Help with Linux

Stephen Coates · Post by **Stephen Coates** » Sun May 11, 2008 12:33 pm

I have been playing with Linux a bit over the last few years. A few years ago, I used WinLinux 2003 quite a bit. That was good for me as I could install it without repartitioning my HD. Last couple of years I have also fiddled with getting Debian on some old world Macs without much success.

Anyway, I finally got an extra HD (20GB) to go in my old Pentium III system which I still use on a daily basis due to not having anything newer. I installed Debian 4 on it with KDE (rather than Gnome).

Been playing around with it and am enjoying it. I'm posting this from Opera 9 running on TWM.

I havn't really set much up, or used Linux for anything productive, as still being quite new to it, I don't want to set loads of stuff up and then risk it deciding to stop working. So what I had thought about doing, is getting a computer which i can dedicate to running Linux, preferably, a newer one than the one I am using now.

So, I was just wondering if anyone had any recomendations on akind of system which i could get for running Linux on. Just looking at maybe something from a few years ago as I don't have much money, and don't really need it to be very powerful. I would have liked to get a New world Mac to run Linux on, but I figured that an x86 system wold be more useful.

I was also wondering if we have any Linux users here who might be able to point me in the right direction if I get stuck. For example, I would like to be able to print to my LaserJet 4M+ (which is networked) and am not sure how to go about it.

Thanks in advance for any advice

Steve

Post by **Cat_7** » Mon May 12, 2008 6:45 am

Hi,

I have some Linux experience, but not overly much. However, I might be able to assist you to get a bit further.

For a machine, I would say if you can get your hands on something like a 3Ghz Pentium IV that would do very nicely. Assuming you will connect the machine to the internet through an ethernet port and a hub/switch, to which you also connect the Laserjet 4M, printing should not be a problem, using the cups printing system.

I don't know Debian Linux personally, but I have some experience with Mandriva and SUSE. Both have very nice tools to configure the machine.

For running Linux on a Mac, I believe the Yellow Dog Linux distributions might be something to go for. They are aimed at PowerPC's.

Let me know if you need to know anything else.

Cat_7

Stephen Coates · Post by **Stephen Coates** » Tue May 13, 2008 12:12 pm

Hi Cat.

I will look for something around a 3GHz Pentium IV or similar then.

When I tried to run linux on my Beige G3, I tried a couple of versions of Yellow Dog and Suse, but Debian was the only one I could get working properly (well, I couldn't quite get debian working properly, but was more successful than the others). I gave up trying to use Linux on Old World Macs. I would quite happily try on a new world mac though if I can get my hands on one.

My machine and the printer are both connected to a switch. I will look into CUPS as I don't know much about it.