is so universally accessible. After all, no-one has complained to them about it.

[The Natural Philosopher]

If you are installing linux, just tell it to ignore existing operating systems and use the whole disk.

Its got its own formatting tools

[The Natural Philosopher]

You are shit. dont do anything Pounder suggests

[The Natural Philosopher]

Er what?

On earth are you talking about?

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

I'm using XP, Firefox is the latest version and your site works fine.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Don't do anything he suggests.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Confirming that I did not like what I saw.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

Enough not to use Linux.

[T i m]

+1

XP on a 2G RAM, 1.5GHz solo Mac Mini here and (still) used daily for everything. ;-)

The only time I really boot the box I built a while ago as it's replacement is if I need to use an optical drive (the one in the Mac died a while ago) or when doing something that needs a bit more 'ooomph'.

No bluescreens, no lockups, runs Firefox V 43.0.3 and that seems to work on all the websites that I need and is a pretty mature system (so much so that the Start menu is bigger than the screen). ;-) I can't remember the last time I booted into OSX.

The 'other box' also boots Ubuntu and I can't remember the last time I booted into that either. When I do it's generally only to see if it can also do something I can do in Windows.

When going though a load of older PC's that I was hoping to give away (Freecycle) that were happily running XP I found most had issues of some sort running any of the more recent (and therefore 'up to date') Lini. It was either that it would install but then not boot, couldn't properly see the sound, video or some other facet, and I wasn't sufficiently skilled (interested) in doing much of the 'programming' that may have been required to make it work.

*If* you are lucky with the hardware support (as a non Linux guru I mean) and are happy with just the basics of Web browsing (and don't mind getting Flash working) and just a bit of email and basic WP (Libre Office) then you could be fine.

I set my BIL up with Mint as his primary OS and does indeed use it for most his Web and Email needs. We even managed to get his financial program (Money Manager 2000) running via PlayOnLinux (Windows Emulator) but has to boot into W7 to run a Train Spotter package.

*Most people* I've installed Linux dual boot with Windows (even if I set the Linux as the primary OS) never use it, often because they can't do something they need and can do what they need (or find someone to help them) under Windows.

I've just been given a Ricoh colour laser printer and I *know* I'll be able to get it printing and scanning (over the network) on XP, W7/10 (because I've seen it working under them). It should also work on OSX (as there are drivers for it here):

... but it would really be 'fingers crossed' if it will work on Linux. That's not to say there haven't been instances where Linux has picked up some hardware 'automagically' that needed a driver installing manually under Windows or OSX, just that when it doesn't work 'automagically' on Linux, making it work can often involve quite a bit of skill and patience (assuming you aren't very familiar with the underpinnings of Linux or know someone who is (I don't)).

Therefore, even 'giving' someone a free PC running Linux may not be the most productive option for them (and *certainly* so if they use the iTunes store). ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Huge]

Well, I'm a little surprised, having installed Mint on about half-a-dozen machines of various ages and states of decrepitude without any issues whatsoever.

(Oh, I think the keyboard light on my X200 laptop doesn't work. Whoop-te-doo!)

[Huge]

[T i m]

Same here, unless there is a specific sub-page or function that doesn't work for the OP?

Cheers, T i m

[The Natural Philosopher]

Bless!

[T i m]

;-)

And that *really* is the point when it comes to 'most people' and computer use these days. They don't want to *have to* learn how to get under the hood of *anything*, especially the appliance they use for, managing, documenting and expanding their social lives.

Our daughter (25) is reasonably computer literate but isn't

*interested* in 'computers', just in the same way she isn't interested in motor vehicles, outside of trying to do what she needs in order to keep either going.

So, I install Linux on a PC for someone and the installation goes well (and it can and has). I present them with a fairly efficient, free (of cost), up_to_date OS that is (supposedly) more secure than Windows (ok, it might be from viruses and malware but it's isn't necessarily more secure again unauthorised access, as the latest GRUB security issue demonstrates). Then they remember they *need* iTunes or some Flash game and at that point I often reach for the Windows CD again. ;-(

I haven't actually used (or tried to use) Linux as my daily OS for some time now, although I do have Ubunto only a boot away and do fire it up now and again, I don't actually *need* it for anything and it really can't do as much as easily (for *me*) as say W7.

But then like with many things in life, I generally co for the Lowest Common Denominator as that then affords me with the best choice, the best support and the best prices. ;-)

Linux may often be free to get but it can often cost more in support (or support effort, even if you can do it yourself) and replacing 'incompatible hardware'. ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , Big Les Wade escribió:

Try Pale Moon.

[Adrian Caspersz]

What I'd do is work out what absolutely needs to have an Microsoft OS, and dedicate a just spec'ed enough machine to do that - which won't necessarily need to be used day to day. Then build a linux box with a bit more decent hardware.

My day-to-day box is a low power consumption HP Microserver + graphics card for HDMI, running Ubuntu. Using Remmina Remove Desktop Client to a server it also runs all the Windows Desktops including Windows 10.

I am thinking Google Chrome OS might be suitable.

Google Chrome OS is something that is wired pretty strongly into the Google security system, with restricted hardware drivers and their scary cloud culture. On your third-party hardware (well, that's how Google will see it) getting this going will be an hack, not really the beginners experience and an experience upgrade route to nowhere.

-&-

Ubuntu Unity is full of Amazon search stuff in unity which might have creeped you out. You can remove that gruff here.

Happily, that's not in other distributions.

Xcfe would be a good choice of window manager, and I'd say just go Xubuntu.

If you are overwhelmed by the number of applications on a distribution, and you think it's not likely that you'll want to load a system up with it all, then look for minimal install CDs. These are available for Ubuntu and Debian, and through the "alternative text" installer you can select particular "package sets", rather than installing the lot.

Then there's Debian and Fedora to look at....