Can I convert this WinMe machine to Linux?

This is what I have, its a desktop:

The ME desktop is a 5008US (5000 Series) Celeron 800MHz with 128KB Integrated L2 Pipeline Burst Cache, Up to 11MB Allocated as Video Memory, 40.0 GB Hard Drive. It now has something like 382 MB of Ram.

I'm unsure about a few things.

1- Do I really need to keep my ME on the computer or should I delete it altogether. I don't use the computer for work or home use anymore. I can't economically upgrade it to XP and I don't trust ME on the internet anymore.

2- It seems that the best version of Linux for it is OpenSuSE but it requires 512 MB ram, which would mean I buy another 256 stick, thereby just reaching the minimum (512 is all it can take).

Is there a 'lesser' version of Linux that will work without upgrading my Ram? Will be missing out on some cool stuff if I don't install the needed ram and going to OpenSuSE?

Thanks

Brian

 

Yes, there are a number of lightweight linux distributions available. I can't say firsthand, but I've heard quite a few people speak highly of Puppy Linux.

Well, yeah... your hardware is pretty old, friend. You won't be limited just by your RAM, either. I think the most you can really expect from this machine anymore is a stable, word processor/email reader/web browser. That is achievable with the right distribution of Linux.

 

http://puppylinux.org/wikka/LegacyOS

I used this on an AMD Athlon 700MHz with 128KB RAM, onboard video and an old D-Link wireless card.

If you want someting a bit more modern, try Bodhi Linux:
http://bodhilinux.com/

It works on that same PC but I haven't done much with it yet.