install linux from Floppy + skype support

[sieger007]

Hi Folks
I am a newbie with a lot of inspiration and hope from linux. I have a p2 Sony vaio 300mhx mmx w/ 96mb RAM . Model PCG505tx
to make things worse , this will NOT boot from a CD ROM.
I have several questions and I would appreciate some definite guidance .

<> I am planning to use this for skype voip . It now has XP installed and skype is p-a-t-h-e-t-i-c on XP. Does ANY GURU over there have exp running skype on P2 and with acceptable quality.
<>I have done installs of linux in past mostly ubuntu but if there is anything out of the ordinary to be done I am totally ignorant. Would someone please point me the best flavor or linux easy to install - and can run skyp, firefox, openoffice well enough with a p2.
<> Finally How would you intall LINUX WITHOUT CD ROM just via a bootable floppy , and then get CD ROM support to install the rest of linux. Any knowledge article there
<> very lastly - how do you install wireless wifi drivers on linux

Thanks for help
Sam

[arochester]

1) 96Mb of RAM is not very much. Can you increase the amont of RAM? If not you are probably looking at distros like Puppy Linux or DSL.

2) Does the CD work - but the BIOS does not allow the computer to boot from the CD? I had a computer like that. I learned to create to a boot floppy. This starts to boot from the floppy and then passes the boot seamlessly to the CD. Most Linux CDs used to have the necessary "bootdisk.img" but I'm not sure that they do now. Have a look at e.g. http://www.linuxmigration.com/quickr...l#createfloppy. I think that boot disks used to relate to the particular kernel and you could not use e.g. a Fedora boot disk to start Puppy Linux. Examine your intended CD.

3) You have a kind of contradiction. You need a lightweight distro, but you want to install heavyweight apps on it - so it ceases to be a lightweight distro. A lightweight distro would avoid e.g. OpenOffice and use Abiword instead. Similarly Epiphany instead of Firefox.

4) Finally Skype on Linux is not likely to be any better than on XP...

[sieger007]

Thanks a plenty for your initial help. I am totally unfamiliar with ( the word ) Linux . Let us say I did my kindergarten in linux but stopped right there before going onto even 1st grade .
[LIST]

<> I dont mind going with Epiphany as browser and Abiword as long as I have functionality to open docs with graphics, and convert to PDF , and Ephiphany supports SSL/Flashplayer/ rtsp protocol . Suppose I install something like Puppy / DSL / DeliLinux then after I install them on HDD can I install FF and OpenOffice or it would be another tweak-bug nightmare.

<> Now within the specific linux flavor - is there an option to install specific distros - to make it lighter like xandros etc. Are these software distros OS flavor independent - I mean can I install one distro software package into different OS flavors .

<> Also what would be the Linux equivalent of CP > Add / Remove programs / Msconfig.exe / and services.msc utilities so that I can tune the os selectively for my apps and make more memory available.

<> Although there is just 96MB RAM ,if I created a SWAP of at least 700MB of a 6G HDD , to make skype work would linux know the difference ?


<> Also What I undertsand from your answer is that there is no Universal Boot Floppy for Linux that will load the CD ROM Driver and hand control to CD ROM?
If it was then I was planning to boot of floppy and then install , linux via cd....in that case is there an equivalent command for CD Setup.exe there that will immediately bring up the installation GUI , or installation is via command line or shell scripts .

<> Finally Wi-fi Drivers - Is there is a common Wi-fi driver pack out there that can support most PCMCIA wi fi cards or some software out there where you 'feed in the windows' driver and it writes out the linux one . ( I am imagining - agreed but I just want to at least know if that kind of approach is present or not )
<> Now this VAIO came with Windows 98 initially . It was upgraded to XP when I bought it . The max ram PCG505TX VAIO will support is 128 mb ( I have 96 mb). I think going back to native 98 would make things faster ?
Flooded with Questions ..........THANKS again for your help

[arochester]

There is a universal boot floppy. Smart Bootmanager is such a program. See SourceForge.net: Smart BootManager

Wifi can be problematic. You might need to do some research. There are some which use the Windows drivers. There is a program called Ndiswrapper which will "wrap around" the Windows driver and make it useable.

One way to try before you install is to use a LiveCD. (You will still need a boot floppy). A Live CD will run entirely from the CDRom and leave the Hard disk absolutely untouched. Have a look at The LiveCD List. Look particularly at Puppy Linux and Damn Small Linux (DSL). A newcomer on the block is Slitaz, which is even smaller - but it works from ethernet cable and wireless is questionable.

For apps on a lightweight distro have a look at Linux on Desktop: 13 Applications to Install on Ubuntu running on Slow Computer. (You can't run Ubuntu because it needs too much RAM!)