Installing linux

[airmech]

I have a old computer running win98SE and am strictly using it for a game server at this time. I have been thinking of intalling and tinkering with linux on this machine. It is a P166 with 32mb of ram.
I have been looking at different versions of linux and was just wondering if someone has any recommendations on which version would work on this computer? I will be networking it with my other computers and probably be setting it up with the game server again.
I don't expect anyone to hold my hand, just maybe point me in the right direction.

[preacher]

That is indeed an old box you have there, and it might not work too well with more recent versions of linux unless you are planning a text only install. My suggestion if you desire a gui, is to install an older distro that has less system requirements for X, patch the hell out of it, then set it up as the game server. By the way, which game will this be a server for?(please say Quake)

[Master of Reality]

I would recommend installing Red Hat. But install a different GUI. BlackBox is a good fast GUI.

[Calum]

so is XFce.

i am currently using mandrake 8.2, in the install you can choose to install KDE2.4, GNOME1.4, or "other desktop environments" if i were you, i'd get that, and install only the "other desktops", not gnome or kde. This way, you'll get about a half dozen perfectly good (but low resource) GUIs to pick from...

[creedon]

quote:Originally posted by Calum:
so is XFce.

i am currently using mandrake 8.2, in the install you can choose to install KDE2.4, GNOME1.4, or "other desktop environments" if i were you, i'd get that, and install only the "other desktops", not gnome or kde. This way, you'll get about a half dozen perfectly good (but low resource) GUIs to pick from...

I really like XFCe, it's very low resource, but configureable, and faster than a scalded cat. (shameless plug) It runs extremely well in Debian.  Hey, theres a thought!!  Debian runs really well on low resource boxes!!  Maybe you ought to try Debian.  I'd use 2.2.5 ("Potato") Woody might be a little much for a P166

[lazygamer]

It sounds like Linux GUI stuff can be slow on older systems. When I put Linux on mine, any thing to watch out for? Im hoping that with a 433 celeron and 384mb ram(a shitload of ram) that it can run any GUI I throw at it.  

[choasforages]

well, if i can run kde 3 with the liquid plugin/*yes it looks sweet*/ on my k6-III system /*im getting a pIII 450 machine tommoror i think*/ i think on a celly you could use it too. when i play games however, i use windowmaker. /*makes me want to go and shell $400 fora  next workstation, anybody else have that same feeling when useing windowsmaker?*/ it's fast and doesn't eat alot of resources, well have phun with linux. the only thing i have to say is have patience and go buy a linux book from a bookstore/*it doesn't even have to be ultra modern*/

edit, and for creedon, i have a 60mhz machine and 133 mhz machines /*they are of the cursed x86 kind*/ running debian 2.2.6. and windowmaker runs pretty quick on the 60mhz, but on the 133mhz im using a shited monitor/*the phucker's tooooo damned fuzzy, then agian thats what free equipmten will buy you*/


second edit, i also had a 100mhz x86 box running a webserver it did quite nice. that one was running slackware till i put OpenBSD on it

[ June 23, 2002: Message edited by: choasforages ]

[creedon]

quote:

edit, and for creedon, i have a 60mhz machine and 133 mhz machines /*they are of the cursed x86 kind*/ running debian 2.2.6. and windowmaker runs pretty quick on the 60mhz, but on the 133mhz im using a shited monitor/*the phucker's tooooo damned fuzzy, then agian thats what free equipmten will buy you*/


second edit, i also had a 100mhz x86 box running a webserver it did quite nice. that one was running slackware till i put OpenBSD on it

[ June 23, 2002: Message edited by: choasforages ][/QB]

Yeah, that's "Potato"; current stable.  "Woody" is 3.0 current testing; I'm setting aside a 10 Gb. partition for "sid" Still In Developement current unstable- ought to be fun!!!

[ahri]

I got a p200. Mandrake 8.0 would not install with 32 MB of ram. I had to put 94 MB in and then it would only install in text mode.

I hear gentoo is one of the fastest distros if that's what your look'n for.

[Master of Reality]

I installed redhat with 32 MB of RAM in text mode. Graphic mode needed 64 MB (i think). ITs on my server though, which is a 166MHZ Pentium MMX with 32MB of RAM and a 1GB Hard Drive.

[voidmain]

I just upgraded my old laptop (which I am using now) to RedHat 7.3 last night and it only has 64MB, and it installed in graphic mode. It is a 350Mhz but I wish it had more RAM. With RedHat 7.2 (and KDE 2.2.x) it was painfully slow using KDE so I always used WindowMaker for the graphical environment which allowed me to run more apps fairly speedily.  I am amazed that after upgrading and even with the 2.4 kernel requiring more memory, KDE 3 is very speedy and I am using it very comfortably.  It seems to page much more efficiently with the 2.4 kernel and KDE 3 is much more snappy.