This doesn't answer your question regarding a specific distro, but whatever distro you use, carefully audit all services that run at start. With a machine that is not connected to a network, many of your network services can be disabled. Also look at running a light desktop manager like ICEWM. If there is any budget at all for adding RAM and or a newer HD, it may be well worth your time to do so. A P2/200 will be sufficient for the duties you suggest, but a faster HD and more RAM will make things much speedier. Good luck with it. Rob
-----Original Message----- From: Oren Beck [mailto:oren_beck@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 5:28 PM To: List - KCLUG Subject: Which distro can anyone recommend for low end hardware ?
Ok folks- This one is not the usual "could have googled for it " question .
A day care center worker wants to buy cheap used hardware and have me or
someone else make it work . This center is a not-for-profit so Surplus Exchange is a viable hardware
source . Here's where KCLUG can come in . Showing that Open Source is truly viable for this person's need . What is needed ? Single user single desktop maybe not even networked or if so only at the printer share level Compatibility with Msword and Excel in both directions , Printing flyers . Archiving all flyers etc . Likely this system may never be internet connected !
So from that outline- What distro is suggested, And more importantly why ?
Presently owned system is a P2/200 with 64 meg ram and 840 meg HD . Suggestions for what to use on this would be appreciated from anyone having had experience with the suggested distro. _______________________________________________ Kclug mailing list Kclug@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug
Rob Becker wrote:
This doesn't answer your question regarding a specific distro, but whatever distro you use, carefully audit all services that run at start. With a machine that is not connected to a network, many of your network services can be disabled. Also look at running a light desktop manager like ICEWM. If there is any budget at all for adding RAM and or a newer HD, it may be well worth your time to do so. A P2/200 will be sufficient for the duties you suggest, but a faster HD and more RAM will make things much speedier. Good luck with it. Rob
-----Original Message----- From: Oren Beck [mailto:oren_beck@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2004 5:28 PM To: List - KCLUG Subject: Which distro can anyone recommend for low end hardware ?
Ok folks- This one is not the usual "could have googled for it " question .
A day care center worker wants to buy cheap used hardware and have me or
someone else make it work . This center is a not-for-profit so Surplus Exchange is a viable hardware
source . Here's where KCLUG can come in . Showing that Open Source is truly viable for this person's need . What is needed ? Single user single desktop maybe not even networked or if so only at the printer share level Compatibility with Msword and Excel in both directions , Printing flyers . Archiving all flyers etc . Likely this system may never be internet connected !
So from that outline- What distro is suggested, And more importantly why ?
Presently owned system is a P2/200 with 64 meg ram and 840 meg HD . Suggestions for what to use on this would be appreciated from anyone having had experience with the suggested distro. _______________________________________________ Kclug mailing list Kclug@kclug.org http://kclug.org/mailman/listinfo/kclug
.
Good advice and it will be followed . I have always wondered about the amount of cruft loaded into start routines that plainly should have been defaulted elsewhere or never there at all .
Regarding "Light" desktops - the issue to my limited observation is lighter footprint seemingly must equal less intuitive. I mean that as both to legacy interface users and " Zero experience" users too . Listing the exact quirks may be a future project but for now I need the design mentality to be bug resistance and newbie tolerance over eye candy or blazing speed . Installing a canned distro then tweaking it along your suggestions may be the way this goes - Thanks for the help and sorry for the delay in replying .
Oren
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" Today's X-prize flight should overshadow Sputnik as a step in humanity truly becoming a space faring race "
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Oren Beck -
Rob Becker