[ltp] Linux for old Thinkpads: Slackware? Vector? (etc.)

[Jim Harvey]

cr wrote:

>On Monday 02 January 2006 08:26, Alex Wenzel wrote:
>  
>
>>>From: linux-thinkpad-admin@linux-thinkpad.org
>>>[mailto:linux-thinkpad-admin@linux-thinkpad.org]On Behalf Of Jim Harvey
>>>Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2006 5:50 PM
>>>To: linux-thinkpad@linux-thinkpad.org
>>>Subject: Re: [ltp] Linux for old Thinkpads: Slackware? Vector? Zenwalk?
>>>Something else?
>>>
>>>I have Vector 5.1 up on a 770E, mostly using the Fluxbox/ROX desktop.
>>>Performance is acceptable and it makes a fine E-Mail/Browser Christmas
>>>present machine for my wife.  It took a couple of months to sort out
>>>problems with Wireless (Microsoft MN-520 card), sound, and getting the
>>>darn fan to come on but I don't think those problems were Slackware
>>>specific.
>>>      
>>>
>>I really dislike ROX and certainly can't explain Fluxbox to the person I'm
>>going to give the machine(s) to. I'll probably take IceWM (which I use
>>myself, although I'll probably also try something else now) for all its
>>Windows-likeness. If only I knew a good desktop other than ROX/Gnome/KDE.
>>One that holds real files (i.e. represents some kind of real folder, like
>>in Windows or Mac), not only "Pointers" to files/apps. Any ideas?
>>
>>    
>>
>>>I also tried a Knoppix hard drive install, Ubuntu, and SuSE 10 with less
>>>than satisfactory results on the 2.5 G root and 2 G /home partitions I
>>>set up.
>>>      
>>>
>>With how much memory? As an alternative to Slack-something, I was actually
>>thinking about Knoppix (because of its hardware-detection).
>>    
>>
>
>Knoppix's hardware detection is very good.    However, it's a big full-size 
>distro and almost certainly much too 'heavy' for your Thinkpads.
>
>A number of other distros use Knoppix's hardware detection routines - IIRC, 
>Morphix for example.
>  
>

I tried a Knoppix hard drive installation mainly because it was the only 
one that detected and set up the MN-520 wireless on the first try.  But 
by the time I had kernel sources downloaded and several other things I 
wanted I was over the 2.5 G in the root partition.

As for ROX, the only thing I use it for is Firefox and Thunderbird 
Icons.  I'm mainly a command line user but by wife is from another world.