Linux on old laptop - still trying...

[Tech Writer]

maddog... you seem to be right about the Xwindows system needing the 
memory...  I actually got Xubuntu (alternate version: 
xubuntu-6.06-alternate-i386) to get through a complete install onto the 
1.34GB hard drive.  It appears to reboot okay, but then I get the error:

    "Failed to start the X server (your graphical
    interface).  It is likely that it is not set
    up correctly.  Would you like to view the X
    server output to diagnose the problem?

The good news is that it lets me ignore this error, and still get a text 
login.  But, "df" tells me that I'm using 100% of my root file system.  The 
result is that I can't save anything I edit ( I can enter "vi", but there's 
no room to save).

I'm finding how spoiled I've been, using defaults and having enough disk 
space to not care what went on it.  Now I'll have to do my homework to 
figure out what I can get away with leaving off.  As for DSL... I do plan to 
try that again, but this has been interesting enough that I want to keep 
playing around to see how much further I can get.

As a side note...  I have been a little surprised at how much disk and 
memory I need for a reasonable flavor of Linux.  Before this exercise began, 
the old laptop ran Windows-98, giving me email, a web browser, an old 
version of MS-Word, and even a few games for the kids...  For some reason, 
I'd always thought I'd easily find an interesting Linux that would do as 
much, without requiring so much effort to get it up-and-running.

Peg



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jon maddog Hall" <maddog at li.org>
To: "Peggy Harris" <PegRH at sprocket.mv.com>
Cc: "Bill Ricker" <bill.n1vux at gmail.com>; <stephen.p.ryan at dartmouth.edu>; 
<gnhlug-discuss at mail.gnhlug.org>
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 7:00 PM
Subject: Re: Linux on old laptop - still trying...


> Peggy,
>
> I have not seen anyone mention this, so here goes:
>
> Some of the large memory requirements of a system are to allow 
> installation
> using the X Window system, a RAM disk, plus the kernel and the 
> installation
> programs.  After the system is installed, the requirements of a lot of 
> this
> go away.
>
> A lot of distributions have a "text" install, which basically draws 
> ASCII-ART
> windows up on your console to let you install the system over a serial 
> line
> or other text-based systems.  You can even install the X window system 
> this
> way, and after the system is completely installed, re-boot into "graphical
> mode".  You can try this, but quite frankly, I would stay away from X11 
> with
> only 40 Megs.
>
> Bill Ricker's suggestion of "Damn Small Linux" (DSL as others know it) is 
> a
> good one, and you might want to try that.
>
> maddog
>
>
> -- 
> Jon "maddog" Hall
> Executive Director           Linux International(R)
> email: maddog at li.org         80 Amherst St.
> Voice: +1.603.672.4557       Amherst, N.H. 03031-3032 U.S.A.
> WWW: http://www.li.org
>
> Board Member: Uniforum Association, USENIX Association
>
> (R)Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in several countries.
> (R)Linux International is a registered trademark in the USA used pursuant
>   to a license from Linux Mark Institute, authorized licensor of Linus
>   Torvalds, owner of the Linux trademark on a worldwide basis
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>
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