Re: [tlug] Please help with e-learning of Linux OS.

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "Josh" == Josh Glover <tlug@example.com> writes:

    Josh> Quoth Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon (Tue 2004-07-20 01:38:36PM
    Josh> +0900):

    >> Just a quick note on my hardware experience with a few low-end
    >> machines.

    Josh> It is important to realise that Linux has more applications
    Josh> that just the desktop. In fact, the desktop is probably
    Josh> where Linux is the *least* popular.

I would avoid the word "popular" (Jorge may or may not be typical),
and explain why certain uses are popular.  The theme is if Jorge is
going to _need_ what is done best with Linux, servers etc are where he
is mostly likely to find applications, and there Linux will be
functional with much cheaper/older hardware than Windows.

    Josh> Steve gives an example of a mailserver above, and I know
    Josh> plenty of people who use machines of that calibre for things
    Josh> like firewalls, routers, etc.

And Lyle gave an example of an easy-to-install desktop (ie, Lyle
didn't do anything to tune them, which he also said), which is where
Jorge is very likely to start.  He identified exactly what application
class he was targeting, which was appropriate since I'm far from a
typical user in tastes as well as experience.

The only thing I would add to Lyle's post is that (as always) it's
worth asking the gurus for hints on tuning the system/more efficient
application software before giving up on a box.

I will also say that XEmacs 21.4 ran fine on the Pentium I 120MHz box,
although XEmacs 21.5 is worse than sluggish.  I gave up on that box as
a workstation when I started using Coda (100MB of Coda VM out of 81MB
of RAM is thrash-o-matic), and about that time XFree86 4.0 came out,
which was mu-ri al by itself (the X server's VM footprint in my normal
usage ballooned from about 40MB to 65MB, I'm not sure why).

Obviously, cutting your installation back from Linux 2.6 to 2.4 or
even 2.2, your X installation back to 3.3, etc, could be done, but it
is now a task for an expert.  Sure, you could find an old distro, but
even that takes expertise!


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