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AntiX Install help Compaq Armada V300

I have a Compaq Armada V300 with 400mhz P2 and 512mb ram. I had my Windows 98 install start having some massive issues. I formatted the hdd and then I tried reinstalling but half my Compaq drivers don't want to go. I want to try Linux. I found antiX is good but don't know how to go about this. I got a 4.3g hdd I want to install on. How can I do this? I downloaded antiX 16? I think. It's the latest release. It might be the full or basic. I want to try Linux for the first time. I may also want to install on my iBook G4 if this goes good(a different one of course). Then maybe a Windows 10 laptop to replace that Microsoft spyware. My Compaq has Windows 98se. So how can I do this? I don't know how to make the live cd for install. I never used anything other then Windows and Mac OS and have no idea on how to use Linux.

Comments

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

     

     

    I figured out how to burn the iso's to a disk for live CDs. But when I attempt to boot them both the base and full antiX versions will not finish booting. It will go through the command line screens loading stuff then it goes to what I assume would be the live desktop. But it never loads. It freezes at a black screen. Never moves on to the desktop. I can get core libre to work. It will go along to the login and even let me screw around with the install. But I have no idea what I'm doing there.

     

    Can anyone help me? I'm going to try downloading antiX version 13 as 16 is giving me issues. I'm completely new to Linux so I have no idea what I'm doing. At least it can't do much to my machine if I screw it up. I can always reinstall Windows 98 and continue messing with drivers that don't want to go. Man, why is software always so mean to me! I've never had it work perfectly without issue.

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    And guess what's fun! Downloading multiple versions of antiX at 500-700mb each only to figure out at the third I'm downloading the 64bit version when I need the 32bit one(who would've thought x64 is 64bit and 386 is 32?) Then downloading the 32bit versions only to have problems there. I got all three version of antiX 16 32bit. That's not so bad for people who don't have a metered Internet connection. Hughesnet only grants 15gb per month here. Yay. Half my data gone for almost no progress. Hopefully I can get it working before the data's gone. I hate it when the Internet is slowed down massively. 

    Figuring this out on my own sucks.

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    You have yourself a low-grade laptop but one a true linux guru would love to get their hands one. Your boot process ended at a black screen mainly because the xserver or the window manager AnitX was using could not be handled by your display controller. You also need to make sure your system can handle the Linux OS you plan on installing. 

    A 400Mhz cpu won't get you much out of a graphical linux OS. You will have to find  a Linux OS that stripped down to handled computers such as the one you have. I don't know what display controller you have, but if you can determine the minumum resolution it can support, then we can guide you to possible Linux OSes that might work.

    What I would do is install a server-based Linux OS on your laptop and from the commandline, install an xserver(comes installing a login manager) and a lightwieght window manager like openbox or xfce. Since you are new to Linux, I would go with XFCEI 

    Ubuntu might be a little to heavy for your system, at least by default. Debian could be something to tryout. I am going to do a simulation with a system as small as yours. If I find something that is workable I will give you the results.

  • I thought that's what antiX was is a lightwight OS for older systems. I believe my screen is a 800x600. I tried all the boot options with different commands in the little box near the bottom. Nothing so far has worked. 

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    I simulated an install on a system with 512MB of ram, and less than 50% of my processing power. I installed Debian 7.2 32bit codenamed wheezy using the LXDE desktop environment. My display controller supports resolutions as low as 600x400. Download Debian that uses LXDE. http://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/8.5.0/i386/iso-cd/debian-8.5.0-i386-lxde-CD-1.iso

     

    AntiX is built on a Debian core, os it is debian in a sense. One thing you need to keep in mind, when a site says a Linux OS was built for old computers, it really means it was built on a system the developers were using which was considered old. Your system and their system more than likely are not the same. The OS was also customized to a certain preferrence, again, worked well for their system. Sometimes it is better to go with default settings then with customizable settings.

    I tried installing AntiX core and once the installation. Once the installation was complete, I rebooted the machine, saw some services started and then a blank screen. The installation was a bit confusing at times expecially the disk partitioning process. It did not give the option to setup swap and I was not sure if I selected the correct boot partition. cfdisk is not always to the best way to partition a disk. I will try other options and let you know what I find.

     

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    So I should try the Linux you linked to? I will try it. I tried my antiX 16 full disk in a Windows 7 desktop and man I like it! Although it's the wrong machine. I'll report what that linked version does.

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    It appears, the partition scheme is causing the system not to boot. No boot menu can be found even when GRUB is installed on the MBR or the partition. The installation for antiX should not be this complex. Not worth setting this up. Will have to try other antiX images to see which one works best for beginners. The documentation for installing AntiX is not the best.

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    So I can't get this Debian to go. I choose the auto installer and it gave errors. I saw a lot of "segmentation faults" as the list scrolled by. I can't get a picture uploaded. But it gave some kernel panic error. I'll have to try again on the image. Or if you really need it just somehow message me and I send it. Maybe I can get it. But I couldn't scroll down to upload the picture. The window was bouncing all around to get back so I couldn't click the save button.

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    Ok good news. I was able to get a complete install of AntiX linux running on a system with little resources. It was able to boot to a login screen. Once I put in my password, a full graphical desktop came up. The installation program was easy to follow. I allowed the program to automatically setup the hard drive. It seemed to work. This is the image I used, https://sourceforge.net/projects/antix-linux/files/Final/antiX-16/antiX-16_386-full.iso/download

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    So what settings did you use for it? What boot mode and boot codes? 

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    Segmentations faults usaully means hard drive division error and kernel panic means incompatible hardware architect. We will have to find a Linux system with a kernel that supports your hardware and an easy to use installer. What I need are the full specs of the system you are trying to use, name of the motherboard, name of the Cpu and bios version. Then we can look at what systems out there can support it. Have you looked at DSL (damn small linux)? https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=damnsmall

  • Within the graphical installer, I used all default settings

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    I think the basic version got the closest to booting. I may try it again. But having to constantly pull the battery to power off when it freezes is annoying. Should there be anything that I try when booting to help it?

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    The antiX admin had me enter "3" into the boot code line. That starts it into a command line for install. I'm installing that way. Or so I think. The disks are spinning. And somehow I think the cd is doing this at 1x speed. Or 150kb/sec. And with 3gb that equals 5.6889 hours. Yea! Hopefully it does something good. And runs correctly. I guess we'll see by maybe 9-10pm. If you're on mountain standard time. And if it doesn't go oh well. It's ONLY 5-1/2 hours. Man this sure is going to be a long wait.

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    Ok so around 9:15-9:30 I shut it down. I don't it did anything. Going to try one last time for before I look at other distros. Man this sucks.

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    I researched the model of the laptop you are using. Yes, you have a dinosour onhand. I had one of these in the past. Took a while to find a Linux OS that would install, but I found one, and was able to play StarCraft on it. Wish I remembered what OS it was. 

    I don't know what CDROM drive you have or the actual speed. However, it seems your laptop shutdown when it overheats, as the specs on this site, http://www.cnet.com/products/compaq-armada-v300-13-celeron-32-mb-ram-6-gb-hdd/specs/, says that this type of system can run at a max tempurature of 95 degrees F. Your data bus speed is 66Mhz. We need to find something that is small, really small. Good thing about the Kernel, it can be scaled, some can be as large at 2MB or can be smaller depending on what you allow to load, However, that is too advanced for both of us. Yet very important, the kernel must support your hardware. There are some, but it will take some serious effort to find them. 

    First, we need to find an ISO image that is less or equal to 100MB. Start there, which will allow your CDdrive to operate without over extending itself. Stay away from those images that are in the GB rages. Stay within the MB ranges. Here are a few to tryout, 

    1. http://www.tinycorelinux.net/downloads.html
    2. http://planetwatt.com/new/index.php/downloads/
    3. http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/download.html
  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    Ok. I didn't think it was overheating and shutting down but maybe. I haven't used it very much to learn about how that works. I'll take a look at those releases and download around 3am. I already used 2/3 the allowed data this month. Don't want the Internet to get slow. Do those have a gui? I'm not quite comfortable with command lines yet. Also someone suggested linuxbbq break? It was on a different forum.

  • Ok, so watt OS looks to require 256mb of ram but a pentium 3. So that seems to be out. Tinycore looks like it only needs 46mb ram with a 486 processor w/math co-processor. I will give tinycore a shot. I haven't yet looked at damn-small-Linux yet. Will soon. 

    I'm currently trying to install Debian ppc on my iBook. Got my 32gb ssd in. Using my USB to ide adaptor. Wonder if it will go.

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    Tinycore Linux will boot to the desktop very fast. Well makes since. It was a 16mb download. But DSL will not work. I believe I downloaded version 4.4.10. Well I can use tinycore if I can get help finding and installing packages. I don't have access to the Internet on it. Well I do but it's through a pcmcia Linksys wireless g adaptor. I did get that working under Windows 98 before i got bsod's at every turn. Is there a way for that to work under Linux? If so I'll connect it right up and download anything I feel like I'll need. Mostly just a MP3 player and word processor is all I can think of right now. But I could not install tinycore. I guess since it wants a Internet connection to download a few other files it needs. There was no gui installer in the desktop environment. I'll figure this out tomorrow.

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    The kernel for Linux mostly has drivers for most hardware already included. If your wireless card was not enabled it could be that a driver is needed for that card. Does your laptop have a wired connection?

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    I don't have a wired connection for the Compaq. I only have the wireless card and a dial up modem in it. It does have a mini pci card with the modem on it that can be changed out for one that has dial up and Ethernet. I don't have that card. The only way on for software right now is through CDs and my USB to ide adaptor.

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    I am very sorry for your troubles. Going through this much trouble trying to get your system working makes a person not care anymore about it. With Computers that old, a person will literally have to dig under rocks to find something that will just "WORK". However, keep this in mind, Linux can "Just Work" for beginners, but that is not its main moto. To use Linux, one has to be willing to get techincal. Linux requires and individual to be creative, to have the willinest to learn.

    I understand completely where you are comming from. I myself don't want to operate my systems though a shell console only. The shell is one of the oldest and one of the most important components of a Linux system. When you transition to linux, be willing to learn new things. I am going to give you a link to more Linux distros build for old computers(OLD has many definitions). If you still are looking for a Linux flavor for your laptop, filter though this list, http://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Old+Computers. Remeber, you don't have to install Linux, you can just run it from the bootCD and do the things you need to do. It will be a bit slow. There are documentations for every aspect of a Linux operating system. Just let me know what you need.

    However, it might be best to just stick with windows. I don't want you feel like you are giving up, but this is taking its toll on you and time. 

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    Thanks for the link. I'll check it out and see what I can get. I did just install Linux on my iBook after stuffing in an ssd yesterday. First Debian ppc wasn't working right. Had lot of issues for some reason. So I installed mintppc. That doesn't have issues, other then slightly laggy. But now that I got that one I have to something to help learn on. It's not that I'm unwilling to use a command shell. It's just I prefer GUIs. I grew up after command lines dropped out. By the time I was old enough to use a computer XP was out for a couple years. I always wanted to learn dos as I thought it was kinda cool. Just no good guides on how to use the different commands. Just here's the command here's what it does, onto the next command and so on. Not that helpful for understanding how to create a command for different situations.

    At least Linux has good guides for the command shell. Maybe I will just have to learn it and use mostly a shell on the Compaq. And if I take a college course I'll use it at some point and watch people go wtf? That'll be awesome. But for now, I still need to find one. Does anyone know of a good guide for installing tinycore Linux without Internet? With packages? That one ran but needs the Internet to install. Something that a bit too much of a luxury on this Compaq at the moment. Unless you know of how to fake a dial up connection to it. I'll have to search around. Thanks for all the help so far.

  • Kawooa
    Kawooa Posts: 16
    edited September 2016

    Looks like vector Linux may work. I'll download it in the early morning and then test it sometime tomorrow. All the others on the list that was linked to had too high of requirements.

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    I believe there is an image that you can use to install tinycore without internet. In fact, most of these distros don't require you to have an internet connection, only if you want additional software not provided by default.

    I remember dos back in the days. It was all command operated. At that time, I was just getting started with computers and dos and the old Machintosh were my first exposures. Once windows came out, the command operated system for the desktop died. Then comes linux, reinventing the wheel of higher computer learning. For any computer you own, it is not enough just to turn it on and run an application. Things break or needs improvement, and the user will have to take things apart and put it back together. 

    I LOVE guis. Just makes operating a computer more pleasant. I can never install a Linux OS on my desktops without some kind of GUI unless it is on a server. I like the best of both worlds. When you understand how a command works and why, you understand object oriented programs. They are nothing more than paint on a text. 

    Lets hope vector works the way you want it. If the system gives you errors, paste a picture of it so we can determine the cause before you move on to anthor image. Every struggle brings glory if you are willing to endure. 

  • saqman2060
    saqman2060 Posts: 777
    edited September 2016

    I pray all works out for you. Your laptop is stubborn. Had one just like it. Those laptops are hit and miss. You will just have to try everything if you really want Linux, or, install a commandline-based Linux OS, no GUIs. Then challenge yourself to install a GUI from scratch. Good luck.

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