Thinkpads Forum

Hi, im currently running XP pro sp2 on this wonderfull laptop, but it is a bit sluggish and it sometimes freezes so I have to reboot, mostly because it runs out of memory, eventhough I have 320MB Ram, so im looking for a Linux that will run Perfectly on this laptop. I like graphic user interface and on my other laptop I got Vista, so Im looking for some similair but takes less resources.

Also something that makes the laptop seem like a supercomputer:)

It should be Linux where I dont have to configure alot and that will find all the HW in the laptop without I have to search all over the net for drivers:)

I never used Linux before, but have done support on all of the windows version so I'm not a novice in OS, though Linux is a bit different from windows I think I can handle it:)

Its a TP 9549-810 with 320MB Ram, 40 GB Hdd, no Cd/DVD(i cant get the caddy here) but I do have an external DVD/CD-RW USB drive that unfotunately only works within Windows.

So I need a way to install the linux from a boot floppy and with the files on a partion on the hdd.

Also the linux should be one that its very easy to get programs for:)

Hope one of you geniuses can help me:)

Thanks in advance:)

JBJ
PS. The genius part is not a joke, I consider linux users advanced users:)

Product: ThinkPad 770Z 9549-810 [change]
Operating system: All [change]

Original description: PII 366Mhz (256KB) 128MB RAM 14.1GB 14.1 XGA TFT DVD(2X) 56K(ACP) Win98

I'd recommend D_a_m-n Small Linux or Puppy Linux. Of the two, Puppy is my favorite on older hardware. I have it running on a PII 300Mhz Toshiba laptop with 128MB RAM and it runs well. You might even be able to run xubuntu on that hardware with 320MB RAM.

I'd recommend Xubuntu. I've put it on a 128mb machine and it wasn't too slow, so 320mb should be alot faster.

Thanx for the quick answer:) But how do i install these without a boot CD rom drive:) I especially like Puppy Dingo 4 and Xubuntu:)

JBJ

Puppy has a boot diskette, not sure about Xubuntu. There are many many tutorials out on the web for CD-less/disk-less installations of these distros. Try googling for them or searching the distro's websites, wiki's, or forums. If you still come up empty handed post back and I'll make some recommendations.

Here's an example of what you might find

I've used the strategy of taking the hard drive out of the machine and connecting it to another desktop or laptop then installing the distro, then move it back. Generally it works well.

Is there a way to install these by booting from a floppy and then run the install files from a partion on the hdd?

JBJ

Harryc, that can be done since I have over 30 pc' in the workshop:D

But I think i will try to find a boot floppy first:)

Thnx for the quick answers:D

JBJ

Ok I got puppy to work with a boot floppy and Wakepup, but I cant get it to work so that i get at boot menu and run it without bootfloppy. There is no CD rom drive in this laptop.

The probleme is that there is XP pro on this laptop but unfortunately it uses NTFS. I would like to be able to use both puppy and XP.

The partion info is like this now:

1. NTFS with XP - Primary and active
2. Fat32 with puppy - primary
3. Extended with NTFS - just files

Can anyone give me a step by step instruction on how to set up a bootmanager and which one to use.

I can easily get into puppy if I use the Wakepup boot floppy, but as I said I would like to run it from bootmanager if I could:)

I can also get into XP.

In the old days when i used w98 i just made a partion before windows, hide it and installed a boot manager there. That does not work with XP. It then comes up with "missing operating systeme".

JBJ
Ps. take in mind that im a novice on linux:)

never mind:) im trying xubuntu instead since puppy had trouble connecting to my wireless lan:(

but thnx for the info:)

JBJ