linux on old laptop with 8 MB RAM

[Benjamin Scott]

On May 23 at 7:16pm, Peter Dobratz wrote:
> We want to use this computer mainly for some word processing, so I thought 
> that it would be good to install linux on it.

   Well, define what you mean by "word processing".  Are we talking OpenOffice 
or some other feature-rich, GUI package with all the bells-and-whistles people 
have come to expect?  If so, you're going to need a lot more then 8 MB of RAM. 
Even running a relatively lightweight package like AbiWord will need more. 
Even ten years ago, for running Word 95 under Win 95, 8 MB wasn't really 
enough RAM.  I had 32 MB in 1995, and up'ed to 64 a year later.

   Now, if you're talking about doing text-based markup (e.g., LaTeX) in vi or 
a lightweight Emacs-clone, then 8 MB is very workable.  But I kinda doubt 
that's what you mean.

   Now, install that 32 MB module, for a total of 40 MB, and you could prolly 
run some lightweight X config, with a lightweight desktop/window manager, and 
an equally lightweight word processor, with usable (but not great) 
performance.

> Are there any Linux distributions that can be installed from a 
> floppy/network configuration that will install with 8 MB of RAM?

   There are boot-and-run-from-floppy distributions that run in 8 MB, sure. 
But you won't run a GUI in them.

-- 
Ben <dragonhawk at iname.com>