Subj : Linux for old computer (very)
To   : Sergey Sapronov
From : andrew clarke
Date : Thu Nov 11 2021 01:48 pm

On 2021-11-10 08:44:16, Sergey Sapronov (2:5020/827.1) wrote to All:

SS> There is a laptop, ancient. It only has 128MB of RAM (and a 40GB IDE
SS> drive!). What Linux can I install on it? I want to deploy FTN software
SS> on it, and a website (with a load of about zero). Is it even possible?

About five years ago I ran the then-latest version of 32-bit Arch Linux on a 1998 Toshiba Satellite 4000CDS with 160 MB RAM and a 40 GB HDD.

For a web server you could use nginx. Set worker_processes to 1 in nginx.conf may reduce its memory footprint.

Another alternative is lighttpd.

FreeBSD/i386 should also run fine in 128 MB RAM on an old PC.

Installing FTN stuff (binkd/hpt/etc) in Linux/BSD on an old PC is no different to a modern machine, just slower :)

--- GoldED+/BSD 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: Blizzard of Ozz, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (3:633/267)