Best cheap/free distro CD or small download

I have dial-up, so downloading just the kernel takes forever. (The ISP, which shall remain nameless, unless you do a search of my other posts, has reduced bandwidth to almost half the usual 48k on average.) I was considering getting a CD of something, but only need the basic source code, and a minimal installation to get started with a bash prompt. (That is, unless FreeBSD could be used to compile Linux source, as I have a CD of that.) Anyway, I know the source is larger than the binary, and I will probably need to get a CD if I don't want to spend days downloading a zip or gz file. If it takes longer than a few hours, I'll also need a better download manager. If anyone has ideas, they would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Sites that sell CDs and DVDs at reasonable cost
http://www.linuxcd.org/
http://www.frozentech.com/
http://www.osheaven.net/
http://cart.cheapbytes.com/cgi-bin/cart

 

Libraries have download capacity sometimes.

Or find a local geek!:drool

 

I thought of going to a library, but I don't think they can burn CDs at either of the ones I go to, although I haven't asked. I don't have a thumb drive, either.

I also wonder if a library has something like a shareware software section...?

 

I have been trying to run an linxus OS on my 900mhz 128mb ram computer for the last couple days, i tryed the 4MB ram 50 meg HD damn small linux which seems to work wonders on a live CD, but gives me the grub error 15 when it trys to boot from a HD. I recenly got the linux bible 2006 and demian linux 3 seems to install work work quickly also, but i cant get a GUI, i tryed apt-get install <program> and it did not work , wget seems to work and install something but after i reboot it does not boot to wget install fluxbox or kde or whatever.. startx does not work. what can i do to get a GUI linux that requires very small resources like the ones above,i liked DSL but it seems not to work, slack ware, gentoo, openSUSE< they all seem to need 256 MB ram atleast. I am looking for something very minimal that will goto ftp, http websites, telnet, be a host maybe useing monkey server.

 

My computer is also 128MB for now. I have some more RAM that I think will fit it, but don't know what I did with it. It only has 1 slot filled right now. I basically just want a bash prompt, but if others want to use it also, I guess it would be good to get a GUI as well on the CD. I was going to make my own GUI, possibly, (I have in DOS before,) but it would be very simple at first, and may stay that way.
I would also like a browser, I guess. I'll use Lynx, but I also want a DHTML browser. I tried to make one myself, once, but it took too long. They're more complicated than word processors.
Also, I might like a simple intranet server. I guess I can get those separately.

 

puppy http://www.puppylinux.org/downloads/official-releases
I was hoping to find the one that saved sessions to your hard drive so you didn't have to keep resetting the same tweaks. It seems like they only showed the most recent versions.

 

I can run Ubuntu on a 198 MB 350 MHz 10 GB IBM machine, haven't tried WINE to hook up the wireless adapter. I believe Ubuntu needs 198 MB to install but can run on 128 MB.

 

CAN?

Have you actually installed on a small machine?

DSL or Puppy is smaller again using Blackbox or Fluxbox.

 

yeah puppy is awesome, i think the one i have on my flash drive is using 40 megs right now, and its what i use when i use public computers so it has everything i need.