Offline User Friendly Linux Distro with Updated Wine?

[haywirepc]

I used vector linux for years, check it out, you can order a cd if you don't want to download a and burn for just a couple bucks. Works great on older, low spec hardware, is slackware based, has great repos and software easy to install with just a couple clicks...

Puppy linux is also a good option for lower spec older hardware. Now? I run mint on my combo workstation/server.

[XDelusion]

After an hour of tinkering in BIOS, I'm currently installing Lucid Lynx. It was suggested for my particular model of laptop on a Forum so I figured it would be a safe bet...

...no go. Acted like every other Linux distro, but alas I made some progress. Now that I have all these distros downloaded I guess I'll spend some time and check them each out.

Looks like a lot is based on Debian out there.

[haywirepc]

I forgot to mention, but almost all linux distros allow uae or euae easily... so you can get your amiga on...

I find my mint workstation/sever although pretty low spec by todays standards (dual core 3.0ghz with 4 gigs ram, 512k nvidia video card and 500gigs internal storage, with a couple terrabyte usb external drives) is all I need for most of my day to day stuff...

I enjoy that computer more than any other I have owned since my amiga 500
back in the day. I have windows programs/games, linux programs/games, dos programs/games, amiga programs/games, c64 programs/games, and several emulated game systems (sega genesis and super nintendo mostly) All running happily together, all on one very customized system.

I once heard it said that linux is the new amiga. I think thats true... Your different, your computer does things the rest can't do, and you can customize it more than windows or mac for sure...

[TheBilgeRat]

I don't see any reason why Linux shouldn't run on that laptop.  From ArchWiki (wouldn't recommend it for "user friendly", but the kernels are kernels):

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dell_Inspiron_1521

Lucid Lynx is EOL in April.  I would try not installing a 3.x kernel and install a 2.6 kernel instead.  Most distros should allow you to do this.  There should be no reason you are getting kernel panics if Haiku installs...weird.

[XDelusion]

I don't see any reason why Linux shouldn't run on that laptop.  From ArchWiki (wouldn't recommend it for "user friendly", but the kernels are kernels):

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dell_Inspiron_1521

Lucid Lynx is EOL in April.  I would try not installing a 3.x kernel and install a 2.6 kernel instead.  Most distros should allow you to do this.  There should be no reason you are getting kernel panics if Haiku installs...weird.

Alright, I'll switch distros then. Lucid is light weight, was easy to install, but I'm not swooned by it. On to the next experiment.

[Lurch]

I'd go for Mint Linux... anyway a good website is http://distrowatch.com/ has the top whatever linux distros listed and reviews :-)

[XDelusion]

I think I like MINT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=uFMMXRoSxnA&feature=fvwp

[esc]

Mint is my favorite (see post #2 in this thread IIRC) but make sure you grab the Mint Debian.  The other is based on Ubuntu, which IMO only serves to bloat it a little bit.

[CritAnime]

I use Crunch Bang. Very lightweight using openbox and thunar. Uses Debian stable and so far, in the 6 months i have been using it, no issues at all.



*not my desktop but taken from the crunch bang site*

[TheBilgeRat]

I use Crunch Bang. Very lightweight using openbox and thunar. Uses Debian stable and so far, in the 6 months i have been using it, no issues at all.

That's because its Debian Stable

I've used a lot of distros, and if you want no nonsense rock solid stability there is nothing better.

[XDelusion]

I have MINT installed (Debian version) and CAN NOT for the life of me see the obvious place to go to upgrade my drivers, let alone detect my internal wireless network device.

[esc]

Yeah, that's more than likely going to be in synaptic package manager (or something like that).  Your wireless NIC will probably be a proprietary driver which is why it isn't enabled by default.

[nicholas]

I have MINT installed (Debian version) and CAN NOT for the life of me see the obvious place to go to upgrade my drivers, let alone detect my internal wireless network device.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

[XDelusion]

Thankx, I'll try that after it gets done taking 5 years to download and install WINE.

I used to take classes for Linux back in the 90's...

Command Line was understandable in those days as Linux was in its early stages...

...at this point, I thought for important things like installing much needed drivers, that the need to be a Linux guru with a vast knowledge of commands were behind us. Guess not.

Also Mint is sluggish next to Haiku or even AROS in Vesa mode, two more strikes against it. Dunno if I'm going to keep this machine. May sell it and just invest in a laptop that will run AROS or I "might" pick up a powerbook for MorphOS as that would REALLY make me a happy camper along side of one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/320924766108?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


EDIT: Never mind all, thanks for the advice and help but this OS experience has me PISSED. Not my cup of tea. I've used every OS under the sun quite possibly and when it comes to Linux I ALWAYS end up in a bad mood.

[nicholas]

Try http://www.pclinuxos.com/?page_id=1867

Or here in 17hrs:

http://en.opensuse.org/Portal:12.3?pk_campaign=counter

Edit: I recommend the KDE Live CD of OpenSuse.

[CritAnime]

Linux is not for everyone. But it can be made as easy or as hard as needed. Ubuntu and by proxy mint are the easiest because that's what they are aiming to do. Both can have additional drivers loaded into them by using the additional hardware option. Updates roll in at a more regular basis too. And if you are after a more 'windows' experience then it's easy to install kde. Software can be installed via the software installer store or by the apt-get install command from terminal.