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#1 2007-11-13 20:38:52
- miggols99
- Member
- Registered: 2007-06-10
- Posts: 424
Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
I recently got an old computer which I have put Arch Linux on. Here are it's specs:
Intel Pentium 3
192MB RAM (upgraded to 512MB)
10GB HDD
ATI graphics card
What WM/DE do you guys recommend I put on it? I was hoping to put KDE on it, but it would be quite slow 
Would Xfce be any good? It's going to be to a family member (or if not me 
my old one is broken) and if it's for me, I will use Openbox (my preferred WM).
Last edited by miggols99 (2007-11-14 17:16:30)
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#2 2007-11-13 20:45:06
- dolby
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- From: 1992
- Registered: 2006-08-08
- Posts: 1,581
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
search the forum. its full of lightweight/cli app recommendation threads
There shouldn't be any reason to learn more editor types than emacs or vi -- mg (1)
[You learn that sarcasm does not often work well in international forums. That is why we avoid it. -- ewaller (arch linux forum moderator)
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#3 2007-11-13 21:19:17
- Misfit138
- Misfit Emeritus
- From: USA
- Registered: 2006-11-27
- Posts: 4,189
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
I'd try xfce4 first. If that's not light enough, then I'd go with Windowmaker or Fluxbox. 
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#4 2007-11-13 21:28:32
- Dusty
- Schwag Merchant
- From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
- Registered: 2004-01-18
- Posts: 5,986
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Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
Icewm is another good lightweight wm.
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#5 2007-11-13 21:58:23
- chilebiker
- Member
- From: Zurich, Switzerland
- Registered: 2006-07-18
- Posts: 161
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
My laptop has smilar specifications and it is being used as info / internet station. It runs IceWM and Opera and is fast enough for surfing.
Don't panic!
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#6 2007-11-14 00:19:24
- dmartins
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- Registered: 2006-09-23
- Posts: 360
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
Windows 95 should be pretty snappy on it.
Last edited by dmartins (2007-11-14 00:20:10)
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#7 2007-11-14 00:32:15
- thayer
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- From: Vancouver, BC
- Registered: 2007-05-20
- Posts: 1,560
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Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
If for family member, then I'd go with Xfce. It'll be the most hassle-free solution, avoiding custom menus, updates, etc.
Those specs should run Xfce just fine.
thayer williams ~ thayerwilliams.ca
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#8 2007-11-14 02:03:39
- Phrodo_00
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- From: Seattle, WA
- Registered: 2006-04-09
- Posts: 342
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Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
I'd go for icewm or xfce (if it can run it) windows 95 wastes that much ram
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#9 2007-11-14 02:31:03
- Shaika-Dzari
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- From: Québec, Canada
- Registered: 2006-04-14
- Posts: 436
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Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
Openbox or Fvwm 
Shaika-Dzari
http://www.4nakama.net
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#10 2007-11-14 07:15:26
- ujjwal
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- Registered: 2006-01-31
- Posts: 27
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
XFCE4 should be very snappy on that.
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#11 2007-11-14 12:59:11
- miggols99
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- Registered: 2007-06-10
- Posts: 424
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
Would E17 be any good? I have used it before and really like it. Also which browser do you guys recommend? At the moment I'm using Swiftweasel, but it's not working that great. Opera isn't very good because it is QT, so it takes a while to load..I tried Kazehakase but I think it's really ugly (especially the favourites bar. Ugh). For some reasons I don't like Xfce, and one of the reasons is the desktop. Also what is a good menu generator? For future reference
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#12 2007-11-14 15:16:39
- miggols99
- Member
- Registered: 2007-06-10
- Posts: 424
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
I just put in the 512MB RAM to the old computer from my broken one. Coincidentally, they both had the same kind of RAM (SDRAM). Will I be able to run KDE on it?
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#13 2007-11-14 16:23:05
- chaosgeisterchen
- Member
- From: Kefermarkt, Upper Austria
- Registered: 2006-11-20
- Posts: 550
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
Sure you will. Configure Arch to your likes and go for KDEmod, it will be fast enough.
celestary
Intel Core2Duo E6300 @ 1.86 GHz
kernel26
KDEmod current repository
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#14 2007-11-14 17:19:55
- miggols99
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- Registered: 2007-06-10
- Posts: 424
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
Sure you will. Configure Arch to your likes and go for KDEmod, it will be fast enough.
I just installed KDEmod, expecting it to be quite slow (it was on my other computer, before it broke) but after some tweaking, it's really fast!
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#15 2007-11-14 18:11:01
- byte
- Member
- From: Düsseldorf (DE)
- Registered: 2006-05-01
- Posts: 2,046
Re: Recommendations for what to put on old computer...
With 256 MB and more the choice of WM or DE doesn't really matter. Heavy apps and multitasking will require more but 256 MB is a good minimum and 512 are enough for almost every aspect of normal 'desktop usage'.
But you might try to disable the Composite extension that's enabled by default now. That should slim down the Xorg process by at least 20 MB and might also speed up the rendering.
1000
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