hi guys,

well i have a 2.2ghz laptop and a 900mhz pc, so why am i asking about a 166?

Well i am at uni and i would like to have a mess around with linux and things like that, however i dont want it on my laptop and i dont have my pc here.
I have a good supply of p166's from a friend so what i want to know is what can i actually run on the 166, will linux run?

I should just point out that im not planning on using it as a webserver or anything like that.

Ofcourse linux can run on it, as far as its not the latest version :D

You can run Mandrake Linux 8 as long as you have plenty of ram. Fill it up with ram, and start mesing around with it.

Use the p166 as a linux firewall box. :)

Linux will run fine. (should try running it on a p75 :().

Edit: Forgot to mention that the GUI probably wont run.

Ive run slackware on a much lower spec box, the 166 should run fine.... as RF said, make sure you got a bit of ram.

I've been running Linux/apache on a P166 for awhile...it works pretty good.

Of course, you could always make a cool 8 bit sampler out of it! :D

Hell, anybody who has a 486 they'd like taken off their hands let me know!

My firewall (at home) is an old Compaq 486, 20 or 25 mhz, 8mb ram (and god it takes a while to check it when booting) with something like 2 200mb hard drives.

It never crashes, is quite reliable. I wouldn't really do anything else with it, but it serves its purpose. It runs on Redhat 5.5 like a charm.

I just set up another box, a P90 with a 500mb hard drive, using caldera (2.3 or 2.4. Can't remember). I plan to fool around a bit with this one, maybe set up something like nagios to monitor my other servers.

Run a BBS on it :D

But yeah... I currently run Slackware 8 on a p100 (sans any gui) so you should be fine (dunno about running a gui though)

Or as someone said before... use it as a firewall -- if anything, just so you can learn how to configure a linux firewall

My home office firewall and router is a old 166 penti, 64 ram, 1.5GB HD, running the latest versino of GenToo Linux(which we discovered a new bug the first day it was up) if anyone uses gentoo, the bug we discovered controls the system to keeps you locked in caps, and makes alot of text output invisible.... but anyway, it takes about 55 seconds to boot, and then its kickin hard, I hardly even dent its processing power.

I thought of this as pretty fast for a 166, can anyone give me their speeds on their 166's or any system around that in bogomips for comparission.....

the 166 is getting 734 bogomips.

You could use it as a boat anchor or door stop.

:cartman:

We have a pretty old system in our office with Linux on it, seems to run a treat for testing things to be honest. I think its only got a p2 250 or something like that. Go for it have a play :)

Regards,
Ben

www.smoothwall.org ;)

I run a home firewall on a machine with similar specs. It's very reliable and I've been pleased with it.

Make a Key-Chain out of it, I did that with a P166 :)

What spec would you need to use the gui ? Cos i have a p3 450 with 4 gig hdd, 64 ram (i could upgrade if needed), and have spent ages downloading Redhat 7.3, so will it work on this okay ? I too want to learn linux...

Learn how to admin Samba with it for windows shares. Also mess around with firewalls and rules.

Run windows NT 4 server ...set up mail and off you go ....
Give all yur freinds free accounts

and dance on it.....

make it into an anchor.....

use it to play with....installing different test software etc....had to slip one serious one in....

find a second one....put them together...and hope they will produce some nice little P IV's....

Originally posted by mcfcforever
What spec would you need to use the gui ? Cos i have a p3 450 with 4 gig hdd, 64 ram (i could upgrade if needed), and have spent ages downloading Redhat 7.3, so will it work on this okay ? I too want to learn linux...


that's enough decent equipment you need to start playing with ANY gui env. :)

They make Great door Stop :)

They make Great door Stop Afraid I'm going to have to sue Djac for damages. Followed his lead and used as doorstop, wind came through the hall, door knocked 166 over, landed on my foot, foot is broken.

Originally posted by tazd9t9
what i want to know is what can i actually run on the 166,


umm, notepad and AOL 1.2 ?

LOL, nah Windows 98 is pushing it :D

What is a light version of Linux that could go on it that includes regular functions like pico, etc.?

Anyone using the Debain Net linux distribution?

I've got a P166, Case, 32 megs ram, no power supply, no hard drive :( Where can I pick up a PS and 2 gig HD cheap, ebay?

Windows 3.2, well, thats what mine ran ;)

I have a 225 (really 200) mmx with about 44 mb ram + 4 to grafics (built in on the motherboard) and I run Mandrake 8.2 with apache and samba and so on. I don't use the gui much because it's sooo slow with tha little ram. If I put in ram so I had 256 (the top on that motherboard I think) then I could use the gui as well. For now it's just my "play around" local network server and it's great :)

Why is everyone taking the p***? Tazd9t9, wanted a serious response, now one post yeah fine..theres always goota be one..its virtuall in the rules..but when about 10 of you start having ago, theres no need.

Apologise now :D

Matt