Best Distro for semi-ancient box?

[wausaubill]

I was told this would be a popular topic, so just for grins and giggles...

I have an older PC which was running ******* 2000, I killed the Doze and installed Ubuntu 8.10 on there. It actually runs pretty well, but it is pretty obvious that I am close to maxing out the machine in terms of performance.

The processor is an AMD Athlon 1000Mhz and it had 384,368KB of memory and a 40 gig hardrive, which at the moment pretty much only has the standard Ubuntu install on it. I took all the Windows files off and started over.

This is a machine that the kids are now using, so the distro should have pretty good user management tools and run multi-media pretty well.

Those are the parameters...discuss...

Thanks!

Bill

[wausaubill]

Oh, and any suggestions do not necessarily be Ubuntu based...

[Sealbhach]

Try CrunchBang Linux, it's based off of Ubuntu but with a lighter desktop. Or else try Lubuntu - Ubuntu with LXDE.

EDIT: if you want it to fly and still look good, try Macpup Opera.

.

[lkraemer]

Or you can try:
Damn Small Linux (DSL 4.4.10)
TinyCore
Puppy 4.3.1
Macpup
Crunchbang
Slitaz
TinyME Acorn

lk

[golanbatrac]

I'm currently on a 1GHz PIII with 128 Mb memory and a 30 Gb Hard drive. Karmic command line system with Openbox, xdm, Thunar and xfce4-panel. I've got no complaints about speed or responsiveness. Firefox is the only program that lags (a couple of seconds here or there when loading pages with lots of Java or Flash); Otherwise, everything works well (including some 'heavier' apps like gimp).

[phrostbyte]

Puppy Linux is pretty good for stuff like this.

[cascade9]

I'd rather use a minimal install of ubuntu (or debian) on that system if you feel that the standard install isnt quite fast enough, rahter than deal with the extra hassle of the 'lighter' distros.

I use Sidux Xfce (based on debian sid) on a P3/866 that used to have 384MB of RAM (now upgraded to 512MB) and it files

IMO the lighter distros have thier place......on machine with 256MB or less, and/or 500Mhz or less. That system is fine for even 'normal' ubuntu.

[robert shearer]

minimal install of Ubuntu base and as it is the wee tots toy try...

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuSugarRemix
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_%...environment%29
http://wiki.sugarlabs.org/go/Communi...butions/Ubuntu

[Shark_AtK12]

Xubuntu or Lubuntu if you want to stick to a ubuntu based distro.

[swoll1980]

minimal Ubuntu, and just use the X windows that's what I do with my really old box.