Lowest specs for Linux

[J_K9]

Can someone please recommend the ideal (minimum) specs for a stable linux computer? And maybe provide a link to a company selling cheap computers good enough to run linux.

Thanks in advance!!



[EDIT] I won't be back until a couple of hours, just in case you wonder why I don't reply! [/EDIT]

[gore]

It depends really on what you want to do with it.

Answer these question:

What do you want to do with it?

Will you be using it for a server of any kind?

Do you want music and MP3s on it?

Watching movies?

A 486 is sufficient if you're only using it for coding and web design. Vi will run fine on a 386, and so will GCC.

But if you want to use it with a GUI and make it look pretty, and use it as a Workstation or Desktop, then you may want something like this:

256 MBs RAM or more

500 MHz processor or more

10 GB HD or more

It really depends what you want to get done, and what you want it to look like.

Also, the distro you choose will have something to do with it. For RedHat, Mandrake and SUSE, you'll want at least a Pentium or so.

Free BSD, Debian, and Slackware Linux will get along fine with a 386 or 486, but that's only if you're tight on cash, or only going to be using it for certain applications.

A router for example.

So what do you want to do exactly?

[J_K9]

SuSE with GUI, listen to MP3s, networking, internet, coding, and just basically experimenting.

Also do any companies make computers with those kind of specs? :

256 MBs RAM or more

500 MHz processor or more

10 GB HD or more

Thanks

[nihil]

All computer companies make machines of those specs..............trouble is they don't do them today............

I usually suggest talking to relatives and friends.............see if you can pick up a cheap one from a corporate network. They are usually quite low spec...................last one I got was for a gift to a home for the mentally retarded (Gore! don't you dare) It was an IBM deskpro (?) with a PIII/733 processor...................it cost me about 35USD

I was given an ultimatum by my wife: "If you bring another computer into this house, I will divorce you"

So, I went and got a MoBo and a case and a processor and the rest............and I sat on the living room carpet and built one in front of her................the next day she said that the car (automobile) was outside and she needed some help unloading it. She had "rescued" 3 PIIIs from where she worked

She had the brains to get the keyboards, mice and monitors and a box of "stuff"..........well those were fine for the local junior school.

Try for free ones...........they are around

Good luck

[J_K9]

Hehe thanks nihil.

One last thing which has nothing to do with this thread:

How can I download Slackware 10.0 from (for example) here, like which file do I download to burn as a bootdisk to install Slackware on my hard drive?

Again, thanks in advance,

[the_JinX]

If you want to use GNOME or KDE on your Slackware 10, you'll need two (2) disks.

You can get them either via BitTorrent:
http://slackware.com/torrents/slackw...all-d1.torrent
http://slackware.com/torrents/slackw...all-d2.torrent

Or FTP..
Can't find them on the ftp you provided though, just the md5 and gpg hashes (.md5 and .asc)
They just mirrored slackware..

If you're reading this on ftp.slackware.com, you will find that the
ISO images are not here. This is because we simply don't have the
bandwidth at ftp.slackware.com to provide ISO images.
ISO downloads take a long time, and block people from retrieving
small updates.

If you're looking to download the ISO, consider using BitTorrent.
If there are active torrents available, information may be found on
on http://slackware.com. BitTorrent is available as a package for
Slackware in the /extra directory.

Mirror sites may also have the ISO images up for FTP.

Use the .asc files here to verify your ISO images are authentic.

You can find ftp servers that have them here..
http://www.filesearching.com/cgi-bin...install-d1.iso
http://www.filesearching.com/cgi-bin...install-d2.iso

[cacosapo]

you can get all *Nix distros on:

www.linuxiso.org

[slarty]

Linux is a kernel not an operating system.

The stock Linux kernel, recent versions, require 4MB of RAM in order to boot. 4Mb won't allow you to do very much, as even a few small shell programs will exhaust the memory.

8Mb is the reasonable minimum for any modern distribution. And don't expect graphics.

A 386 is technically the minimum intel CPU to boot Linux. Most modern distros won't boot on a 386 however, as they use 486+ kernels and libraries. Early versions of Slackware certainly worked on a 386, I know because I used them on one.

Modified versions of Linux can boot with less than 4Mb RAM on some architectures, but that's not really that important.

CPU speed is fairly irrelevant, even the slowest 386 should still work provided there is enough memory and you are patient (I mean, *very* patient).

Slarty

[J_K9]

Thanks all for the info. the_Jinx: I have downloaded the .torrent files. When you say disks, you mean to put each one on a different (A:\) diskette, but what would I then do boot from the first (.torrent) disk? And will the .torrent disks be different to the ISO Images (i.e will the torrent version bring less programs, etc...)???

J_K9


P.S On a sepperate issue: is there a freeware program to burn ISO images to CD-R? Or can Windows itself do it?


***EDIT***

I'll just repost...

[gore]

Slackware 9.1 and 10 both need a 486, but before that a 386 will work. Or should. Heh. Anwyay, if you want SUSE, (GOOD CHOICE!) And you want MP3s, and want to play like you said, well, I'd recommend this:

384 MBs RAM or more (Maybe 512 ?)

For lots of MP3s say a 30 - 40 GB HD. More if you'd like.

Pentium 3 Processor at 733 MHz is good, but if you really want to play hard, say a 2 GHz Processor.

Oh, if you want it to play MP3s and stuff better, a built in Sound Card will not work well. They work, but not too well.

I recommend a Sound Blaster Live! card for very good sound. They are cheap and very good. You can of course go up from a Live! card, but I'm not sure what you have in terms of cash.

What kind of connection do you have? For the most part, a NIC should be no problem for you.

Ohhh, you might want to get an Nvidia video card. They work VERY well with Linux, and SUSE will actually download the drivers for you.

I'd recommend SUSE 9.1 Professional, as it has everything, and will also have a lot of stuff you'll want.

For Slackware, that's another good choice, but it will take a bit to learn.

The same hardware would apply if you want to do the same things on Slackware, so enjoy.


EDIT:

I'd recommend Nero or something similar. Just download the free trial edition of some burning software, and try it out. You should have enough to get all the ISOs burned before the trial is up.

Of course Buying SUSE Linux 9.1 Professional is a good option.