Baslinux mailing list

[baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org]

On Tue, 29 Dec 2009, baslinux AT lists.ibiblio.org wrote:

> There are already a lot of Linux distros which are
> more modern and still work on older equipment with CD and USB.

I have put Puppy Linux on a few 'newer' computers (200MHz, 92MB RAM.) and 
it does well with network cards and modems but does not work half the 
time.  Thinkpad 390E crashes on exit every time, for instance.  BL has 
worked on nearly everything.  Puppy wants 128MB.  BL gets online with 3M, 
and runs Opera with 24MB.

Our desktops all have floppy drives.  So do most of our laptops (external 
plug-in floppy is missing from one), but half of them do not have USB 
and/or CD-ROM.

> The whole point of BasicLinux is that it is
> the most modern Linux which will work on "obsolete" equipment.
> You can get a lot of this old stuff for free,
> and BL will run on it.

I don't even look for the older computers - people keep bringing them, or 
they are at the curb.

Various list members have posted lots of additions and updates to BL, 
including a CD-ROM version, a zip drive version, a camera version (the 
last two must be booted from floppy disk first).  I posted 2.4 kernels and 
modules.  I use BL on my newest computers.  You can update libc to 
Slackware 11 (or newer with a 2.6 kernel).  Updating X should make it 
possible to compile more of the newer programs.  Any Slackware package 
should work (if you upgrade glibc to match the SW version).

> -monz

> > learned recently floppy drives (and disks) are now
> > considered obsolete.  CD/DVD RW drives and USB ports
> > are now the thing.  Moving off the floppy media would