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tkmd · Mar 28, 2005, 08:25 PM

toshiba 266Mhz 32Mb (edo is expensive!) I need a mac like os. Ideally something that will work with wireless. I guess linux is the only option but even there my choices are slim. Tried "damn small linux" but that distro couldnt detect my wireless netgear card. Tried vector linux - no luck on the wireless card and it was slow. Any suggestions ?

InterfaceGuy · Mar 28, 2005, 08:47 PM

You should be able to run Windows 95 on it. Its Mac like. In fact, it was copied directly from the Mac OS.

Detrius · Mar 28, 2005, 08:48 PM

Look for one that has the newest version of the linux kernel, as this is going to decide hardware compatibility. Effectively, all versions of linux are exactly the same. They are just packaged differently. You want a version of the linux kernel that supports your hardware. Everything else is icing.

tkmd · Mar 28, 2005, 08:56 PM

Originally posted by InterfaceGuy:
You should be able to run Windows 95 on it. Its Mac like. In fact, it was copied directly from the Mac OS.

Thats good but I want stability...

No seriously any distro suggestions?

galarneau · Mar 29, 2005, 01:25 AM

I like Debian or Slackware for Linux, but I much more prefer OpenBSD.

Depending on what size and resolution screen you have running, one bonus of running Linux is that they have a framebuffer console, so you can do 1024x768. FreeBSD and OpenBSD (and I believe NetBSD) are limited to 800x600 for some reason, though I recently saw a patch to FreeBSD to allow a higher res. console.

Anyway, try XCFE for the window manager. 32MB will be very, very tight.

You might want to learn to love the command line instead.

tkmd · Mar 29, 2005, 11:00 PM

well I tried damn small and vector. I got the farhtest with dsl. But once again I gave up. God it feels good to use the Mac OS. Linux is NOT ready for the masses (me).

1. download a program (ie FF) and even though you say save to desktop its not there. Search? theres no search button. OK finnally found it but I cant db click on it to install. I guess theres some command.

2. granted dsl is not a large distro like suse or mandrake the desktop is spartan and I feel cramped I cant visually move files. So I reboot - theres some cryptic error gui does not load - OK now Im lost.

Linux is just to damn frustrating to use (at least for me). Go to the forum to ask for help and I get answers that I swear are in a different language. I hate to say it but windows is easier. perhaps an old NT version exists that will on a 266....

ghporter · Mar 29, 2005, 11:27 PM

There's a Linux distribution that actually runs from the distribution CD-I wish I could remember the name right now. It should be pretty good in the "Mac-like" area, since it comes with both the major desktop managers. I HATE not remembering names like this! Sorry.

Mitser · Mar 29, 2005, 11:40 PM

Originally posted by ghporter:
There's a Linux distribution that actually runs from the distribution CD-I wish I could remember the name right now. It should be pretty good in the "Mac-like" area, since it comes with both the major desktop managers. I HATE not remembering names like this! Sorry.

Knoppix (knoppix.net) produces a version of linux that can run right from the CDrom. Gentoo, if they have not done so yet, will have a version that can run of the cd as well.

Albert Pujols · Mar 29, 2005, 11:45 PM

Try Ubuntu. http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

It looks good and its really easy to use.

InterfaceGuy · Mar 29, 2005, 11:46 PM

Mandrake and Suse also offer Live CDs you can boot from. You can try that to see if they work on your system.

galarneau · Mar 30, 2005, 09:01 AM

Originally posted by tkmd:
Linux is just to damn frustrating to use (at least for me). Go to the forum to ask for help and I get answers that I swear are in a different language. I hate to say it but windows is easier. perhaps an old NT version exists that will on a 266....

Well, if you're open to using Windows, then try to find a copy of Windows NT 4.0.

It's the granddaddy to Windows XP, and is actually pretty stable. If I recall correctly, the base OS will use about 22MB of memory, leaving you with 10MB for programs. More than enough for basic usage if you're careful.

NT 4 doesn't have any USB support nor does it support the latest wireless cards (the old Prism 802.11b cards might work), but for everything else, I say give it a shot.

I actually use it under Virtual PC and it flies. Even when I used it on my Pismo 400 with 384MB of RAM, it worked great.

tkmd · Mar 30, 2005, 09:05 AM

Originally posted by galarneau:
Well, if you're open to using Windows, then try to find a copy of Windows NT 4.0.

It's the granddaddy to Windows XP, and is actually pretty stable. If I recall correctly, the base OS will use about 22MB of memory, leaving you with 10MB for programs. More than enough for basic usage if you're careful.

NT 4 doesn't have any USB support nor does it support the latest wireless cards (the old Prism 802.11b cards might work), but for everything else, I say give it a shot.

I actually use it under Virtual PC and it flies. Even when I used it on my Pismo 400 with 384MB of RAM, it worked great.

Not a bad idea, but I need the one usb port and wireless. Perhaps a more modern version of NT.

Sarc · Mar 30, 2005, 12:26 PM

Originally posted by tkmd:
Not a bad idea, but I need the one usb port and wireless. Perhaps a more modern version of NT.

that would be windows 2000, wich would be ... slow
I'd try Win98 (yuk), but it should run.

finboy · Mar 30, 2005, 12:29 PM

Originally posted by Sarc:
that would be windows 2000, wich would be ... slow
I'd try Win98 (yuk), but it should run.

Win98SE is still pretty well supported, and it should run OK in 32M RAM. Enough to do basic stuff, at least.