Linux Question

Linux users:

Which flavor would you recommend to run on a Dell Laptop (Latitude D610, Pentium M 1.73 GHz processor, with 504 M of RAM)? Looking to switch totally, not dual boot.

I can't afford to buy a new computer but I need to get away from XP. I just use for browsing and burning music CDs. I am interested in learning more about Linux anyway so this seems like a good jumping off point.

Obviously I'm a novice so user friendly interface would be best to start.

 

A couple of suggestions. Rather than committing yourself to one distro now why not try a few first but without - yet - dumping XP. Have a read here and download two or three, storing the ISO files somewhere on your hard disk that is easy to locate? Then install EasyBCD. EasyBCD gives you a boot menu which, initially, will only have XP on it. But by using the Add New Entry feature you can point it to each or any of the downloaded ISOs and they will be added to your boot menu. Nothing is installed to your hard disk - these ISOs will run as live systems and you can try them and chop and change until you find a distro that suits you.

 

Just thinking about the very limited capabilities of your Dell Latitude I would recommend you start by looking at Puppy Linux. I think the popular Ubuntu would completely swamp your laptop.

 

I hadn't heard I will give it a look. HAve you ever messed around with Openbox? heard that recommended for my crappy hardware limits in another forum.....

 

You should also consider increasing RAM. 500 MB is not enough. According to crucial the Dell Latitude D610 can take up to 2 GB RAM.

http://www.crucial.com/usa/en/compatible-upgrade-for/Dell/latitude-d610

FYI Ubuntu and Linux Mint are two very popular Linux distros. You will find plenty of support.

 

All the advice in this thread is solid.

I normally suggest trying out Linux distros in a VirtualBox Virtual Machine, but your machine is too "hardware challenged" for that. In instances such as yours, with limited hardware resources, I typically suggest creating a LiveStick and booting from that. But Earthlings EasyBCD solution sounds even easier. I hadn't heard of the EasyBCD solution before, but that sounds perfect for you. Thanks to Earthling for the tip! I learned something new today!

Eldon's advice regarding RAM is a good solution too, if practical. Most XP-era devices will support up to 4GB RAM. If you are so inclined (and RAM is relatively cheap nowadays), 2GB-4GB RAM will allow you to run pretty much ANY distro you like. Alternatively, part of the appeal of Linux is that it can run so well on limited hardware...if you choose the right distro. And the right distro for you will involve a lightweight desktop environment (DE), such as XFCE and LXDE. Either of these will probably be fine on your 500MB RAM system, as is. The varying DE in linux are mainly about "core programs" and "eye candy" on your system. Based on what YOU state you use a computer for, an XFCE or LXDE should suit you just fine. But in my personal opinion, LXDE is the lighter of the two, due to lighter specced software, but both are considered lightweight. To learn more about desktop environments (DE) in linux, check this out: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-top-linux-desktop-environments-available/

Someone mentioned Ubuntu & Mint. Both are EXCELLENT distros and are probably the 2 most popular in Linux. While I am a fan of Ubuntu, and have it on all my machines, Ubuntu is NOT a good choice for you, no matter how much you may like it. Mint either, for that matter. These distros will NOT run satisfactorily on 500MB of RAM, due to their "desktop environment". Ubuntu uses the Unity DE, while Mint runs Cinnamon or Mate, both of which are heavily customized versions of Gnome. Also stay away from KDE desktops. Your hardware will struggle with these and you will likely conclude that "Linux sux". If you choose the "correct" distro for YOU and your hardware, you will likely conclude that linux is amazing, as it runs on your machine better than XP ever did?!!!

You mentioned OpenBox, which is an EXCELLENT choice for limited hardware machines. But OpenBox is very minimalistic and typically used by hardcore computer geeks. To make it more user-friendly, it is very often paired with the LXDE DE. IMO, LXDE distros are a "sweet spot" of lightweight and usability, but I encourage you to check some distros out and form your own opinions.

To get you started, I would suggest Lubuntu and Xubuntu. Lubuntu is an LXDE version of Ubuntu, while Xubuntu is an XFCE version of Ubuntu. I believe Mint also has an XFCE version. PCLOS (PC Linux Operating System) has a very nice LXDE desktop, and Zorin Lite is a pretty nice LXDE (not the main or core version, but the Lite version!). I might also suggest my own remix of Lubuntu to look like and resemble windows XP for users just like you. It's called XPubuntu and can be found here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/xpubuntu/?source=navbar

If you like it, you're welcome. If you don't, it's cool...linux has something for everyone. There is no "one size fits all". XPubuntu is just an option for those who like XP, but want to try linux without the hassles of making it look like something they're familiar with.

My final comment would be to pay attention to the version of distros you're downloading...32-bit vs. 64-bit. If you KNOW you're machine is 64-bit or 32-bit, download that version. If you're not sure, download 32-bit as 32-bit will work on 64-bit hardware, but 64-bit will NOT work on 32-bit hardware. I suspect your XP-era laptop is most likely 32-bt.

FWIW...You're smart to move away from XP on your terms...before a problem occurs. And based on everything you said here, you're a prime candidate to migrate to linux without issues. If you choose the right distro (for YOUR preferences & hardware), you'll be happy; if you're not happy with your choice, linux is still a good choice for you, but you probably chose the wrong distro. There are so many choices available (perhaps too many choices?!), there is no reason to continue using what you do not like.

Good luck!

 

Hedon James, good advise for the OP.
A couple of years ago, I installed Ubuntu 'alongside' Windows XP. I did not have to partition the hard disc or edit the MBR. At Startup, I would select Windows or Ubuntu. To remove it, was done from Add or Remove Programs from Windows XP.
Is this still possible?:confused

 

I think you're referring to the WUBI installer? WUBI hasn't worked for awhile, and it's not being fixed because of UEFI Secure Boot.

FWIW, when folks install in a dual-boot config, they're working way too hard if they're creating partitions and installing on those partitions, etc...

Nearly all linux installers (Anaconda & Ubiquity are the main installers) provide for a "default" configuration that creates the required partitions and installs on those partitions and overwrites the MBR with GRUB (GRand Unified Bootloader) to provide a choice at boot time. (MBR only works with Windows, while GRUB is agnostic).

If Linux is uninstalled, then the Windows install disc must be employed to "repair" the MBR and boot Windows without GRUB. FWIW...

 

Might I suggest Lubuntu. I run it live off a USB stick on a 2007 7" ASUS 7" netbook. (900MHz and 1GB RAM)
Lubuntu uses a light weight desktop, LXDE. It surprised me that I liked this out of the 10 - 12 I tried because I do not like Ubuntu.

Stay away from anything using gnome or KDE because those desktops are too heavy for your limited RAM, probably 512MB and the video steals 8MB from that so you are left with 504MB.

Puppy is lightweight but I always seem to have a problem getting it to connect to the internet so I gave up on it.

I always suggest that you try a few distros before you do the install. Not all distros will like your hardware. You try a few from a USB stick and then decide which you like and can use on a daily basis.

 

I need to retract this EasyBCD recommendation. I have long used it for booting Puppy Linux ISOs without any issues at all, but today I have been testing it with two other lightweight distros being recommended here - Lubuntu and Xubuntu - and both fail to boot with the message 'Unable to find a medium containing a live file system'. I don't know what the problem is but obviously cannot continue recommending this method of testing Linux distros. I haven't ever had any issues with EasyBCD when booting Windows or Windows related bootable CDs but clearly there can be issues with Linux.

 

Thanks for the information everybody, i'll do some research.

The Only Ram I have around is the same size, 500, and there is just the one slot. I've never been lucky with RAM upgrades but yeah, probably would be worth a try.

Thanks again!

 

If you need help figuring out how to make a live distro (downloaded ISO) into a bootable CD/DVD or USB stick, just post and someone will be along to point you to programs to use to burn the ISO.

As far as memory, you laptop has 2 slots. One isn't easy to get to and can take up to 2GB RAM.
http://www.insidemylaptop.com/upgrade-memory-dell-latitude-d610-laptop/

 

Others will likely disagree, but totally switching to Linux because you don't like XP any more is not a great idea. Linux is most definitely not for everybody. A few months back, I was playing with Linux Mint using a Live CD, and somehow accidently installed it instead, totally removing Win 8.1 from my laptop in the process. After struggling for a couple of weeks, I purchased a new copy of 8.1 just to get back to Windows. I simply couldn't stand how "different" Linux was, even when it came to doing the simplest things.

 

Always having a system image in reserve guards against that sort of disaster but I do agree with your sentiments. We regularly get posters here avowing that they are converting to Linux for good but we rarely if ever hear any more about it. Having said that, I always keep Puppy Linux on all my systems, both as a rescue tool and as a nice diversion.

But we build our lives these days around our phones and computers and if you have always been with Windows then switching completely to Linux isn't easy at all.

 

I'm probably the only one who will disagree. :-D I think switching to Linux is a GREAT idea, especially if your machine is still running XP. But I will readily agree that it isn't for everyone. Especially those who absolutely MUST HAVE a certain Windows-only program in order to function.

I'm probably the biggest proponent of Linux here at MG, but even I have Win7 installed as a VM on my Linux machine for 2 critical reasons:
1. My accountant insists on Quickbooks software, as do most professional accountants for small businesses. I can either switch accountants or find a way to work with Windows within my workflow.
2. A few website information services within my profession are subscription-based information with Silverlight and/or other proprietary DRM-enabled services. I can either find a new profession, or use Windows, cuz they sure aren't going to revamp their entire service to accommodate ME!

So, FWIW, I find Windows to be a useful tool, as long as it's not the primary tool. I resent that some of MY software selections are dictated by what others force me to use. But such is the world we live in. I believe that software, file formats, websites, etc... should be agnostic, allowing the end user to choose the OS and software they prefer. If you prefer Windows, cool; if you prefer OS X or Linux, you shouldn't be FORCED to run something else. I choose Linux for reasons that make sense to ME, and I'm not the only person to think this way. There are MANY others like me, even though we are definitely a minority.

There are many more like you, Earthling, plodr, etc.. who have tried Linux but still prefer Windows. It's okay, I'm not here to tell you that you're wrong, as that sounds a lot like this:

Hedon: What's your favorite color?
MG: Blue
Hedon: That's not a good choice, PURPLE is a much better color than Blue!

Hear how crazy that sounds? And yet people say things like this all the time! There are billions of people on this planet and to assume that there is a "one size fits all" OS is just crazy...maybe even a little stupid. Linux isn't for everyone, and neither is Windows or OS X. And if all you've ever used is one of these (most likely Windows), it IS a "culture shock" to experience something different.

I've heard Linux users describe computer use as an analogy for driving a car, with Windows being an automatic and Linux being a stick shift. I think a better analogy might be driving in general. Drivers in the USA drive on the right hand side of the road, with the drivers seat on the left side of the car, and many of the vehicle controls in the center console operated with the right hand. In the rest of the world, MOST folks drive on the left side of the road, with driver seat on the right and center console operated with the left hand. If you've grown up in either environment, or grew up with BOTH environments, it's probably no big deal. But if you've grown up in the USA your entire life and suddenly move to Europe, where you MUST drive on the opposite side of the road in a vehicle where nothing is located where it is SUPPOSED TO BE(?!), you're going to experience issues! And so it is with Linux & Windows, IMO.

Linux is wonderfully stable for me and makes an excellent platform to run Virtual Windows from. For ME, it really is the best of both worlds and I can't think of a better, or more versatile setup. For someone else...maybe not so much. All I ever suggest to others is that there IS a viable alternative out there and to give it a try. If you like it and it suits your wants/needs, you are welcome. If it does not, you had a choice that wasn't available to you before, and you are free to continue using Windows. I ALWAYS state "use what works for YOU!"

 

On a 10 year old computer with under 1GB of RAM

linux is the only logical choice. Windows would crawl with 512MB of RAM.
He can buy RAM and trash his old stick. The max that this will take is 2GB, which isn't enough to run Win 7 comfortably. (I checked at crucial to be sure).

He isn't switching because he doesn't like XP; likely he is switching because he probably realizes surfing in XP is not the safest thing to do and he doesn't want to throw away this laptop.

 

It isn't a case of prefer Hedon, or that we think Windows in some way superior to Linux. It's more like we speak English because it's our native language and if we were suddenly required to communicate in a less widespread language, such as Dutch, we wouldn't be able to accomplish anything at all, and unless there is something very obvious to be gained from speaking Dutch we just ain't gonna bother!

90% of Linux users are geeks, 90% of Windows users don't know much more than how to open their mail and browse the web from the GUI and transfer photos from their phone. It's ironic but those simple functions are just as easy in the Linux GUI as they are in Windows, but why should ppl bother? What exactly would be the point?

I occasionally play with Linux simply because I get bored with Windows and, although I do enjoy slowly getting to understand it better, when it comes to actually doing something useful I'm always gonna do it in English if you don't mind.

 

Well, what you just described IS a preference Earthling! It doesn't matter what the reason is, as everyone has a different criteria. And it's OKAY if your criteria lead you to choose Windows.

I'm just here for the folks whose criteria lead them to being dissatisfied with Windows, but don't know what else to do about that. I was one of them about 6-7 years ago, until I heard of this Linux stuff. But I knew NO ONE who could tell me about it, or teach me anything. I gathered info from the dusty corners of the internet until I was able to do it on my own. It was only AFTER I became a Linux user that I met other Linux users. And I'm no genius...I've made many mistakes and bungled up so much stuff along the way. But it's absolutely been the right path for ME. My only regrets are that I wish I had found Linux sooner, and I wish I had found a mentor to show me "the way".

If I can do that for others, I'm happy to pay it forward. I'm no evangelist, and I'm not here to recruit Linux users. But if I see smoke signals, I'll offer any assistance or advice that I think I'm able to contribute. Even so, some of these Linux-seekers are going back to Windows after they realize Linux isn't for them...for the very reasons you cited. And that's okay too...

If you're happy and productive with Windows, by all means, continue to use it! Don't fix what ain't broke! But if you're not happy with Windows, for whatever reason, there ARE alternatives. Try them out until you find something that works.

Just don't become one of those annoying Mac OS X fanboys who smugly and condescendingly look down upon everyone else because you paid over $1,000 for $500 of hardware with a sticker and a $30 linux-based (actually its BSD, but close enough) operating system that has been locked down so tight that Microsoft turns green with envy. If you became one of them, you and I will no longer get along so well! LOL!!!