# Thinking of putting Linux on my old laptop...



## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I have a Compaq Presario 2200, Celeron M processor, 1.4GHz, 512MB RAM, and 40GB HD...mfg in 2005/2006 (my brother bought it specifically to take to Afghanistan, and his first deployment was in 2006).

I have never used an OS other than Windows (Win7 being my favorite so far, prior to that it was XP), so that's what I'm comfortable with.

I'll be using the laptop as a backup in case something goes haywire with my PC, and, hopefully, connect it (via cable or wireless) to my TV and watch movies streamed from Netflix.

Could someone point me to a version ("distro"?) that would work well on the laptop mentioned above?

Thanks!


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

This is older single core processor. So whichever you use has to be 32bit version. I like Puppy. Am using Slacko Puppy 5.3.3. Think latest version is Slacko 5.7. Either should be ok for your computer. Though there are plenty other versions of Puppy, some especially for older computers, older than yours even. Nice thing most linux distros can run as a live cd without installing anything so you can test them on your particular computer without installing anything. Puppy can run off a usb flash drive as an option is you dont have a cdrom/dvdrom in your computer. Or you can install it to hard drive of course. http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/index.php Start with the beginners help section.


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operating-systems/8-of-the-best-tiny-linux-distros-683552 They mention one I remember liking called Slitaz. Though been long time so no experience with current version. Just remember the smaller you get the less things are automated and the fewer support libraries included so harder to add programs. Some also use an older(thus smaller) linux kernel so less hardware support built in. Puppy is about the smallest full featured distro. As I mentioned before there are many variations of Puppy, some official, some user generated. You can get a fat dog or a lean one, a new kernel or an old. If you want medium size full feature distro, then either Ubuntu or PClinux two of the best. Of the two, I personally prefer PClinux. Ubuntu though has lot available user support.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

It's going to have to be a lite version of Linux. As HermitJohn pointed out, the single core Celeron processor doesn't have much muscle and can only support 32-bit. Your memory can be expanded to 1GB, but that's pretty restrictive as well.

I've stopped fooling with single core processors because there's no financial incentive to get anything less than a Core 2 Duo laptop. I can source those at eBay for $50 to $75. Those machines can support 64-bit versions of Windows, and even run nicely with Windows 10.


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

So if I chose to make a live cd and run a version that way, does it function as if it were actually installed on that computer? In other words, it runs based on that computer's hardware/environment?

Also, when running it via live CD, does it alone have control of the computer or does Windows still have some control? The reason I ask is that if Windows is still doing it's thing in the background, how can you "know" how Linux will perform on that computer if you replace Windows with it.

The reason I ask is that, if I like what I see, then I might put a version on my desktop...HP p6874, AMD Athlon II X2 220, 2.8GHz, 64bit, 4G RAM, 1T HD. Based on what I've read, I can pretty much use any of the more "powerful" versions on this one.

I know that may sound like a stupid question, but I'm trying to wrap my head around how this live CD-thing works, KWIM?


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Whichever operating system you boot, that is what has live control of the hardware. Yes you can go into the windows partition with your linux to look, or add/delete/modify files unless its encrypted. Linux doesnt care about windows passwords or security. Linux can see FAT32 and NTFS systems, both read and write to them. Now windows normally cant see a linux partition, it just sees it as an unformatted partition. However there is a free program I found at one time that lets it see at least the older basic ext2 formatted linux partition. Dont think it did newer ext3 or ext4 partitions. I havent bothered with it for some time since I rarely boot windows. If I want to put something over onto the windows partition, I do it from Puppy before booting windows.

Puppy Linux will offer to save your settings and anything else you installed/added during the session into a save file that will look just like normal file in windows. Its just a storage file, nothing special. Unless you make a special partition for it, Puppy will place this file into windows partition. You dont have to let it do this if you dont want it there. You can also save it to another external storage site if you wish. You can easily delete it at any time either from Puppy or when you boot Windows if its on windows partition.

Some other linux live cds are meant as a demonstration only and wont save anything when you shut down. You wont know without either reading on their website or just trying it.

To boot from a live cd, you have to go into your computer bios (press the appropriate key while it does the post test usually F2 or F10 but different computer manufacturers use different keys, should tell you after it does post test), set it to boot from cdrom. If you want to boot from usb drive (like a thumb key type drive or even external hard drive), then you would set it to boot first from usb. Some older computers wont boot from usb. There are workarounds to that, but unless you have USB2 or USB3 ports on your computer, it will be very slow.

If you do have at least a two core processor, then I'd suggest you get a 64bit version of whatever operating system you want. Even little Slitaz has a 64bit version! Though you can run 32bit system if you want. 

The best way to get your head around it is to download an iso of your chosen flavor of linux and burn it to cd or dvd. Your burner program should have an option to burn an iso. Or there are special free programs for windows that do nothing except burn iso to cd. Use one of them and you will always do it correctly. There are several, here is one: http://www.freeisoburner.com/ You have to use that iso option in regular burner program or else you just get a non-bootable version of that iso file burned to the cd. With the option chosen, it will be bootable.

Then set your bios to boot from cdrom first and voila. Go to the beginners part of the Puppy forum I gave link and they will walk you through various ways of booting and using Puppy. Some methods work better on some computers than others.

Also if you get really frustrated, you can buy already burned cds/dvds of various linux distros, none are supposed to charge you for more than cost of postage, media, and nominal charge for the burning itself. So no more than three or four bucks per cd/dvd. I used to do this when I was on dialup. Instead of 15 hours of downloading, just pay the man the two bucks. On slow side of broadband it takes around 45 minutes to download Puppy. Slitaz is only a third the size of official Puppy and so guess around 15 minutes. Ubuntu however maybe two or three times the size of Puppy..... I really have no idea how large it is anymore. But also they may have faster servers, so still might not be more than hour or so.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Last time I downloaded an Ubuntu ISO, it took about 8 - 9 minutes. I do have Verizon FIOS for an ISP though - your speed may vary.

I have it on a flash drive now and can run it from there.
Great for browsing the internet, they have an Office-like Suite (that is compatible with MS Office). But if you're looking to run Windows Programs on it it can be very difficult to impossible.


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## jross (Sep 3, 2006)

I am running Linux Mint 17 on my $250 Gateway I got at Walmart. It is easy as Windows and will upgrade itself to a new version such as Mint 17.2 if I let it.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

One I've heard some people suggest but haven't had a chance to give it a try personally, yet, is Zorin. I'm told that it gives a feel a lot like Windows XP, which was one that I particularly liked.

Mint is another one on my "would like to try" list. 

Good luck, and let us know what you end up trying and how you like it.


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## jross (Sep 3, 2006)

I have both Linux Mint 17 and Zorin on my Walmart Gateway laptop. Both are great, free, will do what Windows does.


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