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Hello all, I want to install linux (any distro with X window manager, preferably RH) onto an old Dell Latitude XP 450CX. It doesn’t have a CD-ROM drive or a ...
  1. 06-15-2004 #1
    jd_programmer
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    Linux on an Old Laptop Computer



    Hello all,
    I want to install linux (any distro with X window manager, preferably RH) onto an old Dell Latitude XP 450CX. It doesn’t have a CD-ROM drive or a network card, only a floppy. I want to just set it up for the X Window System, OpenOffice (or other Office replacement), and a few games (doesn't matter what kind). I would like to install linux to the hard drive only if I know for sure that I’ll get a working computer out of it. Right now, it has Win95, an 800mb hard drive (200mb free), a 50 MHz CPU, and 12 Mb of RAM. I also have a working linux desktop. I was just curious :o if I could go about installing linux across a serial port or something. (I know, it would be slow, but I think that I can deal with it (with many long nights ) anyway.) Any help would be appreciated.
    Also, if you don’t think that I should even attempt this, I *guess* that I could live win W95.

    Thanks in advance,
    JD>Programmer
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  2. 06-15-2004 #2
    logan5
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    First off, I don't know how you would install with out a CDrom or a network card. One or the other yes, but neither, I don't know.

    Secondly take a look here for RedHat's minimun system requirments.
    http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...ase-notes/x86/

    CPU:

    - Minimum: Pentium-class

    - Recommended for text-mode: 200 MHz Pentium-class or better

    - Recommended for graphical: 400 MHz Pentium II or better

    Hard Disk Space (NOTE: Additional space will be required for user data):

    - Custom Installation (minimum): 475MB

    - Server (minimum): 850MB

    - Personal Desktop: 1.7GB

    - Workstation: 2.1GB

    - Custom Installation (everything): 5.0GB

    Memory:

    - Minimum for text-mode: 64MB

    - Minimum for graphical: 128MB

    - Recommended for graphical: 192MB
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  3. 06-15-2004 #3
    jd_programmer
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    Woah - that comes as quite a surprise! I'm surprised that it was running windows when I got it! Dang.... Well, do you know of any more 'bare-bones'-type linux distros that don't require as much? If not, I'll probably just go with '95 ([sigh]...) and live with it. Thanks for all of the help! I love this forum already!

    JD>Programmer
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  4. 06-15-2004 #4
    logan5
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    There's not much, if anything that will have a GUI, that might fit your env.
    Check out http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

    Or this list of small distro's
    http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributions/Floppy/
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