How to install LINUX on a notepad with no ports other than USB?

[gareth evans]

Presumably one must get it to boot from a usb stick and
then do an FDISK before proceeding?

Which version of LINUX is recommended these days?

The PC is an Advent 4213 currently with Windows XP

What concerns me is the prospect of an unusable PC
with Windows gone but LINUX not operational.

[John]

Post by gareth evans
Presumably one must get it to boot from a usb stick and
then do an FDISK before proceeding?
Which version of LINUX is recommended these days?
The PC is an Advent 4213 currently with Windows XP
What concerns me is the prospect of an unusable PC
with Windows gone but LINUX not operational.

Yes, you'll want to write your image to a USB stick (see
https://www.debian.org/CD/faq/#write-usb) and then boot from it. I
highly recommend Debian, just download the "netinst" image
(https://www.debian.org/download). You don't need to run fdisk, the
installer will walk you through partitioning.

I looked up the Advent 4213, at this point it's a 14 year old
netbook... if you absolutely fail to get Linux on it, it's not exactly a
massive loss.

john

[Kurt Weiske]

To: gareth evans
-=> gareth evans wrote to alt.folklore.computers <=-

ge> The PC is an Advent 4213 currently with Windows XP

ge> What concerns me is the prospect of an unusable PC
ge> with Windows gone but LINUX not operational.

Create a Clonezilla USB stick, and create a backup of the partition
onto a USB stick. Once that's done, create a bootable USB of your
distribution of choice.

If you have 1GB of memory, you might want to look at Lubuntu or one of
the other "light" linux distros. With 2GB of RAM you may have more
options.

If you want to go back to XP, you can boot from Clonezilla and restore
the partition from the backup you made.

kurt weiske | kweiske at realitycheckbbs dot org
| http://realitycheckbbs.org
| 1:218/***@fidonet






... Back in the stream that feeds the ocean that feeds the stream.
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[Liam Proven]

Post by Kurt Weiske
If you have 1GB of memory, you might want to look at Lubuntu or one of
the other "light" linux distros. With 2GB of RAM you may have more options.

Lubuntu won't work.

Like all other forms of Ubuntu it is 64-bit only now.

The low-end distro I recommend for non-Linux-experts is the Raspberry Pi
Desktop. It works very well but it's bigger and slower than WinXP and
will be sluggish... but it's the lightest mainstream Linux left.

(It is Debian-based and works well, using considerably less resources
than Debian itself.)

[Kerr-Mudd, John]

On Mon, 28 Aug 2023 12:32:00 +0100

Post by Liam Proven

Post by Kurt Weiske
If you have 1GB of memory, you might want to look at Lubuntu or one of
the other "light" linux distros. With 2GB of RAM you may have more options.

Lubuntu won't work.
Like all other forms of Ubuntu it is 64-bit only now.
The low-end distro I recommend for non-Linux-experts is the Raspberry Pi
Desktop. It works very well but it's bigger and slower than WinXP and
will be sluggish... but it's the lightest mainstream Linux left.
(It is Debian-based and works well, using considerably less resources
than Debian itself.)

I think maybe tinycore (x86) is still being update -
yes:
http://tinycorelinux.net/14.x/x86/release/

Post by Liam Proven
--
Liam Proven ~ Douglas, Isle of Man
(or liamproven on either AOL or Yahoo UK)

[Bozo User]

Post by Liam Proven

Post by Kurt Weiske
If you have 1GB of memory, you might want to look at Lubuntu or one of
the other "light" linux distros. With 2GB of RAM you may have more options.

Lubuntu won't work.
Like all other forms of Ubuntu it is 64-bit only now.
The low-end distro I recommend for non-Linux-experts is the Raspberry Pi
Desktop. It works very well but it's bigger and slower than WinXP and
will be sluggish... but it's the lightest mainstream Linux left.
(It is Debian-based and works well, using considerably less resources
than Debian itself.)

Alpine Linux is not that nice, get the extended i686 image, connect yourself
to the internet and set up a light desktop. It's much faster than Debian.

[Ant]

Notepad?

Post by gareth evans
Presumably one must get it to boot from a usb stick and
then do an FDISK before proceeding?
Which version of LINUX is recommended these days?
The PC is an Advent 4213 currently with Windows XP
What concerns me is the prospect of an unusable PC
with Windows gone but LINUX not operational.

[John]

Post by Ant
Notepad?

Post by gareth evans
Presumably one must get it to boot from a usb stick and
then do an FDISK before proceeding?
Which version of LINUX is recommended these days?
The PC is an Advent 4213 currently with Windows XP
What concerns me is the prospect of an unusable PC
with Windows gone but LINUX not operational.

Surely the context was clear from the post, or if not you could try a
web search for "Advent 4213". Alternatively, don't think, just (top) post!

john

[Schmitty]

I'm using Bunsenlabs Linux https://www.bunsenlabs.org/ on an EeePC of
the same age with good success.You may run it as life system first to
see if everything is working before you install.
--thomas.

Post by John

Post by Ant
Notepad?

Post by gareth evans
Presumably one must get it to boot from a usb stick and
then do an FDISK before proceeding?
Which version of LINUX is recommended these days?
The PC is an Advent 4213 currently with Windows XP
What concerns me is the prospect of an unusable PC
with Windows gone but LINUX not operational.

Surely the context was clear from the post, or if not you could try a
web search for "Advent 4213". Alternatively, don't think, just (top) post!
john

[gareth evans]

Post by Schmitty
I'm using Bunsenlabs Linux https://www.bunsenlabs.org/ on an EeePC of
the same age with good success.You may run it as life system first to
see if everything is working before you install.
--thomas.

Sorry but what does "life system" mean?

Otherwise many thanks to all who have responded and when I have
worked out how to, and have managed to, replace the CMOS backup
battery then I'll attempt LINUX installation.

[Ahem A Rivet's Shot]

On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 11:10:21 +0100

Post by gareth evans

Post by Schmitty
I'm using Bunsenlabs Linux https://www.bunsenlabs.org/ on an EeePC of
the same age with good success.You may run it as life system first to
see if everything is working before you install.
--thomas.

Sorry but what does "life system" mean?

That should have been "live system" - it means that it can be run
from the install media without installing it on the system, which is a
great way to find out if it works.

[Peter Flass]

Post by Ahem A Rivet's Shot
On Fri, 4 Aug 2023 11:10:21 +0100

Post by gareth evans

Post by Schmitty
I'm using Bunsenlabs Linux https://www.bunsenlabs.org/ on an EeePC of
the same age with good success.You may run it as life system first to
see if everything is working before you install.
--thomas.

Sorry but what does "life system" mean?

That should have been "live system" - it means that it can be run
from the install media without installing it on the system, which is a
great way to find out if it works.

I think I got burned by this once, when the system ran from flash but
wouldn’t boot after install. I think I needed a different or updated
driver.

[Bozo User]

Post by gareth evans
Presumably one must get it to boot from a usb stick and
then do an FDISK before proceeding?
Which version of LINUX is recommended these days?
The PC is an Advent 4213 currently with Windows XP
What concerns me is the prospect of an unusable PC
with Windows gone but LINUX not operational.

Alpine Linux if you dare, but it will wipe out everything on the "sys"
install, it will wipe out the partition table, so backup everything
and everything will be fine. By default it uses a CLI install,
but you can install any desktop on top.

You can use OpenBSD i386 too. I am using a netbook with the same
processor and it runs fine on a command line/TUI/light X software
setup.