Installing the lightest Linux.

[djmykey]

Now I have heard that Linux runs on any imaginable hardware. And I have also read in lots of places that a 486 pc is running as a web server or something. What I wanted to know is how to make such an installation on a 486. Does it have the newest kernel and all ? And also how do they run so fast ??

Thanks in advance.

 

[tuxfan]

I think the main resource hogger is GUI. If it is a text based interface, installations will work with good enough speed even on low resources.

Secondly, having a 486 web-server is not something desirable. It may work, but would be quite slow even if a text based linux installation is used. The main processing power required on a server is not to run that machine itself, but in complying with the requests of other machine and serving them files as desired. Now if only 50 machines make a download request of a 5MB file at the same time, that machine will not be able to meet the requirements properly. Things will move too slowly.

 

[firewall]

yes.. Tuxfan is right.. but with gnu/linux we can perform lots of jobs with these low end machines. in my org. we runs several low end pcs to monitor our webservers by clustering .....! Yes of course its CLI.. and it saved lots of money too..



a.m

 

[ujjwal]

There are several light versions of linux available ... while on lower system specs it is advisable to run in console, X Windows can be run on old hardware too (like mine) but maybe not a 486.

Anyway, this is what I use, it runs very fast.

Distribution - Slackware 10.0
Window Manager - IceWM
Browser - Opera, Dillo

So as you can see, linux can run on very low hardware, its just that distro's like fedora, mandrake are bloated, so it seems as if linux requires fast hardware to run

See this article too - *users.netwit.net.au/~pursang/lofat.html

 

[nixcraft]

My home computer p1-90 /32 MB/650 MB works nicely with Debian as router and firewall. I had 486 2 years back as router!

 

[Guest]

Ok can i kind of twist my question. How to change my gui. I heard that icewm and xfce r 2 window managers that r made for running tux on old comps but how do i install it. can i remove gnome from my comp totally. Pls help.

 

[GNUrag]

in debian you can actually do:

apt-get remove kde-desktop-environment
apt-get remove gnome-desktop-environment
apt-get install xfce icewm

 

[ujjwal]

Well... on redhat systems, a file Xclients located in /etc/X11/xinit sets the window manager...

After installing the WM, modify the file and make it just contain the line

icewm

If the window manager is icewm. This will execute icewm on starting X.

In slack, run pkgtool and in the setup section run the xwm config to select the window manager.

 

[djmykey]

Well... on redhat systems, a file Xclients located in /etc/X11/xinit sets the window manager...

After installing the WM, modify the file and make it just contain the line

icewm

If the window manager is icewm. This will execute icewm on starting X.

In slack, run pkgtool and in the setup section run the xwm config to select the window manager.

This wil set Ice as the default Winow Manager right.

in debian you can actually do:

apt-get remove kde-desktop-environment
apt-get remove gnome-desktop-environment
apt-get install xfce icewm

What does this do? Does it remove gnome and kde completely?
If yes this is the right sequence to do it right?

 

[GNUrag]

What does this do? Does it remove gnome and kde completely?
If yes this is the right sequence to do it right?

This is the right sequence. but it assumes you have an internet access... or the Debian CDs with you.... Infact , you can use Synaptic utility and you dont even have to give any commands as such...

 

[Ricky]

I think the main resource hogger is GUI. If it is a text based interface, installations will work with good enough speed even on low resources.

Secondly, having a 486 web-server is not something desirable. It may work, but would be quite slow even if a text based linux installation is used. The main processing power required on a server is not to run that machine itself, but in complying with the requests of other machine and serving them files as desired. Now if only 50 machines make a download request of a 5MB file at the same time, that machine will not be able to meet the requirements properly. Things will move too slowly.

I have been running a 486 pc as intranet server running smoothwall but my intranet is only for experiment purpose so not much pc as client, but i think it can handle many .. around 10-20

 

[tuxfan]

It may be fine for an intranet server, but what about a web-server where traffic can be heavy as well. How many people regulalrly download files from intranet? Hardly any. But things are totally different in case of web-servers. Right?