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+---- Thread: Which Linux? (/Thread-Which-Linux)
Which Linux? - carl7 - 03-29-2017
Planning to install Linux on my 2003 Dell XP PC. Wondering which distro is preferred?
l have played with Linux Redhat years ago but need to relearn.
Thanks Carl
RE: Which Linux? - rich2005 - 03-29-2017
There is no real 'preferred' linux distro for Gimp.
Best if you lay out the capabilities of the 2003 Dell.
Memory - you can get linux working in 256 MB but more is better.
Available drive space (especially if you want to keep WinXP)
The cpu might come into it as well. A bang up-to-date linux kernel might not work.
What is the video card and monitor resolution? Gimp is a bit cramped in an old 1280x768 display.
There are the ubuntu versions and spin-offs using light desktop environments (DE's) such as xubuntu.
A debian based linux good for old hardware is AntiX
Most these days can be downloaded as an ISO file and burned as a 'live' CD that you can try before installation. It is a good way to determine hardware problems.
edit: Ok this is my 2007 ThinkPad x61 2 GB memory and drive updated to a 120 GB SSD.
Dual boots WinXP (needed for an equally old Hauppage video capture device) and xubuntu.
display is 1024x768
That Gimp is a 2.9.5 appimage (a portable application).
[attachment=427]
more edits:
All sorts of ways to set up linux. For a dual boot, if the free space is available it becomes largely automated with modern distros which will also find M$ and create a boot menu.
It might be of interest, this is the drive arrangement of that ThinkPad.
[attachment=428]
1. The WinXP partition, NTFS. I made it quite large for video capture but not a lot in there.
Unlike windows you can install linux in an extended partition which contains
2 and 3 The linux OS and home partition. Common these days to install as one but I am a bit of a traditionalist.
missed 4 out but it is a swap file. If you are short on system memory you need one of these.
5. A NTFS partition for data. (mainly video) While linux can read/write NTFS, Win needs a utility just to read linux ext2/3/maybe ext4. So NTFS (or FAT32) is the lowest common denominator for sharing.
Nothing hard and fast, there are other arrangements.
RE: Which Linux? - david - 03-30-2017
I am very much a novice, but I have been using Ubuntu for 4 or 5 years, even on my antique Dell Latitude D430 laptop (small, rugged and convenient when travelling). I have just got a new 64 bit computer and have installed Ubuntu on that. I find it very stable compared to the many versions of Windows I used previously. I tried a couple of the lighter desktop versions, but found no significant advantage, so went for the full version.
david.
RE: Which Linux? - carl7 - 03-30-2017
Hi Rich, David, and thanks. I think I'll replace WinXP entirely since I have the original install disk. I tried Ubuntu when it first came out
, a long time ago.
My old Dell is: Pent 4, 55gb hd, about 30gb free, 2gb ram, service pack 3.
Carl
RE: Which Linux? - Harry - 06-30-2017
I'm very happy with Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon 64-bit running on several old boxes, Lenovo, and newer Dell. Rock solid.
Ubuntu flaky on the Lenovo T61.
RE: Which Linux? - crazyBaboon - 10-24-2017
I have been using Arch and Fedora recently. Arch has the advantage that is easy to install the lastest GIMP from Git via the AUR repository.
RE: Which Linux? - Kal.El - 12-27-2017
I use linux Mint https://www.linuxmint.com/