Installing Ubuntu on old hardware

[Joshua Zeidner]

On 9/24/06, Joseph Sinclair <plug-discussion at stcaz.net> wrote:
>
> Kenneth wrote:
> >> They are both turn of the century technology (Year 2000) both AMD500
> >> 1 has CD writer/floppy/100MB zip, replaceable 20gig hd's, and 256MB mem
> >> the other has 128MB mem, CD, floppy, fix 14GB HD.
> >>
> >> Here are my questions:
> >> 1) If a Debian derivative (which I like because of apt-get) does the
> >> current real or imagined troubles at Debian _Really_ affect Ubuntu?
> >> 2) With older hardware does anyone see a problem?
> >
> > I haven't installed on a system with so little memory for a while, but
> > assuming you use a text installer I don't think you should have a
> problem.
> > For your desktop machine, you may want to look into something more
> > lightweight than KDE or Gnome, since memory is limited.
> >
> I second the lightweight desktop recommendation, XUbuntu uses XFCE, and is
> said to have much lower system requirements for the GUI.
> Since both systems are older and have some limitations, you might also
> want to consider installing Debian directly, since Debian can be
> install-time customized to limit what's chosen better than Ubuntu (at the
> cost of having to spend a lot more time picking and choosing components, and
> having less auto-detected hardware) to save disk space and runtime
> resources.



  In addition when you step out of the mainstream of Ubuntu, you lose the
wealth of support resources.  If this is for personal use and performance is
not the top priority, try to stay within the boundaries of a major Ubuntu
label.  Your life will be much easier.


The conflicts at Debian are completely normal for them, I'd be surprised if
> some sort of internal controversy didn't crop up in Debian at least once
> each quarter (or once a week ;}).  It's all just more public this time
> around because some people decided to skip all the time usually wasted with
> theoretical arguments and set up an experiment to see if the idea would work
> IRL, and that forced the normal conflict into public view.



  I forsee both projects surviving.  Debian will be where major core
technical problems will be resolved.  The regular Debian members will most
likely play a very important role if Ubuntu continues to expand at this
rate.  Right now the formal relationship between the two projects are being
interrogated.  I tend to think that Debian's importance has been neglected
by the Ubuntu people.


Old hardware is always difficult, and Ubuntu doesn't work as hard as the
> upstream Debian to maintain compatibility with old equipment, but it
> shouldn't be too bad, in some cases older equipment is actually easier to
> handle, since it's more likely that there's a GPL driver available.  That
> said, I have an old machine bought in 2000 (Celeron 700) that runs the
> XUbuntu LiveCD just fine (haven't tried to install, I don't have a real need
> for it right now and power's costly for that box).



  Again, although Joseph is offering a way to maximize your performance and
few other qualities, venturing outside of the mainstream Ubuntu community is
to forfeit the primary value in using this distro.  Ubuntu is second to none
in organization and jurisprudence.  Debian is certainly more of a hard-line
'let get things done' scene.  I doubt Ubuntu would survive without it.

  So, Joseph... it's ok to count you amongst the Ubuntu users in Phoenix?
I'm hoping we can all work together to make Phoenix a very Ubuntu friendly
place.  This helps both pros and hobbyists.

  Thanks, JMZ



-- 
.0000. communication.
.0001. development.
.0010. strategy.
.0100. appeal.

JOSHUA M. ZEIDNER
IT Consultant

++power; ++perspective; ++possibilities;
( 602 ) 490 8006
jjzeidner at gmail.com
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