Thread: what's the fastest linux OS for this crap computer...

Hi guys! Need some help... I have a really old computer, not really that old but maybe a decade old. I've been keeping it at my bedroom and it's really gathering dust.


Here are the basic specs:

• Intel Celeron 1.7Ghz
• 256 MB RAM
• 80GB HD
• Nvidia 4000 Series maybe 256 MB VRAM

Well, I've decided to utilize it. I have used Windows XP and Ubuntu but performance is really bad with those OS.

Can you guys help me choose a good and fast OS for this dekstop computer? I really prefer Linux and those that support GTK applications... Thanks...

I only have this suggestion, use unix os like freebsd ;)
it's powerful and definitely it's suitable for old fashion PC :D

see here, best lightweight linux OS for old or slow computers.

Slitaz, Puppy Linux, and DSL(damn small Linux) should all run fine on that computer and are my recommendations. Your computer is pretty bad, but it can still run a decent amount of Linux distros so maybe should check out a list of them here DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD. for the more popular ones since I also didn't really recommend many based on GNOME which you might be a fan of since you mentioned GTK.

For a very minimal distro, you could try Puppy Linux of Damn Small Linux(DSL). However those use some very light weight desktop environments and window managers, so you won't get GTK support. Zenwalk is another light weight distro, only requiring 700MHz to run nicely. They also have GNOME version which will give you GTK support

If that doesn't meet all your needs, xubuntu (the XFCE version of ubuntu) will definitely have all the features you need albeit, a bit slower than zenwalk. I'm using XFCE on an old computer with a 2.4 GHz celeron and 512MB RAM and it's incredibly fast. Plus you still get a full featured desktop, with firefox and other larger apps included by default. Also the aptitude package repos are a nice touch, if you want more apps.

Lastly, I've heard that Debian can run nicely on older computers depsite being a full featured distro but I haven't tried it personally.

Anyway, I'd recommend you use Xubuntu and if thats too slow, try one of the first 3 options. Good luck :)

Try with Puppy Linux or Tiny Core.
This is full list from distowatch of OSes that are good for old computers
Click

i would think a freebsd, but it's kinda hard to get started with.
Or "Damn small linux" as the name says. But any linux can be tweaked and made right for your computer. :)

try linux mint
it's fast to boot and easy GUI

The thing that's sucking down resources is the desktop environment (DE). You can use what ever version of Linux you like, but make sure you download a "lite" DE such as LXDE (my personal favorite). All of the big distributions will give you plenty of choices on DE's.