New installation in old desktop

[absque fenestris]

With the much maligned Atom 1.6 GHz processor I have a Mint Mate 18.3 running in my netbook and yes - with a 4.15.xxx kernel.
The part runs really well concerning the operating system - just the screen is hopelessly bad and various plastic parts come off the case.
But this is not a problem of the operating system...

Mint Mate 18.3 is worth a try and Linux MX seems to be a real workhorse - at least in the virtual systems on old (Mac) computers it installed itself and runs without any problems...

[absque fenestris]

bunsenlab Linux could also be worth a try.
As a live system it runs really well on a 10 year old MacBook.
Only with the installation I'm hopelessly overwhelmed - terminal inputs and so on...

[DAMIEN1307]

it should be noted that what "I think" makes peppermint different from LM xfce is the fact that Peppermint desktop is a "melding" of BOTH XFCE and LMDE, (using the best of both worlds), which results (in my personal opinion), a more responsive desktop than the LM xfce in an older computer system as has been described here...DAMIEN

[pcpunk]

I'm a bit surprised at your comment though surely you know way more than I. This card is supported under Ubuntu 18.04 and therefore I would think under Mint but maybe not. Why wouldn't something like Xfce 19.xx work? If not, as you suggested, there are other good options, and I would guess even Lubuntu or Xubuntu would work.

It can work somehow, but I cannot see why to torture anybody with old graphic card and modern browsers for example. My experience is that it causes "system freezes and is slow" messages.

I see, thanks!

[hcentaur13]

It does cost nothing to build a bootable DVD or stick and test the behavior of the system on the computer you likes to install it - before you installs.

If you owns windows you can build the bootable image using rufus. If you owns a installed system you can do itwith usb installer.

If the live system runs smoothly you can install it to use it dayly.

The current version is 19 - 19.1 comes out in the next 14 days.

[GS3]

Well, I am running LM 19 Tara from live DVD and it seems to work. At least the video works OK. I have not tested much but Firefox works OK. It said Nemo crashed and was restarted. Maybe just glitch. Since I have an empty HDD I plan on spending some time installing it there.

Is there some speed and general hardware test I can do? It would be interesting to compare this with my main machine.

[absque fenestris]

Hardinfo maybe?

[vansloneker]

LM19 installed is not quiet the same as LM19 live, apparently. You may better install 18.3 XFCE which is the least demanding current Mint and a LTS. Since you have a spare disk, well go ahead and try it.
The performance will not be what you are used from the HP 8300. But it will work, and if you do not demand too much from the system it'll be ok as a secondary system.

[GS3]

LM19 installed is not quiet the same as LM19 live, apparently. You may better install 18.3 XFCE which is the least demanding current Mint and a LTS. Since you have a spare disk, well go ahead and try it.
The performance will not be what you are used from the HP 8300. But it will work, and if you do not demand too much from the system it'll be ok as a secondary system.

I forgot to mention I was running LM 19 Cinnamon. I had also downloaded and burnt to DVD LM 19 XFCE but for some strange reason it will not boot. In Windows I can read the DVD without problem but it will not boot. Go figure.

Cinnamon keeps crashing and says it is in "fallback mode". Not a good sign.

I'll keep playing. I think it will take some time to get a feel and detect problems.

[pcpunk]

It was suggested by some of the more knowledgeable people here NOT to use Cinnamon? You'll be lucky if you can use Xfce.

[GS3]

Well, I have spent some more time on this. LM 19 Cinnamon live DVD boots fine but Nemo says it crashes and recovers.

Live DVD LM 19 XFCE will not boot in that computer even though it boots in another computer. Could it be related to the BIOS? Should I try a live DVD boot of Linux Mint 18.2 Xfce? Even if it runs slow I am hoping Firefox would play some videos I cannot play with Firefox 52.2.1 ESR, 32 bit, running on Win XP Pro SP3.

I guess I could also try booting from a USB pendrive but I do not have one at hand and I am not familiar with this process.

[vansloneker]

On LM19 many legacy drivers have been removed. That is why it is no longer suitable for older systems. Like I posted before, the latest 18, 18.3 will still run on most older systems.

[GS3]

I just find it strange that the same 19 version will boot with Cinnamon and not with XFCE and wonder what the cause may be.

I guess I will give 18.2 XFCE a try.

[br1anstorm]

Of the various Linux distros, Mint is my preferred choice too. I run Mint 17.3 XFCE on a couple of my computers, and have installed 18.3 XFCE on another. For any old(er) machine, Cinnamon is too demanding - XFCE is the better option.

But I also endorse the suggestion made earlier in this thread. Before messing with hardware, video cards and all that, just give MX Linux a try (in a Live session initially). It isn't Mint. But be open-minded: MX Linux is lightweight and works well on older computers with limited processing power and/or video issues. It might just do the job.

[sleeper12]

Just be aware that if your pc is non-pae, the latest MX Linux won't work. MX suggests MX-16 or antiX for older non-pae machines.

[GS3]

OK, I am running Live DVD Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia XFCE and it seems to work.

I guess the only way to check for real speed would be to install it on a hard drive.

Any suggestions of tests I can do before I commit to installing on HDD?

Especially some tests to confirm the video adapter will work reasonably well?

[sleeper12]

Generally, the live session is the way it will work when installed. At least, that's been my experience, never had any major differences. Test what's important to you. I always test videos & movies, If they play well, I'm happy.