Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Robert Heller <heller@deepsoft.com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: What old Linux distro to run on a old Pentium III PC?
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2025 21:14:00 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: Deepwoods Software
Lines: 32
Message-ID: <1031uio$4o2c$1@dont-email.me>
References: <1031ot5$36t1$1@dont-email.me>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
              charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Injection-Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2025 23:14:00 +0200 (CEST)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="08f6f8c6eb7c8f8d1292b7e9b96f45a9";
	logging-data="155724"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX180kwz7XXifN+kAEpHSdDfro7RbRrY08WA="
Cancel-Lock: sha1:9rJzkZD9/Tsgu4MUch9xF2xcGr0=
X-Newsreader: TkNews 3.0 (1.2.20)
Originator: heller@sharky5.deepsoft.com
In-Reply-To: <1031ot5$36t1$1@dont-email.me>

Why old Linux distro? Any modern Linux should run. While *most* modern Linux
distros don't provide 32-bit install images, all of the 32-bit libraries and
kernels are in fact available and maintained (people commonly set up 32-bit
VMs for various purposes). You might have to manually create an installer
image, but I don't believe that is partitularly difficult.

I believe there might be 32-bit install images for older releases for some
distros (eg Ubuntu 16.04) and then you could then do successive release
upgrades.

Note: depending on how much memory and/or diskspace, you might have issues 
with some GUI desktops.  You might stick to a lightweight desktop like xfc4 
and avoid the heavyweight desktops like gnome or kde.

At Thu, 19 Jun 2025 21:37:07 +0200 "Matthew Camilleri" <bunkertoshimatty@gmail.com> wrote:

> 
> I posted a simmilar question on comp.os.misc, but that was generally for
> what operating systems to install on this old thing (a Pentium III, 385 or
> so megabytes of ram, 80 gb harddrive).
> 
> What old Linux distro would be cool to run on this thing?
> 
> 
>                               
> 

-- 
Robert Heller             -- Cell: 413-658-7953 GV: 978-633-5364
Deepwoods Software        -- Custom Software Services
http://www.deepsoft.com/  -- Linux Administration Services
heller@deepsoft.com       -- Webhosting Services