Setting up a Linux terminal

[Phaedras]

I recently grabbed an old Compaq Prosignia Desktop from a dumpster (apparently someone had tried upgrading the memory, failed to stick the modules in the right way and consequently threw it out ). I plan to use it in a local student coffee shop as an MP3/OGG music server, oldskool console emulator and possible Internet terminal.

I wanted to know the right distro for this piece of hardware, since I've put newer distros on slower computers before, and the result was unbearable. I need one that is relatively bare and streamlined but has a GUI that can be easily customized to look snazzy and modern but give Windows users a feel they can relate to.

Here is what needs to be supported:

Compaq Prosignia Desktop
PII-400Mhz
Unknown MB (Unable to find any reference to model)
Chipset Intel PIIX4E (82371AB)
192 RAM
10GB IDE
S3 Virge 868
Old Yamaha XG Soundcard
2 x USB

Thanks in advance.

[Opnosforatou]

Try using slackware... Runs on that one perfectly.
To increase speed on those ' golden oldies' be sure to recompile most of the tools on the system and reconfigure them for that type of CPU only.
This will increase overall speed ...
(incl. kernel of course.)
The 2.4.24 kernel will run perfectly on it... I'm using an old P2-333 Celeron ...

[Phaedras]

Will recompiling the code to be processor-specific take more effort than a command ("make", i believe?) and some switches, and can it be briefly explained or will I need to research it more?

Also, is there a way to benchmark the speed increase after optimization?

I see myself as an advanced PC user, but Linux is more of an occasional hobby to me. Therefore I don't know much about in-depth customization and configuration of it.

[Opnosforatou]

Will recompiling the code to be processor-specific take more effort than a command ("make", i believe?) and some switches, and can it be briefly explained or will I need to research it more?

Also, is there a way to benchmark the speed increase after optimization?

I see myself as an advanced PC user, but Linux is more of an occasional hobby to me. Therefore I don't know much about in-depth customization and configuration of it.

If you install a stock kernel, it will have allmost all modules, etc, etc, etc, and other not used by you, items in it.
Recompiling the kernel to use only the specific things you need speeds up the kernel and uses les diskspace. Diskspace is not the problems these days, but it was on the 'golden oldies' machines.

To configure the kernel to your specific needs go to the kernel source dir, usualy found in /usr/src and there wil be a dir with de kernel source, some distro's create a symbolic link: Linux to the active source of the kernel.
change to that dir and type : Make menuconfig for a text based menu of make xconfig to start the X-Windows based configuration panel.

You will need to know what type of hardware is in your machine to start customizing the kernel though...
And the first times you'll probably end up with a 'kernel panic'.
That's oke, all ppl who start with linux get this.

There are benchmark programms, try searching Google, but I've never used them.

can it be briefly explained

Errr.. no, but there is a help in the menu that shines some light of the various selectable options.
And there is the question of using things as a module or put in into the kernel itself.

[variant]

I recomend gentoo for allmost all tasks nowadays.. with good reason! http://www.gentoo.org

[Phaedras]

Actually, I did try to try out Gentoo, but the installation was just too confusing for me to spend more than an hour trying to figure out. Nothing against commandlines (go DOS) but I just kept getting stuck at the LiveCD root and not being able to start any of the stages.

The idea of a fully PC-specific optimized OS does sound very sweet, though. I might give it another try later on.