| Seven Linux distros fight over one old ThinkPad |
by Rick Lehrbaum (Oct. 4, 2006)
Like most companies, my employer has a stash of old, "obsolete" PCs and laptops that won't run the latest versions of Windows worth a darn. Naturally, this represents a great source of systems for testing the latest Linux distributions.
I thought it would be interesting to find out which modern Linux distro made the best OS for a supposedly "obsolete" old laptop. With this in mind, I requisitioned an oldie but goodie: an IBM ThinkPad 2662-35U (pictured here), with a Pentium III 600MHz processor, 192MB of SDRAM, and a 20GB hard drive.
Next, I set about collecting as many suitable 1-CD Linux distros as possible. These included copies of the latest Xandros and Linspire that had been provided to me for evaluation, plus free web-downloads of the latest Freespire, Kubuntu, Mandriva One, PCLinuxOS, and SimplyMEPIS distros.
After that, I compiled a list of basic requirements. My plan was to do a quick run-through of each distro -- not spend a week of tweaking and fine-tuning each one -- so I needed a check-list that would allow me to rapidly narrow my search down to the one or two that are most likely to work well over the long haul.
Here's my check-list:- Installs and runs usably on the old ThinkPad
- Provides KDE window manager
- Customizable to suit my tastes
- Plays audio CDs
- Streams Real media (tested using npr.org hourly news)
- Installs/runs my old LinkSys Wireless-B PCMCIA card
- GUI tool for easy software download/install/update
- Timely and long-term OS/apps update scenario
As part of my tests of each distro, I planned to install the following apps (if they didn't come preinstalled): Firefox 2, latest Thunderbird, RealPlayer 10, Acroread 7, K3b, Amarok, Xine, Kaffeine, KsCD, OO.o, Kate, Bluefish, Gimp, Opera, Konqueror, Gaim, Skype, Ksnapshot, and the Macromedia Flash Firefox plugin.
For my final step of preparation, I created a scorecard template that would help me quantify my findings:
| Scorecard | | Installation | 0-5 points | | Customizable | 0-5 points | | Hardware/multimedia support | 0-5 points | | Apps included/available | 0-5 points | | Total: | 0-20 points |
After preparing the check-list and scorecard, I set about installing each of the collected distros, one after another, to see what worked and what didn't in each case.
My observations on each distro appear below (alphabetically arranged), along with the scorecards and a few screenshots of each. Some overall conclusions from this project appear at the end. Bear in mind that this data represents the results of a couple of hours spent on each, not days and days of tweaking and fine tuning.
Click each of these screenshots to read the distro's results:
 Freespire
 Kubuntu
 Linspire
 Mandriva
 PCLinuxOS
 SimplyMEPIS
 Xandros
Conclusions
After clicking on the above screenshots to see how each distro fared, read the conclusion of this article here. The results may surprise you!
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.
Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.
Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.
Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.
Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.
Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.
Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.
Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.
Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.
|
|
|
|
|