Find a Linux Distribution Which Support Chinese for PII Level Old Computer

I have being owned an old computer with 486DX100 CPU, 24M memory, 1M display memory and two hard disks which volume is 4.3G and 1.3G(a 1.6G HDD disabled about 300M bad sectors). The OS was Redhat Linux 9.0 without X that days, because I couldn’t find an Linux distribution with X windows which support chinese for such an old computer. But, it can provide most funtions for my daily using, I use Zhcon+Screen+W3m to create a chinese console environment, so I can surf internet, write blog, listen mp3, communicate with my MSN friends by Gtmess, etc.. So, my 486 machine got the second life with the help by Linux. Of course, there are still some light Linux distributions can be used at X windows if you don’t require chinese support. For example, DSL, DeLi0.7 series, etc.. By the way, this 486 computer I am still using it. But, I have changed the OS to Slackware 10.2 with chinese support console environment. Because there is only a 1.3G HDD left for this 486 computer. Slackware has better customization ability than Redhat Linux 9.0, I can reduce some unnecessary programs for this little HDD and boot more faster.

I have gotten another old computer with Celeron 400 CPU, 96M memory, shared 2M display memory(there is 8M display memory can be used, I set it to 2M in BIOS). So, what things have I ever experimented when I choose light weight Linux distribution with chinese support? Below is a summary for these things, I hope it will be helpful for some friends which intrested with Linux and has such an old computer.

This computer can run a newest light Linux distribution: Arch Linux(archlinux-2008.06) constrainedly, even can run a rich functions and nice looking GUI: Xfce4, I have excuted the newest Firefox 3 web browser, and it isn’t too slow. Arch Linux is a rolling release distribution allows one-time installation and continuous seamless upgrades. Once you installed it, you only need one command “pacman -Syu” to upgrade entire system(include kernel) to the newest version. It is optimazed for i686, so it can’t be run at machine with an older CPU. The upgrade speed of Arch is fast than other distributions, you can used the newest official version of software(include kernel) soon. Basically, I haven’t run into quesitions when I install it with newest version(archlinux-2008.06-core-i686.iso) by CDROM. Except for one thing, it reported the message such as “the file is already existed, can’t upgrade” when I upgrade entire system with command “pacman -Syu”, I deleted the files it reported, then excuted “pacman -Syu” again, everything was ok. But, I let Arch say goodbye for this computer, after all, this is a so old computer which produced at about eight years ago, to run the newest distribution at such an old computer is really constrainable. I appreciate the packages management style and the community user contributed “Arch User Repository” of Arch Linux very much. But, after the first use of Arch Linux, I have a bit doubt: such an speed upgrade for software, how about the stability of system? For example, if there is someone run it at a server?

I have tried Puppy Linux( Puppy 217 NOP Chinese Version)，started the live system, then selected “NORMAL INSTALLATION” to install the puppy into the hard disk. The method is: select “Puppy universal installer” in the “start” programs menu, do by the prompt until to select detail installation method, then select the second item( NORMAL, NOT COEXIST). The system speed is a bit faster than the newest Arch Linux, maybe, the memory is too little, so the GUI program is still a little slow(such as the Opera web browser in it). Additionally, I don’t know why the packages management program will quit automatically when I click mouse for installing softwares from network. Puppy Linux is design for single root user mode, although, I read the official manual, it says this mode will not cause security problem( See “Q: Security concerns” in http://puppylinux.com/faq.htm ), but, for my personal feeling, I don’t very like this mode, that’s really a “selecting by feeling”. Besides, there are few people using this old computer, it’s a multi-users environment. I haven’t studied how to set a multi-user environment in Puppy Linux. Any way, I haven’t changed my opinion for Puppy Linux, it is still my first choice system for maintaining goal.

There is an article about Light Weight Linux Distribution comparing: Review: Lightweight Linux distributions, a distribution called “TinyMe” was the NO.1 by the author’s opinion. It is said this caused the argument in the Linux Community. TinyMe is a light Linux distribution for the old computer defined by the TinyMe author. I tried TinyMe 2008.0 version on this old computer. I also installed it into hard disk after starting the live system. Note, the first few times I failed at installing it into hard disk. After searching in TinyMe’s forum, I select such as item “safe-failed”(probably is safe mode) when login, then excuted a command of hard disk installation(I forgot this command 🙁 ) to finish the installing to harddisk. Maybe, it is for my small memory(only 94M + 2M display memory). This is a light distribution based on PCLinuxOS, optimalized for i586. Using apt packages management system, it’s convinience for installing programs. the iso file is about 200M. It has a nice GUI face, the chinese support is good after installing chinese locale. I need set the locale to “zh_CN.UTF-8” manual for displaying the chinese time at the bottom-right of windows. But, I found the speed of system is even slower than Arch Linux a bit. Maybe, the reason is its gorgeous GUI face and load many services when booting. I think, design the light Linux Distribution for the old computer, the first consideration is speed, not the good GUI face.

Here is a light Linux Distribution which is also specialized for the old computer called DeLi Linux, the newest version is DeLi Linux 0.8, I feel it is to utmost limit at the international light Linux Distribution area in reality. Why? Because it adopts the uclibc which is designed for embedded type devices to build the entire system, and, it has almost no the default services starting when boot, all is controled by youself. So, maybe it needs some linux basic knowledge to use it. In addition, because it adopts uclibc, so there are some non-opensource programs cann’t run on it. For example, Opera web browser, the flash plugin for firefox, etc.. From my test, it should need the least system resource alone the distributions I tested. But, because it is still a beta version, there are some bugs in it, so, you need some basic linux knowledge to resolve the question you meet.

At last, Slackware Linux 10.2, it is the distribution I selected for my old computer temporarily. Although, it is a bit old (released at September, 2005) and it isn’t specialized for the old computer. But, I think it reaches a balance between the usability and system resource occupation. This distribution is also need some basic linux knowledge to use it.

Every distribution tested above supports chinese. That famous distribution based on GTK1 called DSL(Damn Small Linux) is also a good one which reaches a good balance between usability and system resource occupation. To give an order for the distributions always causes argument. I want say, there isn’t a best Linux Distribution, but a best distribution for youself. In addition, selecting Linux Distribution just is a personal favor sometimes. For that friend has basic linux knowledge, you can try Arch Linux, Slackware Linux, DeLi Linux for you old computer; For the friend is a linux novice, maybe Puppy Linux or TinyMe Linux is more easier to use; If you have ambition or ability or you areinsterested in it, support DeLi Linux may be will helpful for you linux ability and you will. Although, there are some restricts for uclibc which adopted by DeLi Linux, but, maybe some non-opensource programs will support uclibc in some days for our effort.

That’s ok, happy every day!