[SOLVED] Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by old_noob »

Antix might be a good choice for very old hardware:

https://antixlinux.com/download/
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by 151tom »

old_noob wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:38 pm Antix might be a good choice for very old hardware:

https://antixlinux.com/download/
Antix is great for old hardware however same problem exists with the browsers making the Linux experience painful with only 1,0 GB of memory.
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Mint Leaf »

Termy wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 6:12 am
Mint Leaf wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 6:02 am ...
I used to build and share Debian packages over at GitHub. I would constantly update an 'md5sums' file, in which a list of file sums could be stored for later file verification. Eventually, I decided to stop doing that, because ultimately, if someone did somehow gain unauthorized access to the Debian packages, they too could tamper with the 'md5sums' file. This, presumably, is why we sign files, making use of something like GPG. I vaguely remember reading or hearing about how the Linux Mint devs came to the same conclusion, regarding their ISOs.

You might find this helpful:
https://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x135.html wrote:A digital signature certifies and timestamps a document. If the document is subsequently modified in any way, a verification of the signature will fail. A digital signature can serve the same purpose as a hand-written signature with the additional benefit of being tamper-resistant. The GnuPG source distribution, for example, is signed so that users can verify that the source code has not been modified since it was packaged.

Creating and verifying signatures uses the public/private keypair in an operation different from encryption and decryption. A signature is created using the private key of the signer. The signature is verified using the corresponding public key. For example, Alice would use her own private key to digitally sign her latest submission to the Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. The associate editor handling her submission would use Alice's public key to check the signature to verify that the submission indeed came from Alice and that it had not been modified since Alice sent it. A consequence of using digital signatures is that it is difficult to deny that you made a digital signature since that would imply your private key had been compromised.
I think I understand now.

The sha256 & md5 files can be stored on 3rd party websites because when the developer creates a piece of software they use a "private key" to make the sha256 (and/or) md5 file which is based on the original piece of software and the value of this "private key".

The end users then can check if the software is the original released file by comparing that file vs the sha256 (and/or) md5 file(s).

The sha256 (and/or) md5 themselves are then also checked vs the "Public key" which is a pair to the "Private Key" the sha256 (and/or) md5 file were created with.

This means that even if the sha256 (and/or) md5 file are on a 3rd party site they are safe from tampering as if changed they would no longer match the "Public key".

So only the "Public Key" needs to be obtained from a developer's official site.

On the " https://linuxmint.com/verify.php " page if I download the sha256sum.txt.gpg file it is the "Public key" that can be used to verify the sha256 for any version of Linux Mint 17 and higher?


Do I have that right?


MAlfare wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:04 amI have such a machine here, running LM 19.3 MATE 64 bit.
As the old Nvidia graphics card is only supported by a driver, that is not compatible with newer kernels, I have to set NOMODESET as kernel option in /etc/default/grub.
I've seen other people mentioning that if an older drivers is not supported that NOMODESET is a solution.

What is NOMODESET and how does it work?

It would be nice to be able to access the graphic card's power again instead of making the CPU do all the work.


The "System Monitor" gives the graphics card details of "Graphics: "ATI RV370" under the Hardware section, so I think the computer has one of THESE installed.


MAlfare wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 11:04 amWhat does
can't handle 19-20.
mean in detail?
It means that it takes forever to load any program and low powered graphical programs run with stuttering to a point that they are almost unworkable. They do run though, it is just very choppy.

As Mint 18 ran the same programs fine on that machine I'm assuming it is an issue with a lack of RAM vs an increased demand from the newer version of Linux Mint.


Tolayon wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:20 am 1 GB of Ram is really low these days; at least you should try to uprade it to 2 GB if that's possible.

But if that's not an option, I would just add another candidate for a usecase like yours (since honestly, any version of Mint, even older and with Xfce only, will struggle on such an old machine).
It may not be as beginner-friendly as mint, but still a solid OS for very low-spec PCs:

Raspberry Pi Desktop, formerly known as Raspbian X86:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/software/ra ... i-desktop/
Thank you for pointing that one out I'll add it to the list.

I wouldn't have considered an OS based on the single-board computer Raspberry Pi for a desktop.

If it is light weight enough to run on that, the old computer should definitely have enough power to run it.


MartyMint wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:05 pm Relegate some old piece of junk to install Windows on and run Mint on your best machine.
Soar with the eagles.
I agree completely and already have mint on my best computer.

I'm trying to resurrect a different much older computer and run a few mostly equally old programs off it.

(Maybe even fire up Castle of the Winds via WINE as it amuses me greatly that Windows 3.1 programs can be made to run on Linux when the more modern Windows versions cannot make them work.)


BeyondLies_MintForum wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 1:40 pm My experience is as follows. Even with a SSD and >=3GB of RAM, some (bloated) websites, and some videos, run irritatingly poorly on machines with CPUs and/or graphics chips that are underpowered by today's standards. The processors I have in mind are dual-core (or single core) running at lower that 2.5GHz (or, for processors made in the last decade, lower than about 2.0GHz).
Fortunately the one in the old machine is running at "2.80 GHz x2" which I think means it is a dual-core CPU.

But I know what you mean. Even on Mint 18 I remember it struggled with more than one browser tab open.

old_noob wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:38 pm Antix might be a good choice for very old hardware:

https://antixlinux.com/download/
Thank you for the suggestion.

Antix's minimum and suggested system requirements look pretty good.

Tolayon wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:20 am1 GB of Ram is really low these days; at least you should try to uprade it to 2 GB if that's possible.
151tom wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 10:23 pm Most lightweight distros will run OK on it however the browser is what's going to make it painful with only 1.0 GB of memory.
ivar wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:31 am ^ My findings exactly,
151tom wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:18 pm Antix is great for old hardware however same problem exists with the browsers making the Linux experience painful with only 1,0 GB of memory.
It sounds like I'm going to have to make it a long term goal to hunt down some old RAM and try increasing it to the max the board supports.

Does anyone have any places they suggest purchasing old parts from?



Linux OS for older hardware links:
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by ivar »

Chris Barnatt / ExplainingComputers testin light distros on a Asus EEE 901:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJcWcQ8ew6Q
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Termy »

Mint Leaf wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:32 am ...
Yeah, pretty much. Some projects don't bother with sum checking and instead encourage the user to check the GPG signatures, such as with the kernel, because the kernel is within an XZ Tar archive. For a project with multiple separate files which don't make sense to be combined in some sort of archive, I suppose it makes more sense to check sums and then check the signature of the sum file.
I'm also Terminalforlife on GitHub.
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by 151tom »

Mint Leaf wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:32 am Does anyone have any places they suggest purchasing old parts from?
I've bought a lot of memory from Ebay and never have had any bad problems or issues.

Make sure to check out the sellers reviews and what others have posted about their buying experiences from the seller you might be considering.

Make certain to understand exactly what you are ordering and return policy or any warranty.
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by DisturbedDragon »

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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Hoser Rob »

151tom wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:18 pm
old_noob wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:38 pm Antix might be a good choice for very old hardware:

https://antixlinux.com/download/
Antix is great for old hardware however same problem exists with the browsers making the Linux experience painful with only 1,0 GB of memory.
Yes but what distro would be any better?

I'd also recommend Antix simply because their support forum is actually pretty good and they don't use systemd, which has slowed down most recent distros (ubuntu/mint included) recently.

But it's true that while a distro like antix will run pretty well on old/weak hardware, that doesn't mean that modern app software will necessariy.
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Mint Leaf »

Since using the machine for the internet has been mentioned I'm now curious.

Of the Linux OSes that have been mentioned is there anything I should know or avoid from a security viewpoint if I tried to turn the old computer into a light weight web browser machine instead of just using it offline?

For example, Linux Mint comes with a Firewall program pre-installed.


Linux OS for older hardware links:
  • Puppy Linux (BionicPup32 8.0 looks very light weight on resource use.)


ivar wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:10 am Chris Barnatt / ExplainingComputers testin light distros on a Asus EEE 901:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJcWcQ8ew6Q
The ExplainingComputers's youtube video was interesting. Previously I thought that the benefit of a 64Bit OS was that you could have more than 4Gigs of RAM. I didn't realize that you could get higher preformance with a 32Bit OS if you had less RAM.

Puppy Linux's BionicPup 32 variant looks amazingly light weight.

Thank you for sharing the vid.
151tom wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:39 am
Mint Leaf wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 5:32 am Does anyone have any places they suggest purchasing old parts from?
I've bought a lot of memory from Ebay and never have had any bad problems or issues.

Make sure to check out the sellers reviews and what others have posted about their buying experiences from the seller you might be considering.

Make certain to understand exactly what you are ordering and return policy or any warranty.
Thank you for the advice. If I make the attempt to upgrade the old machine I will give Ebay a try and preform the checks you've advised on the sellers.



Hoser Rob wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 10:45 am
151tom wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:18 pm
old_noob wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:38 pm Antix might be a good choice for very old hardware:

https://antixlinux.com/download/
Antix is great for old hardware however same problem exists with the browsers making the Linux experience painful with only 1,0 GB of memory.
Yes but what distro would be any better?

I'd also recommend Antix simply because their support forum is actually pretty good and they don't use systemd, which has slowed down most recent distros (ubuntu/mint included) recently.

But it's true that while a distro like antix will run pretty well on old/weak hardware, that doesn't mean that modern app software will necessariy.
What would you recommend I look for when comparing the different Linux OS variants to see what kind of software is compatible with each?
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by ricardogroetaers »

Mint Leaf wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:41 pm I have an older machine ....
Let us briefly see this machine.
If you wish, I ask to post the command:
sudo inxi -CMmxxx
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Mint Leaf »

ricardogroetaers wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:02 pm
Mint Leaf wrote: Wed Jul 07, 2021 11:41 pm I have an older machine ....
Let us briefly see this machine.
If you wish, I ask to post the command:
sudo inxi -CMmxxx
Mint Leaf wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 5:44 am I just checked the system specs on the old machine:
. CPU running at "2.80 GHz x2"
. RAM: 1Gig
. Graphics: "ATI RV370".
I don't currently have a way to get the data directly from the older machine to the one I am using to post on this forum.

So instead I wrote down the the results of "sudo inxi -CMmxxx" by hand and then typed them up for this post.

I think everything is correct but if you spot something strange it may be a typo on my part.

Here is the Inxi results:

Code: Select all

Machine: 
Desktop Mobo: ECS model: 945 PL-A v: 1.x serial 00000000

Memory:
RAM: total: 980.99 MiB used: 450.5 Mib (45.9%)

Array-1: capacity: 16 Gig note: est. Slots: 4 EC: None

Max Module Suize: 4 GiB

Device-1: DIMM0 Size: 512 MiB info: single-bank speed: unknown type: SDRAM detail: synchronous bus width: 64 Bits total 64 Bits manufacturer: N/A part-no: N/A serial: N/A

Device-2: DIMM1 Size: No Module Installed.

Device-3: DIMM3 Size: 512 MiB info: single-bank speed: unknown type: SDRAM detail: synchronous bus width: 64 Bits total 64 Bits manufacturer: N/A part-no: N/A serial: N/A

Device-4: DIMM4 Size: No Module Installed.


CPU:
Topology: Dual core model: Intel Pentium D Bits 64 Type: MCP

Arch: Netburst smithfield rev: 7 L1 cache: 32 KiB L2 cache: 1024 KiB

Flags: Im nx pae SSE SSE2 SSE3 bogomips: 11172

Speed: 27793 MHz min/max: N/A Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2793 2: 2793

Additionally: I don't think the graphics card currently has drivers installed, but the system monitor's "System" tab lists it as a "ATI RV370".

The version of the Linux Mint OS running was Linux Mint 20 MATE 64Bit.


Linux OS for older hardware links:
  • Puppy Linux (BionicPup32 8.0 looks very light weight on resource use.)
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Mint Leaf »

ivar wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 7:10 am Chris Barnatt / ExplainingComputers testin light distros on a Asus EEE 901:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJcWcQ8ew6Q
Termy wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 5:17 am I suggest you look into Linux Lite, Peppermint OS, Puppy Linux, and Linux Mint with XFCE. There are a lot of distributions aimed at older machines.
mikaelrask wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 4:57 am Hey Mint Leaf if your machine is struggling run linux mint 19-20, you could try lubuntu.
As suggested I've tried to install Puppy Linux's BionicPup32 followed by Lubuntu.


Here are the results:
BionicPup32 was able to boot off the DVD I burned it to and was indeed as light weight on resources as expected.

However when I attempted to install it to the hard drive it also installed something called "Grub4DOS".

This Grub4DOS programs stated function is to allow the user to choose between OSes installed on a hard drive when booting and load the corresponding selected OS.

Unfortunately after installing neither BionicPup32 or Linux Mint would boot, both produced the following error in "Grub4DOS":
Error 13: Invalid or unsupported executable.

Frustrating since it seemed to run so well off the live dvd.






I then moved on to try Lubuntu. This time the live DVD took forever to load, at one point I noticed it producing the following two error messages during the boot-up sequence: (Sounds bad, but for all I know that could be normal for running the OS off a live DVD)

Code: Select all

[Failed] Failed to start Disk Manager.
[Failed] Failed to start Snap Daemon.
Fortunately after a while it did finish loading despite those two warnings and I was able to explore the Lubuntu OS from the live dvd.

I attempted to install the Lubuntu and encountered this error during the install:

Code: Select all

Installation Failed
The installer failed to create partition on disk 'WDC WD2500JS-60NCb1'
================
Create a new partition (231.39 Gib, ext4) on '/dev/sda'
================
Job: Create new partion on device '/dev/sda'
================
Failed to add partition 'New Partition' to device '/dev/sda'.


I'm not sure if the failed BionicPup32 install effected Lubuntu's attempt.

Afterward I re-installed Linux Mint to make sure I could make it start-up again and it appears to have gone back in without a problem. Although I'm now back at square one with a machine that can't handle the OS it has installed.


The BionicPup32 ran really well off the live DVD, perhaps my error installing it to hard drive was in choosing the "Frugal" install option instead of "Full". :?:


Does anyone have advice for getting BionicPup32 and/or Lubuntu working or should I proceed to try the next Linux OS?


Linux OS for older hardware links:
  • Puppy Linux (BionicPup32 8.0 looks very light weight on resource use.)
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Mint Leaf »

(Update)
I re-installed BionicPup32 and this time selected "Full" install.

It worked!

BionicPup32 runs very fast and all the included programs work nicely.

However it doesn't appear to be able to recognize the same programs that Linux Mint can, so I may need something just a bit less light weight than this option.

old_noob wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:38 pm Antix might be a good choice for very old hardware:

https://antixlinux.com/download/
151tom wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 6:18 pm
old_noob wrote: Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:38 pm Antix might be a good choice for very old hardware:

https://antixlinux.com/download/
Antix is great for old hardware however same problem exists with the browsers making the Linux experience painful with only 1,0 GB of memory.
DisturbedDragon wrote: Wed Jul 21, 2021 6:40 pm AntiX --> https://antixlinux.com/


So on to the next: (Antix)

I've just finished trying to install Antix 19.4 Full and I've got the following error.

The install got to "95% - Installing GRUB" (There is that Grub thing is again...) And then produced this error:

Code: Select all

AntiX Linux Installer
Grub Installation failed. You can reboot to the live medium and use the GRUB Rescue menu to repair the installation.

... I'm not really sure where I can find the GRUB Rescue menu. I looked in the Live DVD menu's of the Antix OS but couldn't spot it.

Unless someone has a solution for this I'll have to try moving on to one of the other remaining light weight Linux OSes.

Linux OS for older hardware links:
  • Puppy Linux (Works!) (But does not recognized some programs)
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Mint Leaf »

(Update)

I was able to repair the GRUB and get Antix to boot from the hard drive.

Seems pretty good, the feel is a bit strange compared to Mint but it is usable.

So first order of buisness was to update everything via that OS's update manager which worked without a problem.

I then briefly surfed the web and again no problems.

That is when I noticed the meters at the lower right side of the screen and that I was getting constant web traffic even when not doing anything.

So I opened the firewall, pressed unlock and turned it on. (This oddly seemed to have no effect on the traffic being detected by the task bar meters.)

Another strange thing is that the Firewall seemed to turn itself back off everytime I closed the window. Or perhaps on Antix it just displays as gray until you "unlock" it? (I'm not sure why it needs to be unlocked. Perhaps I'm restarting it unintentionally?

The firewall program seems very similar to the Linux Mint one with the exception of that unlocking part.

I messed around with it for a while and then also clicked two ?globe? looking icons on the lower right side of the screen that turned into lock icons.

Shortly there after I lost the ability to connect to the internet. :shock: I'm not sure exactly what I did and turning the firewall off doesn't seem to restore it. :?


I'll try installing Linux Mint 19 with XFCE and then return to Antix later.

If anyone can provide me with a clue as to why all of the included web browsers stopped working in Antix I'd appreciate it.

I know for sure that the internet was not down at my location as I was able to connect from the machine I'm posting on now without a problem but the Antix one remains unable to connect. Even though it says it has a connection.


Linux OS for older hardware links:
  • Puppy Linux (Works!) (But does not recognized some programs)
  • Antix (Works!) (But suddenly lost internet access, most likely because I somehow turned it off.) :oops:
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by ricardogroetaers »

Mint Leaf wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:13 pm So instead I wrote down the the results of "sudo inxi -CMmxxx" by hand and then typed them up for this post.
Thank you for work.

Manual of your motherboard:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/17796 ... tml#Manual
https://www.cnet.com/products/ecs-945pl ... et-i945pl/
Your machine is probably a desktop computer, it is not a laptop.
I ask if they are correct.

Your likely processor:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... tions.html

Type of probable memory: DDR2

Speed ​​is confused in manuals.
Use the table below as a reference to decide:

Memory --- external clock --- bandwidth --- memory module
DDR2-533 --- 266 MHz ----- 4.266 MB/s ------ PC2-4200
DDR2-667 --- 333 MHz ----- 5.333 MB/s ------ PC2-5300
DDR2-800 --- 400 MHz ----- 6.400 MB/s ------ PC2-6400
DDR2-1066 --533 MHz ----- 8.533 MB/s ------ PC2-8500

Inxi command informs that the maximum memory module is 4 GB.
Inxi command is not very reliable.
Always use 2 memory modules.
I would use, except better opinion, 2GB modules (2 x 2GB = 4GB) because of the processor.
Consider a memory upgrade if in your country you can still find DDR-2 modules with reasonable price.
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Re: Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by HaveaMint »

Why not save $ and upgrade. Most (even low budget) PC's will do minimum tasks like surfing net, word processing and such. DDR2 is an OLD machine that you May throw money at to limp it along and have another hardware fail. Time is money and money is tight so think it through.
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Re: [SOLVED] Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Mint Leaf »

Please excuse the delay in my response.

I ended up using the "Peppermint OS", although the memory on hand was below the requirements it appears to run very well as long as I don't ask anything demanding of it.

If anyone reading this post down the line is in a similar situation (1G of Ram), that is the one I'd recommend.


Linux OS for older hardware links:
  • Puppy Linux (Works!) (But does not recognized some programs)
  • Antix (Works!) (But suddenly lost internet access, most likely because I somehow turned it off.) :oops:


ricardogroetaers wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 11:21 pm
Mint Leaf wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:13 pm So instead I wrote down the the results of "sudo inxi -CMmxxx" by hand and then typed them up for this post.
Thank you for work.

Manual of your motherboard:
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/17796 ... tml#Manual
https://www.cnet.com/products/ecs-945pl ... et-i945pl/
Your machine is probably a desktop computer, it is not a laptop.
I ask if they are correct.

Your likely processor:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... tions.html

Type of probable memory: DDR2

Speed ​​is confused in manuals.
Use the table below as a reference to decide:

Memory --- external clock --- bandwidth --- memory module
DDR2-533 --- 266 MHz ----- 4.266 MB/s ------ PC2-4200
DDR2-667 --- 333 MHz ----- 5.333 MB/s ------ PC2-5300
DDR2-800 --- 400 MHz ----- 6.400 MB/s ------ PC2-6400
DDR2-1066 --533 MHz ----- 8.533 MB/s ------ PC2-8500

Inxi command informs that the maximum memory module is 4 GB.
Inxi command is not very reliable.
Always use 2 memory modules.
I would use, except better opinion, 2GB modules (2 x 2GB = 4GB) because of the processor.
Consider a memory upgrade if in your country you can still find DDR-2 modules with reasonable price.

Thank you for the help, my old computer is indeed a desktop computer.

The manuals and speed table you provided have made it really easy to track down the required memory and luckily I was able to find a local place that appear to be able to sell it to me at an affordable price.
HaveaMint wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 4:03 am Why not save $ and upgrade. Most (even low budget) PC's will do minimum tasks like surfing net, word processing and such. DDR2 is an OLD machine that you May throw money at to limp it along and have another hardware fail. Time is money and money is tight so think it through.

I agree completely about upgrading but I'm one of those people that just hates to junk perfectly usable hardware.

My end goal was not to use it for internet and at the moment it is serving as a music player and at times a very low requirement gaming machine.
(If you haven't already given it a try, this is a pretty fun game that will run on a toaster: http://www.zangband.org/ )

And it has been performing those roles quite well.




I'm going to mark this thread with the [SOLVED] tag.
Thank you for the help everyone.
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Re: [SOLVED] Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by old_noob »

Antix is very lightweight. No frills and a little cranky till you get everything set up to your liking. Uses about 160MB at rest, though the browser issue would still be there.
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Re: [SOLVED] Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by Termy »

I'm not sure if it's already been mentioned, but you might want to consider learning how to use and set up i3-wm. It's very well documented, too. It's a night and day difference between a tiling window manager like i3-wm and your traditional desktop environments. I've been using i3-wm for 7-8 years, with zero regrets. I've tried to go back to traditional desktop environments with their floating windows paradigm, but it's practically unbearable.

To give you an idea of how lightweight i3-wm is on my system, I use around 160MB of RAM after logging in. When you familiarize yourself with terminals as well, you start to realise not only how much power you have at your fingertips, but how many middlemen you toss aside, because you can get effectively just tell the computer what you want done, instead of waving around a mouse and clicking on widgets; think of it like a small child pointing and gurgling VS an adult speaking intelligibly.

You don't have to be familiar with the terminal to use a tiling window manager like i3-wm, but it sure does help.

Anyway, a tiling window manager like i3-wm is great on low-resource systems. :)
I'm also Terminalforlife on GitHub.
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Re: [SOLVED] Which Linux for very old PC (dual-core CPU with 1GB ram)

Post by old_noob »

Oops, didn't notice I'd made pretty much the same post 6 months ago. Thought it was a new thread.
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