Hey, I have an old computer ( Pentium-S 100mhz, 16mb ram, 1.3gb hard drive ) and I decided that I would like to make a server from it and install linux on it. So far I think I am interested to try Slackware (even though it is said to be "harder") or SuSE.. What would you suggest me? I need something which will be fast and will take as less memory as possible, since I am quite limited. Also, sometimes I might want to use a graphical interface.. I heard Gnome and KDE are quite slow.. Are there any good alternatives which would be faster? Any other tips to optimize linux speed? Also I have a problem, the CMOS battery on the motherboard of this computer is dead, everytime I boot up, the BIOS settings are reset to default.. So I cannot change the options to boot with a floppy... I can plug the old hard drive on my windows computer and access it with no problems.. Is there a way I could install it directly from my computer? Otherwise is there any other alternative? Thanks a lot

Quote: Original post by Hedos
Hey, I have an old computer ( Pentium-S 100mhz, 16mb ram, 1.3gb hard drive ) and I decided that I would like to make a server from it and install linux on it.
So far I think I am interested to try Slackware (even though it is said to be "harder") or SuSE..

What would you suggest me?
I need something which will be fast and will take as less memory as possible, since I am quite limited.
Also, sometimes I might want to use a graphical interface.. I heard Gnome and KDE are quite slow.. Are there any good alternatives which would be faster?
Any other tips to optimize linux speed?

I would personally use Debian. It's good for servers and the like. For a graphical interface you might want to try a window manager such as fvwm, icewm (win95 clone) or blackbox. There are a lot of different WMs out there. You might also want to compile your own kernel and get rid of all the unnecessary modules etc.

Quote:
Also I have a problem, the CMOS battery on the motherboard of this computer is dead, everytime I boot up, the BIOS settings are reset to default.. So I cannot change the options to boot with a floppy...
I can plug the old hard drive on my windows computer and access it with no problems.. Is there a way I could install it directly from my computer?
Otherwise is there any other alternative?

Thanks a lot

Download a CD image for the distro of your choice. Put the hard drive in your other computer, boot from the CD and install the OS on the hard drive.

You can completely setup the hard-drive using the other PC, then put it in the old pentium. You just have to careful to build the correct kernel modules to support the hardware for both the install PC and the target pentium. This is alot easier when you use one of the CD distro's which auto-detect your stuff.

Can't you turn the p-100 on, change the BIOS and just reset/reboot without turning it off?

VMWare

Thanks for the info, I'm gonna try that and tell you how it went.

Quote: Original post from Magmai Kai Holmlor
Can't you turn the p-100 on, change the BIOS and just reset/reboot without turning it off?

Well, everytime my computer boots, I have a message of "CMOS Checksum Error. CMOS Battery Failed." and "Default setting reset".

Why not spend a couple bucks and replace the battery? If your computer keeps forgetting the time, that's going to cause a whole mess of subtle and not-so-subtle problems.

Hum, yeah, the time might be problematic..
I might try to replace it.. but, is it hard? Does it require any specific knowledge?
Can I easily find the good battery? (Are the batteries usually standard?)
And where could I get it?

edit: Ok, I've been searching a lot, but I can't find the name of my motherboard. I don't even know which company made it.
And I searched and didn't find the CMOS battery.. :/
I don't see any motherboard name when booting nor in the BIOS..
Would it be possible to find the motherboard name by using a software?

[Edited by - Hedos on November 8, 2004 8:54:03 PM]

CMOS batteries are usually button-cell batteries with standard types. Most drug stores and hardware stores will carry 'em. Be careful not to break the socket when you're taking the old battery out.

Some old mainboards (and his MB seems to be quite old) used rechargeable NiCd batteries instead of the standard lithium button cells (because the CMOS RAM + clock took much more current than the current ones). Those used to die after a couple of years of non-usage. Lithium cells, otoh, can last for decades. If you replace a rechargeable cell with a standard lithium one, it might leak/catch fire/explode. Be careful.

Well, this computer definitly doesn't have a "standard lithium button" battery..
Is it possible to change a NiCd?
How would I recognise where it is in the first place? I have no idea what does it look like?