I recently dug up an old Dell desktop from my garage and discovered it has Windows ME on it instead of WinXP, which was a surprise. It's got a Pentium III processor, 127MB of RAM, and a 10GB hard drive. Since this ancient machine definitely can't handle modern software, I'm looking to install a lightweight Linux distro just for fun. I have no specific use for the computer beyond this challenge, and I might scrap it afterward. So, what are some Linux distros that could work with these specs?
2 Answers
I found a conversation from a while back where someone mentioned getting an i386 Debian installed with just the essentials. It might take some effort, but you could try a net install with floppies or a CD. Just make sure to keep it minimal to fit within the low RAM constraints!
You might want to check out BookwormPup32 or Tiny Core Linux. Both are super lightweight and should run well on your machine!
I actually had Debian 11 running on an old machine, using about 50MB of RAM when idle. It can be a bit tricky if you push it too hard, but it might be worth a shot. Just remember to avoid desktop environments that require too much memory!