Linux suggestions- Small footprint on VIA system

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gdonovan

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Wish to run a Linux distro on a 900mhz VIA mini-ITX system, suggestions?

I hear good things about Ubuntu but specs call for 4 gig of space which I don't have to spare. Currently running Win2kpro but would like to run something a bit more secure.

Wish to use machine for web browsing, file sharing with WinXP machine, U-torrent and getting my feet wet with Linux.
 
Arch, Xubuntu, Fluxbuntu, a bare Debian or Gentoo install, etc - these all should run fine. I run a bare Debian install on my EeePC which is a 630MHz Celeron. Boots quickly and to single digit RAM usage. Xubuntu would probably be the easiest option. It's Ubuntu with the XFCE desktop environment.
 
Last time I tried Xubuntu, it was a pain in the ass. Any of the distros Boomslang listed should be good, though. From the sounds of it, you're a first time users/relatively new user, in which case Arch and Gentoo are probably not good choices. Last time I tried arch, I didn't come with X11, and if it's still like that, you'll need to download and install X11 and a Window Manager if you don't want a strictly command-line OS.

If all you're doing is web browsing and such and you want to go extremely lightweight, you could look into Puppy Linux or Damn Small Linux. Both distros are under 100mb in size.
 
Xubuntu has a smaller footprint, I was leaning in that direction. I have a free copy of Linspire 5.0 or 6 that I could try too (limited time trying it before, seemed to work well) but wanted to see what else was out there.
 
i second the debian suggestion

in the installer, remove the desktop system from the install list (so that no GUI environment is installed), and after the base system is installed, throw on fluxbox.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Fluxbox
is an awesome resource for learning about fluxbox... arch has a very handy guide too, but since i'm recommending debian, the ubuntu wiki page will be more applicable

but yea, the biggest thing you can do for desktop speed is ditch Gnome/KDE/XFCE and run one of the lightweight window managers instead. take the time to learn one.... they really fly....
 
Tried Xubuntu, seems laggy compared to Win2000pro.

I might try something else this weekend.
 
Xubuntu is only lightweight if you're comparing it to Ubuntu or Kubuntu. I'd go with something much more minimalistic, like the Fluxbox suggestion.
 
Currently running Xubuntu on the same partion as Win200pro (FAT32) any issues doing so?
 
Look for a good Xfce based distro. Avoid bloated Linux distros like Ubuntu and Mint. Even Xubuntu, for all it's claims of speed, is a memory and CPU pig. Maybe check out the Xfce version of OpenSUSE, or FreeBSD.
 
avoid BSD if you aren't much of a unix expert... speaking as a BSD user myself, there are tons of applications and drivers that I wish I could use but just cant...

that said.... a base debian install (just command line) with the apt-get install xfce (or w/e the command would be) would definitely blow Xubuntu out of the water (though still not be nearly as fast as the fluxbox/icewm/openbox/etc alternative)
 
InorganicMatter said:
Look for a good Xfce based distro. Avoid bloated Linux distros like Ubuntu and Mint. Even Xubuntu, for all it's claims of speed, is a memory and CPU pig.
Click to expand...

Memory was not bad, CPU usage was a joke though.

Pulling up system memory and cpu usage would spike the cpu at 50%.
 
brucedeluxe169 said:
i second the debian suggestion

but yea, the biggest thing you can do for desktop speed is ditch Gnome/KDE/XFCE and run one of the lightweight window managers instead. take the time to learn one.... they really fly....
Click to expand...

Time is a rare commodity here, hence I was looking for something idiot proof ;-)

I'll try to uninstall the current Xubuntu this morning.
 
If you are new to Linux, you want Linux distros that use the default light window manager such as Fluxbox, Openbox, or Blackbox. I suggest TinyFlux (based on PcLinuxOS 2007 which is a spinoff from Mandriva Linux). TinyFlux is a livecd that can be install to the drive and default window manager is Fluxbox. It requires about 96 to 128 megs of ram.
 
requiemnoise said:
If you are new to Linux, you want Linux distros that use the default light window manager such as Fluxbox, Openbox, or Blackbox. I suggest TinyFlux (based on PcLinuxOS 2007 which is a spinoff from Mandriva Linux). TinyFlux is a livecd that can be install to the drive and default window manager is Fluxbox. It requires about 96 to 128 megs of ram.
Click to expand...

No problem there, the machine is a VIA mini-ITX 933mhz with 512 mb of ram.

I'm going to try again this weekend, been a hectic week.
 
Can't recall it using a GUI or not( I may have put one on ~ old age setting in), but Damn Small Linux (DSL) was perfect for my 350mhz test box a few years ago.
 
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