This is one of the very thin Toshiba laptops (800 MHz P3). I tried just starting up the laptop with the Operating system in the CD, but it didn't read it. I'm not a hacker, but I know my way around a computer well enought that I should be able to do something like this without spending $ 150 for the local computer store to do it for me. I want to see if 'joe on the street' (me) can install his own operating system and open office and get a laptop running without paying Microsoft what amounts to 3 car payments.
Gracias!!!
2007-10-02 04:24:17 · 4 answers · asked by riverside_ac 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
The short answer is .....yes. You can do this. I would recommend Ubuntu or Kbuntu for an OS. You can get them both FREE for the link below.
You can install two ways, by booting to the cd or by turning the machine on and putting the cd in. It will give you the option to install from the desk top. It will have an icon with "install" written below. It come with open office and gimp (image editing) software included.
You can even install it to a external hard drive if you want.
2007-10-02 04:41:52 · answer #1 · answered by oth 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your biggest challenge will be getting a distribution that is easy (for you) to install on the old machine. You don't say how big the harddrive is but that could be a limiting factor. You should be able to find a version of linux that will install, as long as you have 5 gigs or more for a harddrive. (You could get by with a lot less, but lets make it easy huh?)
Ask around, check with the local junior college / university computer science department, check on the internet and find a local "Linux Users Group." If you are in or near a reasonably sized town there is probably a such a group, and those are the folks that just LOVE the challenge of getting linux to work on older hardware, or any hardware.
If you can get someone to help you, it will probably be a lot quicker and things will work better.
2007-10-03 15:07:22 · answer #2 · answered by Sp II Guzzi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi. You can have a friend download and burn to CD a copy of open source Linux. There is also a CD based OS called "Bart PE", I think, that works like Windows. Change your BIOS to boot from CD-ROM first. Found this link http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
2007-10-02 04:31:01 · answer #3 · answered by Cirric 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
most laptops hardware give linux fits
I have only been able to get pc-bsd to run on my ibm r31 and DSL
2007-10-02 09:58:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋