Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Questions about applications and software
Forum rules
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
Locked
pottzie

Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by pottzie »

I tried installing Mint LXDE 12 on an ancient a22 Thinkpad from the Windows 98 era. It loaded the splash screen all right when the live cd opened, but when it tried to run the live session, all that comes up is a terminal . When I tried using "startx" to get the window manager working, I got "no xauthority." I know I'm pushing the boundary trying to get something going on a computer with 512 ram, but is there a way to make it work?
DrHu

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by DrHu »

You can try this..

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=690760


Or check Ubuntu for the error listed ..
http://www.ubuntugeek.com/ubuntu-tiphow ... buntu.html

If you have an internet connection Network manager) running
--check with ifconfig or iw (wireless)
  • You could update the system to get freasher setup..
    sudo apt-get update
    --refreshes /etc/apt/sources.list file
    sudo apt-get upgrade
    --updates the installed/upgradeable files and system (libraries etc..)
Check this list (for any helpful aids..), also applies to lxde
http://www.debian.org/doc/manuals/debia ... 07.en.html
User avatar
marcus0263
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 365
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 9:40 am
Location: Seattle
Contact:

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by marcus0263 »

Honestly I wouldn't install the main edition based on Ubuntu and install LMDE. Performance will be dismal, I also recommend using Mate for the desktop. I have a side hobby of recycling old computers and giving them away , LMDE with Mate works very well and breaths new life into them. Attempting it with anything Ubuntu based is horrendous.

Sent from ASUS Prime Infinity w/Tapatalk
Shuttle SX58
Intel i7 Gulftown Hex Core
G.Skill 16Gig 1333
OCS Vertex 2 SSD
Segate SATA II
Palit GeForce GTS 450
LMKDE 14 64Bit

Where Thought Crime is Committed
Reject the Herd
pottzie

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by pottzie »

I've never been a fan of Debian, and I'm surprised to hear that LMDE will install on a computer that has low ram and a slow processor. I don't think LMDE will work, but if that's wrong I'd be interested in finding out.
User avatar
marcus0263
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 365
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 9:40 am
Location: Seattle
Contact:

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by marcus0263 »

Ubuntu is a modified Debian spin and Mint in turn is a modified Ubuntu edition therefore the Mother distro is Debian. LMDE edition is a Mintified Debian, therefore cutting out the middleman. Ubuntu spins their distro to run on more modern systems and are more bleeding edge along with putting in a lot more bloat that affects system performance. Debian will run very, very well on old hardware, fact is as I stated a lot faster. If you google around you'll see Distro's designed to run on old hardware most are either based on Debian or Slackware, can't think of a Fedora spin off the top of my head.

Anyway as I stated above I highly recommend using LMDE over Mint Main, LMDE not only runs as default the 486 kernel for "old" hardware like you mentioned but will run circles around the Main edition which is Ubuntu based.

Sent from ASUS Prime Infinity w/Tapatalk
Shuttle SX58
Intel i7 Gulftown Hex Core
G.Skill 16Gig 1333
OCS Vertex 2 SSD
Segate SATA II
Palit GeForce GTS 450
LMKDE 14 64Bit

Where Thought Crime is Committed
Reject the Herd
User avatar
nunol
Level 9
Level 9
Posts: 2633
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 9:25 pm
Location: Portugal

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by nunol »

Check the md5sum of the ISO, check the medium with the specific boot option, if everything is ok try to boot Mint 12 LXDE in compatibility mode. If fails run "inxi -Fxx" and post here the hardware details.
AlbertP
Level 16
Level 16
Posts: 6701
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:38 pm
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by AlbertP »

You can try Compatibility Mode to boot; else, please make sure your laptop has got enough RAM to run Mint - the A22e or A22m may come with only 64MB of memory according to ThinkWiki, which is probably too few. (You haven't posted yet if your laptop is A22p, A22e or A22m, btw)

Maybe you can run inxi -G in the console and post the output.
Registered Linux User #528502
Image
Feel free to correct me if I'm trying to write in Spanish, French or German.
jjaythomas

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by jjaythomas »

May want to try a distro specially designed for low spec macines... one of the 'Puppys', 'antix' ect.

if want to stay on something a little more minty try 'swift linux', based on LMDE but uses Rox filer&terminal and 'icewm as 'window manager. Will Update using the Mint UPack system (currentlly will update directly to UP5)

You can then also install LXDE if desired (I change in Xfce :wink: )
May wish to in stall MDM and the Mint-theme and uninstall LXDM. **use synaptic and watch 'details/terminal so you get question (which to use as defaultMDM or LXDM also uninstall LXDM after reboot (to not to be using so clean uninstall) :wink:

J.Jay
User avatar
Pierre
Level 21
Level 21
Posts: 13192
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:33 am
Location: Perth, AU.

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by Pierre »

also try antiX from Mepis

http://antix.mepis.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

it's also a lightweight O/S
Image
Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] - when your problem is solved!
and DO LOOK at those Unanswered Topics - - you may be able to answer some!.
ausmuso

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by ausmuso »

There's horses for courses, Pottzie. You don't want to weigh down your old laptop with the full Gnome-bloat inherent to Mate and Cinnamon (or Ubuntu, for that matter). Have a look at
http://crunchbang.org
for a really lightweight system based on the OpenBox windows manager (on which LXDE is based). For your system you'd want the 32bit non-PAE Waldorf ISO.
If you find Openbox too spartan you can easily put LXDE on top. It doesn't use up much additional resources, especially if you remove Conky.

I installed this on an ageing low-grunt laptop, I couldn't believe it could run that fast. LMDE is great, but is runs best in a slightly more comfortably endowed environment.
Penguinnerd

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by Penguinnerd »

I've gotta chime in for debian here...

I have a lot of experience dealing with older hardware, and over the years I have used most of the popular lightweight distros.

But in the long run, I really do recommend debian for any system over 500 mhz with over 256 MB ram.

A compact debian install with LXDE is around 900 MB overall, and could run reasonably fast on a potato. Lol.

If LXDE is too heavy, you could just try running openbox with a panel installed like tint2 or similar.

The nicest thing about using debian is that it will run on this hardware, but it still leaves options open as far as installing additional software easily from a massive repository if needed. You never know what you might need installed next week, but odds are, it's in the debian repos.

So go get yourself a netinstall image of debian wheezy (testing, but almost stable) and when you start it up, go to advanced options. Select alternate desktop enviroment>> LXDE and install it.
AlbertP
Level 16
Level 16
Posts: 6701
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:38 pm
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by AlbertP »

@ ausmuso and Penguinnerd: You are replying to quite an old topic, from October of last year. The OP may not be following this anymore.
Registered Linux User #528502
Image
Feel free to correct me if I'm trying to write in Spanish, French or German.
ausmuso

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by ausmuso »

AlbertP wrote:@ ausmuso and Penguinnerd: You are replying to quite an old topic, from October of last year. The OP may not be following this anymore.
The thread may be old, AlbertP ,but the the subject will always be topical.
We all know the scenario, especially those of us who have many friends and relatives. A friend/relo/neighbour comes to you with an older computer which, whilst still working faultlessly, doesn't have the oohmp to cope with a horror like Windows7/8. Can you do something?

Of course you can. You install a lightweight Linux flavour, make a few nips, tucks and tweaks here and there and present the friend/relo/neighbour with a lustily humming Linux box that'll do everything he could dream of.

Instant bliss. Not only have you made someone happy, but you've turned the person into a Linux advocate! Isn't this something all of us should be doing from time to time? Also it's one computer less going into landfill so you've struck a blow for the environment as well.

Maybe there should be special thread on the forum for this kind of thing?
appleseed

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by appleseed »

@ Penguinnerd: Your support for Debian is well founded - it's a wonderful distro. But I've read that any attempt to connect to WiFi is nearly impossible or requires hours of googling to find a fix. Especially during a NetInstall and / or if a Broadcom card is involved. Have you had this experience? If so, what do you recommend as the least stressful solution?
AlbertP
Level 16
Level 16
Posts: 6701
Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2011 12:38 pm
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by AlbertP »

appleseed, I recommend that you ask this answer somewhere else, not in somebody's support topic about the Thinkpad A22 unless you have an A22 yourself.

WIFI highly depends on the type of wifi card used. Broadcom cannot be generalized either because there are too many different chips out with different drivers. For most hardware, Debian is not any worse or better than other distros. You generally need the same drivers for the same hardware on any distro, only the location where they are found or the installation instructions may differ. So if you know how to install your driver on Mint, you can google the name of the driver you use + Debian. In the case of Broadcom, the same drivers are available in the repository yet with a slightly different name for some of them.
It is however possible that distros with old software versions included (Debian Stable for example) may not have support for the newest hardware yet - but if your hardware is old as well this shouldn't be a problem.
Registered Linux User #528502
Image
Feel free to correct me if I'm trying to write in Spanish, French or German.
benali72
Level 4
Level 4
Posts: 278
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2013 11:49 am

Re: Installing on hopelessly outdated computer

Post by benali72 »

I installed Puppy 4.1.2 on a Thinkpad a22 several years ago. Puppy installs and runs down to 256M ram. If you want help on wifi and other aspects you may need to post more specifics on model of your 22.

I've installed Mint 13 32-bit with Xfce on many P-IVs and P-IV HTs with 512M with success, but these were various makes of desktops, not a Think 22.

Best of luck.
Locked

Return to “Software & Applications”