[geeks] UNIX-like OS for a laptop

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

On Sun, 8 Jul 2007 20:24:24 -0700
"Sheldon T. Hall" <shel at tandem.artell.net> wrote:

> Folks-
> 
> I have an old laptop on which I'd like to install something in the UNIX
> constellation.  Solaris, one of the BSDs, some Linux distro, I don't much
> care.  That is, I don't much care as long as it supports the Cardbus network
> cards I have: a D-Link DWL-G630 WiFi card and a D-Link DFE-690TXD Ethernet
> card.

You can get small Linux distributions especially for older or space limited
machines, like Damn Small Linux.

Slackware can be trimmed down.

However, I think I'd consider NetBSD.  It's base package is not very big to
begin with.  

The only issue would be video support, and I don't know what to tell you
there.  Visit their website and see if your hardware is listed.

> I don't care about having a high-zoot GUI; command line is fine, though it
> ought to have an X Windows client.

The smallest usable desktop is XFCE.

However, if you can save a ton of memory and cycles by not running one at
all, and just using one of the leaner window managers.

There are a lot of those to choose from, including some that are very tiny.

First see if you can boot NetBSD.  If you can do that, maybe we can help you
get X working next.

If you are happy with the command line only, you could always runs screen.




-- 
shannon           | An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto 
                  | one blade of grass and not fall off the face of the earth.