[xubuntu-users] Running Ubuntu or Xubuntu with 550 Mhz and 186 MB RAM?

[Charlie Kravetz]

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On Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:54:54 +0200
Bas Roufs <basroufs at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Everybody
> 
> As a provisional solution, I have to temporarily work with an old 
> laptop, a 'Compaq Armada 100 S'. Main specifications:
> +/- 186 MB RAM, +/- 550 MhZ processor (Pentium II). The HD contains 4,7 
> GB in total or 3,8 GB of free space if I would take into account the 
> existing Window98 installation.
> 
> So, I checked the Ubuntu website about the minimum system requirements:
> >
> > Ubuntu is available for PC, 64-Bit PC and Intel based Mac 
> > architectures. At least 256 MB of RAM is required to run the alternate 
> > install CD (384MB of RAM is required to use the live CD based 
> > installer). Install requires at least 4 GB of disk space.
> >
> Does - in spite of this- any one have experience with Ubuntu on an old 
> computer with specifications similar to those above?
> 
> 'Xubuntu' has the image to be able to run on old computers with a 
> limited capacity. However, at Xubuntu.org, the following has been written:
> 
> > To run the Desktop CD (LiveCD + Install CD), you need 128 MB RAM to 
> > run or 192 MB RAM to install. The Alternate Install CD only requires 
> > you to have 64 MB RAM. (...) Once installed, Xubuntu can run with 192 
> > MB RAM, but it is strongly recommended to have at least 256 MB RAM.
> 
> Does any one have experience with Xubuntu on an old computer with 
> similar specifications?
> 
> Is there any other Linux distro that could work on that old Compaq, at 
> least in combination with OpenOffice, Firefox and Thunderbird?
> 
> Thanks for your reply,
> Respectfully Yours,
> Bas.
> 
> -- 
> *************************
> Viaconsensus
> Bas G. Roufs M.A.
> Van 't Hoffstraat 1
> NL-3514 VT  Utrecht
> E.:  BasRoufs at gmail.com
> M.: +31.6.446.835.10.
> **************************

The information at the xubuntu.org website appears to be out of date.
To the best of my knowledge, the live cd will not work with 128MB Ram.
Installing from the alternate cd should work, I have installed on 128MB
ram with it. It will run a bit slower (maybe a lot) slower than you are
used to, and the install will take forever (maybe 2 hours). I have used
openoffice and firefox on it, with evolution.

good luck,

- -- 
Charlie Kravetz 
Linux Registered User Number 425914          [http://counter.li.org/]
Never let anyone steal your DREAM.           [http://keepingdreams.com]
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