Hands on: Revive an old PC with Linux

He’s in an interesting situation: his computer, with a Pentium II processor, is fast enough to run lightweight Linux distributions.

Those such as Xubuntu and TinyMe are designed for slimmer systems and, while a low specification computer certainly won’t play back high-definition video, for general tasks, any processor - from a Pentium II or later - is sufficient. However, the problem is the memory, and the hurdle is 128MB.

Most lightweight Linux distributions recommend a minimum of 256MB, but will just about get by with 128MB. The usual advice for old computers is to put more Ram inside - an old Pentium II PC with 512MB of memory will work well with a lightweight distribution, and will even manage fairly well with a regular version, such as Ubuntu or Fedora.

Unfortunately, though, this isn’t always an option: older laptops are often limited with soldered Ram that can’t be expanded, or with a maximum total memory of less than 128MB.

So is Damn Small Linux a good option in these cases? Possibly. This distribution is quite remarkable in what it can do. The download is just 50MB, and has a minimum hardware specification of a 486 CPU and 16MB of Ram - yes, you read that right.

If the computer has 128MB or more memory, the entire operating system can run from memory.

So for truly old PCs - we’re talking ones from the early 1990s - this distribution can get them running and browsing the web with Firefox. It includes a surprising number of applications, including rdesktop, which allows you to access another desktop remotely.

It can be extended with lots of further common applications that are downloaded and installed with one click from a plain, but easily used, graphical tool. However, having such low requirements, DSL is not the prettiest of distributions, and it certainly has none of the polished feel of a modern desktop.

The software is somewhat old, and that can lead to compatibility problems, such as the one with Real Player.