[dante]

After being frustrated with finding programs that worked well with an 8 year old Powerbook G4 (Ti version, 800mhz, 1gb RAM, 40gb HD), my wife set out to install Linux about a week ago. From figuring out which release worked (8.04 did, 10.10 didn't, etc) to trying to figure out how to get 710mb of data onto a 700mb CD (use the MinimalCD option, which is only ~17mb and is just enough to start the download from the web), to still not understanding why yaboot is such a total and complete PAIN IN THE ASS on this computer, it's been a very, very trying experience.

We were able to boot a version (8.04) off of the CD, but when we tried to do a full install it hung up (and had also wiped off the OSX in the process)... Thankfully it would still boot a CD, so after a couple tries we figured out the MinimalCD option. Plugged the computer into the internet, booted 10.10 MinimalCD, and started the install. Everything went through fine, completed the install, and suddenly got the "Black screen of annoyance" on reboot. Damn, something about the OS not communicating with the GPU. Fawk. Tried to install 8.10... MinimalCD link dead for that version. Tried to install 8.04... Hangup in installation. Tried to install 9.somethingorother. SUCCESS!!!

Still can't get the WPA wireless communication to work, but otherwise everything seems to boot, work well, and communicate with everything else. And it seems far faster than OSX ever was!

 

[CBJ]

I have an old laptop that is really getting slow. It really just needs a complete reinstall but I was thinking about just punting Ubunto on the computer as we only use it for surfing. It it the cure?

 

[T-RO]

I tried the Ubuntu route with an antique laptop of mine. It eventually installed but I found it so different that I was never really able to make much use of it. Oh well...

 

[dante]

I have an old laptop that is really getting slow. It really just needs a complete reinstall but I was thinking about just punting Ubunto on the computer as we only use it for surfing. It it the cure?

Not sure, ours was an old TiBook and wouldn't connect to the internet via WPA after we converted it. I don't know whether that was the software or the combination of the OS and the laptop hardware though. One issue that we had was that older Macs aren't officially supported by the newer OS versions, so you have to rely on the linux community to make it available. If you have a newer computer (ours was from '02 or so) you might not have those issues?

The other problem that we're having is that programs like Flash aren't necessarily playing well with it, along with Silverlight so it won't play Netflix movies or some Youtube videos. We're still working on those issues.

One thing you can always do is download a version and burn to a CD, and then boot your computer from that. It takes a little bit to boot up (~10min?) but at least that way you can see if it works (and how quick your computer runs with it). Just a thought.

 

[I.van]

I put Ubuntu onto an old slow laptop that was ready for the scrapheap and was impressed with the results. It's free, so no harm in trying.